International

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has secured a third term as leader of the Middle East’s most populous nation, officials said, after the counting of votes in the election held between December 10 and 12 was finalised.

Sisi won 89.6 percent of the vote, the National Elections Authority said on Monday.

Turnout reached an “unprecedented” 66.8 percent of voters, said authority head Hazem Badawy.

Over 39 million Egyptians cast their ballots for Sisi, a former army chief who has ruled the most populous Arab country for a decade.

The vote, the result of which was in little doubt, took place as Egypt dealt with various crises, including the Israel-Hamas war in neighbouring Gaza and the country’s worst-ever economic crisis.