Egypt inaugurates new ‘Octagon’ defense headquarters

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday inaugurated the country’s new Strategic Command Headquarters, dubbed “The Octagon” due to its arrangement of eight interconnected octagonal buildings.

The massive complex is in the heart of the New Administrative Capital, which lies 45 kilometers east of Cairo.

Sissi, who is also supreme commander of the armed forces, declared at the ceremony that it “represents a significant leap in our command, control, and operations management systems,” according to a statement from the country’s State Information Service.

Egyptian Defense Minister Ashraf Salem Zaher said it “forms the core of the state’s command system, relocating the Armed Forces General Command to achieve unified control through continuous development.”

In other remarks, Sissi offered his appreciation for US President Donald Trump “whose efforts resulted in the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement to end the war in Gaza, and his subsequent success in reaching an agreement to end the war with Iran.”

“I emphasize the necessity of supporting these agreements, insisting on their full implementation, and preventing any attempts to thwart, circumvent, or undermine them,” he said.

Sissi was referring to the October 2025 agreement — mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US — that halted the war in the Gaza Strip triggered by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In addition, the US last month reached a memorandum of understanding to halt its joint war with Israel against Iran that began at the end of February.

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Noting that Egypt was the first Arab state to reach a peace agreement with Israel “at a time of deep-seated hostility,” Sissi said that the “fundamental solution to the conflicts in the Middle East lies in reaching a comprehensive and just peace agreement that ends the Palestinian issue and establishes an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

“There can be no lasting peace, no true stability, and no popular normalization without a just peace that ends the occupation, puts an end to injustice and aggression, and restores rights to their rightful owners,” he asserted.

According to the statement, the Octagon is the largest such complex in the Middle East and will serve as an administrative and defense hub “that integrates command, control, communications, and artificial intelligence systems.” Media reports have said it covers 22,000 acres.

“It operates as an integrated center for crisis management and smart command, standing as a living embodiment of the pillars of the New Republic,” the statement said.

The statement did not say how much it cost to build the new complex.