Cairo: Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, former director of the Egyptian Military Academy, took the constitutional oath before President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, as minister of defence and military production in the new government led by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. This appointment follows approval by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Article 234 of the constitution establishes a distinct constitutional mechanism for selecting the defence minister, requiring prior consent from the military’s highest governing body before a presidential decree can be issued. It stipulates that ‘the minister of defence shall be appointed upon the approval of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.’

Under Article 201, the president serves as the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and oversees national defence policy. The president nominates the defence minister, but the appointment cannot proceed without approval from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Once the council approves, the president issues a formal decree appointing the minister.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, chaired by the president and composed of senior military commanders, plays a unique constitutional role in approving the defence minister, making this position distinct among cabinet posts.