Egypt: The Only Arab Victory That Redefined the Middle East On 6 October, Egypt does not merely commemorate a military triumph that changed the course of history; it reaffirms to the world that it remains the only Arab nation in the Middle East to have achieved a decisive victory over Israel — a victory that reclaimed occupied land and reshaped the region's balance of power. Egypt, which ended the war on its own terms and signed peace of its own free will, continues to confront today's challenges with the same wisdom and resilience that carried its soldiers across the Suez Canal five decades ago. It is a state that knows when to fight, when to negotiate, and when to remain silent — asserting authority without firing a single shot. That victory was more than a battlefield achievement; it marked a turning point in Egyptian and Arab strategic consciousness. It shifted the struggle from the trenches to the realm of decision-making. From that moment, Cairo formulated a doctrine that endures to this day: "Power for the sake of peace." A philosophy grounded in the belief that weapons exist to safeguard sovereignty, and that genuine peace can only be secured from a position of strength. The war that Egypt fought in 1973 did not end with a ceasefire — it began a new era of state-building, transforming Egypt from a nation fighting to survive into a nation capable of leading. In a world where alliances shift and regional power balances evolve, Egypt has remained steady on its course: peace upheld by strength, deterrence guided by wisdom. There is no reckless rush to war, nor submission to external pressure —only a deliberate policy rooted in a profound understanding of what comprehensive deterrence truly means. Egypt's power lies not merely in its arsenal, but in its sovereign decision-making and in a people who understand the meaning of nationhood and stand firmly behind their army. Cairo has expanded the concept of deterrence beyond the military sphere to what may be termed "human deterrence," built on awareness, loyalty, and the capacity for mobilisation when required. Today, Egypt possesses one of the largest and most capable demographic reserves in the region: with more than 65% of its population under the age of 35 — around 30 to 35 million young men—forming the nation's human depth and strategic reserve. They are not just a statistic, but a living force within Egypt's deterrence architecture: a source of productivity, endurance, civil defence, and economic resilience, serving as a constant support for the Egyptian Armed Forces—the backbone of regional security itself. Those who believe that Egyptian deterrence is defined solely by its army misjudge reality. The Armed Forces are the vanguard of a far broader system — behind them stands an entire population ready to defend its land and sovereignty. Egypt's deterrence operates across several dimensions: * Military deterrence, through a professional army equipped with some of the region's most advanced systems. * Human deterrence, through an educated and resilient population. * Economic and developmental deterrence, built upon vast infrastructure and national self-reliance. * Political deterrence, through balanced diplomacy that safeguards interests without overreach, commanding respect across global forums. Together, these elements make Egypt the most stable and balanced pillar in the Middle East. It avoids adventurism yet never hesitates to act when its interests are at stake. Its political mind is the legacy of seven millennia of statehood, and its army is the natural extension of a people who do not break. Anyone who tests Egypt's patience will find all instruments of deterrence are ready: tangible military power, inexhaustible human depth, and unshakeable political will. On this historic anniversary, Egypt sends a message to the world: It remains the nation that forged peace from victory and continues to preserve it from a position of strength. It forgets neither the lessons of war nor the value of the gains achieved. And when it chooses calm, it does so from confidence, not fear. For a country that triumphed in October cannot be taken by surprise. A nation that once reshaped the Middle East's balance of power cannot be ignored today. Egypt — which once united the Arabs in the hour of war — still unites reason in an age of chaos. Thus, it endures as the region's true stabilising force: a state that balances sword and intellect, power and peace, memory and aspiration — charting its future with the same steady hand that once bore its flag across the Suez.
