In the changing dynamics of the power structure in the Middle East, Egypt undeniably has been one of the most important actors. The geographic position of the country makes it a vital location in the region and the country controls the Suez Canal that links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. This is the shortest link connecting the East and the West augmenting the maritime trade and commerce through the region. Until the second half of the 20^th century this also consequentially became very important for the British to transport her colonial possessions and for other navigational purposes. Considering the demographics of the country, with a population of nearly 97 million people, it is the most populous Arab speaking country. The country has around 6 % Coptic Christians directly reflecting the socio-political identity of the nation making it one of the countries with highest Christian population in the region (Hulsman 2012)

There is a strong and affirmative view among multiple international relations scholars and strategic thinkers that Egypt has always been very vital in influencing and determining the regional power balance and shaping the security architecture of the Middle East. Undergoing multiple political transformations and changing government structure, Egypt has remained to be one of the most important countries in the region. Even though Egypt’s foreign policy and strategic interests weren’t constant throughout the past decades and Egypt has always been reorienting in nature the primordial role in shaping the regional power balance. The changes in the foreign policy orientations also altered the regional power nexus and changed the status quo especially at the pretext of its stand in the matters of a Palestinian state.

Some of the scholars also arguably observe the fact that although Egypt to an extent possess material advantages but lately does not enjoy the regional political leadership and geopolitical power it could exert like before. After the 2011 Arab-spring revolution, Egypt has undergone a series of domestic changes that largely also reflects upon the regional order. The geopolitical orientation of the country is also thereby related to the domestic challenges and changes within the country especially in the past decade which saw much of political shifts embroiling the country. Despite the interests of regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Iran, extra-regional power tussle has also been overtly observed in Egypt with the United States of America and Russia being active participants. The country’s political history and dynamic foreign policy directives require a thorough elaboration and introspection. The role of Egypt with reference to its political history and geographical position is crucial in understanding some of the pertaining imbroglios of Middle Eastern politics.

The focus of research is to identify primary aspects of Egypt’s role in shaping the regional power structure by objectively studying the major foreign policy directives of Egypt. The research further explores the shifts and changes under different Presidents starting from Nāṣir to the current President Abd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī It also tries to elucidate the geopolitical aspects of Egypt with references to its foreign policy imperatives and the country’s regional influence.