Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Saturday that the Egyptian army is one of the strongest armies in the region. It is a wise army that protects and does not threaten, he added. El-Sisi's statement came during his inspection tour of Egypt's Western Military Zone's personnel, a presidency statement said. "Our army is able to protect Egypt's national security," the president said, "inside and outside the borders of the homeland." The Egyptian army is the ninth most powerful army in the world, according to the website Global Firepower Index's 2020 military strength ranking. Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said the tour took place in the presence of the Minister of Defence and General Commander of the Armed Forces Mohamed Zaki, the Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid, and leaders of the main branches of the Armed Forces. El-Sisi is scheduled later in the day to open the Gargoub Naval Base, west of Marsa Matrouh, which is part of the northern fleet region of the Mediterranean Sea. The Gargoub base is due to be in charge of securing the western part of the Egyptian northern coast on the Mediterranean, which includes the Dabaa nuclear station, the new city of Alamein, in addition to the economic zone that will be established.
