Controversial Ibrahim al-Arjani: Rise of Tribal Power, Threat to Egypt's Unity

Throughout the history of modern Egypt, successive political regimes have relied entirely on security and military institutions to uphold central authority and presidential power, never embracing tribal federations or militias.

However, under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a shift in approach has emerged. The expansion of tribal influence became evident with the formation of the Union of Arab Tribes in 2024, led by the controversial Ibrahim al-Arjani.

The union now operates more like an organized militia—politically active, militarily mobile, and playing a direct role in security operations, all in service of bolstering the regime.

Yet the regime has shown little heed to the lessons of neighboring countries, most notably Sudan, now unraveling at the hands of the Janjaweed militia.

Originally composed of tribal and clan-based fighters from Darfur, the Janjaweed were armed and integrated into the state's security apparatus—only to later evolve into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. 

Today, RSF militia has turned against the very state that empowered them, waging a brutal civil war against the Sudanese army in a bid for total control—or the fragmentation of the country along ethnic and tribal lines.

Against this backdrop, a growing number of Egyptian politicians and intellectuals are voicing concerns over the increasing influence of the Union of Arab Tribes and its entrenchment in political and public life.

Fueling these fears, a recent Ramadan advertisement by al-Arjani Group has sent shockwaves through Egyptian society, its overtly tribalist and ethnic undertones sparking widespread alarm.

Tribal Influence

On March 1, 2025, as Egyptians welcomed the first day of Ramadan, they were met with an unexpected and unsettling advertisement from the Arjani Group, owned by Ibrahim al-Arjani, the head of the Union of Arab Tribes. 

What raised alarm was not just the ad itself, but the language it employed—marked by an overt display of power and exclusivity. 

They also questioned the sources behind the group's rapid expansion over just a few years, especially given the illogical nature of such growth amidst Egypt's ongoing economic struggles.

Among the phrases featured in the advertisement were, “We are history and geography, and we say it—with diplomacy or force. Who else is like us in this world?”

“Do you even know how to count? These are not mere students; these are the masters,” and “We have 30,000 employees and security experts, securing 400 entities across Egypt,” adding, “The largest and most diverse economic entity in the New Republic.”

“A commercial for Ibrahim al-Arjani’s militias airing on Egyptian television during Ramadan,” Egyptian journalist Gamal Sultan wrote on Facebook.

For his part, a social media account named "Tiran and Sanafir Are Egyptian" described the Union of Arab Tribes as “a state within a state.”

The advertisement came just days after another public controversy in which al-Arjani sparked outrage with his remarks about Egypt’s Bedouins and the people of Upper Egypt.

“Anyone who has offended Egypt’s Bedouins must apologize immediately,” adding that “Egypt’s Bedouins are well known to the General Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Secret Service, and state institutions,” al-Arjani stated.

He then issued a direct warning, “Egypt’s Bedouins and Upper Egypt are a red line.”

Al-Arjani’s remarks came in response to televised comments by Hamed el-Chiaty, a member of parliament’s Tourism Development Committee, who on February 23, 2025, blamed Egypt’s Bedouins for hindering investment and tourism.

But al-Arjani’s intervention only inflamed social media, where his tone of intimidation sparked a fierce backlash. Many condemned his words as tribalistic and sectarian, warning that such rhetoric posed a threat to Egypt’s social cohesion.

His self-appointed role as a defender of the Bedouins and Upper Egyptians also raised eyebrows. Who, many wondered, had given him the authority to speak on behalf of vast segments of Egyptian society? More concerning was his use of the phrase “red line”—a term that carried alarming ethnic undertones, unprecedented in the discourse of a public figure in Egypt.

Even Kaswaa el-Khelaly, a pro-regime journalist, expressed unease. 

“I genuinely don’t understand—what exactly will the ‘Sheikh of the Tribes’ page do to those who cross the line? And why this ominous tone, as if it holds the power to punish or hold people accountable?” she wrote on Facebook.

She wrote, highlighting the dangerous implications of such rhetoric: “And what about the rest of the Egyptians? Does this so-called page believe that the rest of the population is fair game—simply because they lack a Union, a sheikh, or a ‘red line’ to protect them? The scene has become absurd, with everyone recklessly flaunting their power.”

Tribalism Threatens Unity

In response to the unfolding scene, Egyptian researcher Ahmed Ragab noted that modern Egyptian politics has long been based on the principle of citizenship—a value upheld even before the founding of the republic, dating back to the first political parties during the British occupation, under the leadership of Mustafa Kamel and Mohammad Farid.

“From that time until now, political parties have been formed on ideological or economic foundations, completely separate from any ethnic or tribal considerations, such as the Bedouins, Upper Egyptians, or Nubians,” Ragab told Al-Estiklal.

“However, with the emergence of Arjani’s Union, it seems that Egyptian politics under Sisi is taking a new direction—one that entrenches the idea of tribal alignment within state institutions, a shift that threatens the spirit of national unity. While it may be symbolic, this unity has nonetheless preserved the form of a centralized state in one way or another.”

“Egypt has never had a tribal political party, despite the significant social diversity in the country. Tribal loyalties have remained confined to their social spheres and never infiltrated the political realm. This has helped maintain a delicate balance between the various components of the state,” he continued.

“Therefore, the establishment of a political party based on tribal foundations is not just a precedent, but a direct challenge to the concept of the modern state, which is founded on equality among citizens without discrimination. It is, in other words, playing with fire.”

“Creating armed economic influence for an ethnic group leads to a sense of independence and empowerment. In certain circumstances, if you wish to dismantle or strip away this influence, you will find yourself powerless, as seen in Sudan, Libya, and other nations grappling with the rise of ethnic factions at the expense of the state,” Ragab added.

Ragab emphasized that “everything we are witnessing today is the result of the post-coup era and the suppression of natural political activity in Egypt. Politics should be a space for intellectual and programmatic competition, not a playground for tribal loyalties.”

“The nation is not built on ethnicity, but on genuine citizenship, which guarantees equal rights for all, free from any form of discrimination or division,” he concluded.

‘Union of Arab Tribes’

On May 1, 2024, Egypt witnessed the launch of the Union of Arab Tribes in a grand public conference held in al-Ajra Village, south of Rafah in northern Sinai.

The event was attended by members of parliament, as well as tribal leaders from Matrouh and Upper Egypt, all under heavy armed security provided by members of the Tarabin Tribe, who arrived in 4x4 vehicles emblazoned with the Union's insignia. 

These vehicles were strategically positioned around the tent and on the sand dunes surrounding the area.

Many attendees were seen carrying personal weapons, including handguns, while the security presence from state forces was conspicuously absent. 

Notably, there were no military or police leaders present at the event. 

According to its founding statement, the Union of Arab Tribes aims to create a national grassroots framework that unites the Arab tribes, with the goal of consolidating their ranks and integrating all tribal entities into a single structure.

The statement emphasized that the Union’s formation is part of a broader effort to support the principles of the nation-state and confront the challenges that threaten Egypt’s security and stability.

In addition, the Union seeks to adopt national causes, foster communication with all Arab tribes to find common ground within the framework of the state, and ultimately support the head of the regime, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in his leadership.

According to the pro-regime newspaper Youm7, in its issue on May 1, 2024, the initial groundwork for establishing the Union of Arab Tribes Council began in 2013, with the final formation completed at the beginning of 2020, culminating in the announcement we are witnessing today.

The Union of Arab Tribes comprises 30 tribes living in North Sinai, including some of the most prominent and historically significant tribes in the region. 

Among them is the Tarabin Tribe, one of the largest and most widespread tribes across the Sinai Peninsula and the broader Arab world.

The tribe is notably represented by Ibrahim al-Arjani, the head of the newly established Union, who is a powerful figure in Sinai, with close ties to the head of the regime el-Sisi and the General Intelligence Directorate.

Next is the Swarika Tribe, one of Sinai’s largest tribes, primarily based in the outskirts of Arish, extending as far as Sheikh Zuweid. Following them is al-Masa'id tribe, a branch of al-Ahywat Tribe, which is based in central Sinai.

The Union also includes the Sam’ana and Sa’idi tribes, some of the oldest Bedouins to settle in North Sinai, as well as the Ayadya Tribe, one of the largest in the region, with an extension into Giza Governorate.

The Union of Arab Tribes also includes the Ramila Tribe, which once inhabited the Qatif region in Saudi Arabia, as well as the Bayada Tribe, which resides in the area between El-Qantara East and el-Arish in North Sinai.

Additionally, the Union incorporates the Aqaila Tribe, native to the northern Sinai Coast, with some of its members having settled in Wadi Nile in Sharqia, as well as in Upper Egypt.

The Dawaghera Tribe, part of the Matar clan, which traditionally dwells in the central Hijaz and Najd, also forms part of the Union, along with the Reyashat Tribe, which spans across Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Other prominent tribes within the Union of Arab Tribes include the Abayda, Tayaha, Hawatna, Najmat, Belli, Akharisa, and Safa'iyya.

The Union also brings together the Beni Fakhr, Awlad Suleiman, Al-Aghwat, Hajab, Abu Sheta, Arouj, and Al-Salaima tribes, along with the Ahawat, Huwaitat, Azazma, Shurbaji, Sharif, and Awlad Said tribes.

Tribal Union Concerns

During the inauguration of the Union of Arab Tribes, Mustafa Bakri (a pro-regime parliamentarian and media figure) announced, in his capacity as the spokesperson for the Union at the time, that, in response to the wishes of the people of Sinai, the name of the al-Ajra area—where the conference was held—would be changed to City of el-Sisi.

The village of al-Ajra is located on the lands of the Swarika Tribe, near Al-Barth Village, the primary stronghold of the Tarabin Tribe in North Sinai.

Since the end of 2022, Ibrahim al-Arjani has begun purchasing large plots of land in Al-Ajra from their original owners, the Swarika, for substantial sums of money.

The leadership of the newly formed Union of Arab Tribes was divided between Ibrahim al-Arjani as president, and two vice presidents: the first, Ahmed Raslan from Matrouh Governorate, a former president of the Arab Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, and the first deputy president of the Arab Parliament. 

The second vice president is Major General Ahmed Jehina, from Sohag Governorate, a former officer in the disbanded State Security apparatus and former governor of Gharbia.

Notably, in an article published on March 29, 2018, in the Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm, journalist Abdel Naser Salama raised concerns about the concept of an Arab Tribal Union—which was still in the early stages of consideration at the time. 

The article, titled “The Arab Tribes Obsession”, argued that the union contradicted both the constitution, which guarantees equality, and Islamic teachings, which assert that the only distinction between Arabs and non-Arabs is piety, not heritage or ethnicity.

“This does not align with the current situation in the country, nor with the wider region, which has been primarily defined by sects, denominations, ethnicities, and tribes,” he added. 

“The concerns expressed by some are about the future, and we need only look at many areas within Egypt and beyond to understand why.” 

“What we are facing now are seeds of division that should never have been sown. In the future, we may be surprised to find a presidential candidate representing the Arab Tribes, followed by one for the Nubian Tribes, and eventually one for the Sinai Tribes.”

“There are societies where these phenomena have surfaced, manifesting in fierce fires and confrontations. Egypt has never been defined by either of these factions.”

“If some believe that we are now in a stage of ‘near-statehood’—a phrase previously used by el-Sisi in one of his speeches—or in a phase of tribal subjugation, where what was once unthinkable has now become acceptable, it is something that requires both official and public reconsideration,” he concluded.