General Intelligence Service (Egypt)

The General Intelligence Service (Arabic: جهاز المخابرات العامة Gihaz El Mukhabarat El ‘Amma; GIS), often referred to as the Mukhabarat (Arabic: المخابرات El Mukhabarat) is an Egyptian intelligence agency, and secret police force, responsible for providing national security intelligence, both domestically and internationally. The GIS is part of the Egyptian intelligence community, together with the office of Military Intelligence Services and Reconnaissance (Arabic: إدارة المخابرات الحربية والاستطلاع Idarat El Mukhabarat El Ḥarbiya Wel Istitlaʾ) and National Security Agency (Arabic: قطاع الأمن الوطني Ketaʿ El Amn El Watani).

The decision to set up an Egyptian intelligence service was taken following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, led by the Free Officers Movement, when Egypt was under increased threat from foreign adversaries, such as the United Kingdom, and the State of Israel. The General Intelligence Directorate was formally established by then Prime Minister, and future President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, in 1954, and placed under the command of Zakaria Mohieddin. It was formed with the help of the CIA that backed the Free Officers in their coup against King Farouk in the form of Project FF.

The agency's importance rose when Nasser assigned its command to Salah Nasr, who held the post of director of the GID from 1957 to 1967 and thoroughly reorganized the agency. Under Nasr's supervision, the GID relocated to its own building and established separate divisions for Radio, Computer, Forgery, and Black Operations. To cover the agency's expenses, Nasr set up Al Nasr Company, ostensibly an import-export firm, as a front organization. He played a very important role helping Algeria, Southern Yemen and many Arab and African states gain independence. Although the Egyptian foreign ministry was officially responsible for foreign affairs, GID initiated and aided many Arab and African movements for independence as a part of Gamal Abdel Nasser's anti-imperialist policies. Nasr established good relations with other intelligence agencies across the globe, which helped providing Egypt with wheat and establishing industries such as (Al Nasr Company for Motor Cars). One of his constructions is the Gezeera Tower in Cairo.

For several years, the name of GID director was a secret only known to high officials and government newspapers chief editors. However, Major General Omar Suleiman, who was the head of the GID from 1993 to January 2011, was the first one to break this taboo. His name was published before he himself became a known face in media after being envoyed by former Egyptian president Mubarak to Israel, US, and Gaza on several occasions.

On 31 January 2011, Major-General Murad Muwafi was declared the director of GID, after Omar Suleiman was appointed as a Vice President of Egypt and then resigned after former president Mubarak had to step down during the Egyptian revolution. He was replaced by Mohamed Raafat Shehata in August 2012 by president Mohamed Morsi.

In July 2013, as result of 2012–13 Egyptian protests, Mohamed Raafat Shehata was sacked by interim president Adly Mansour and was replaced by General Mohamed Ahmed Fareed al-Tohami.

At the beginning of his presidency in 2014, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi apparently had a difficult relationship with GIS. As a former head of military intelligence, his power base lay exclusively with the armed forces. With the appointment of its then office manager Abbas Kamel as head of GIS in 2018, the GIS was upgraded in terms of power politics. As a result of this personnel change, the president assigned the GIS more and more tasks in connection with the consolidation of his rule, probably also in order to become more independent from the Egyptian armed forces.

The service was already significantly involved in the preparation of the constitutional referendum in 2019, which enabled Sisi to extend his term of office. Since spring 2022, he has been involved in organizing the "National Dialogue", which, according to critics, simulates political participation without implementing actual reforms.