CAIRO – Executive Director of the National Elections Authority (NEA) Ahmed Bendary announced Friday that the 2025 House of Representatives elections have begun in 66 polling stations in 117 countries, out of a total of 139 stations, which will open gradually.
He noted that Egyptian communities abroad, particularly in Arab countries, are showing high voter turnout.
Bendary told eXtra News during a live interview on the This Morning program that polling stations in countries with large Egyptian communities, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, are expected to see particularly high turnout, with the voting process proceeding smoothly.
He added that embassies have been equipped with computers to enable election committee heads to access the voter database and allow Egyptians abroad to cast their ballots securely and efficiently.
Several candidates have requested to have representatives present in embassies in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Rome, and Milan to monitor the electoral process.
The names of these representatives were communicated to the respective embassies, under the supervision of Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Nabil Habashi.
The elections will take place in 14 governorates under both individual and list-based systems, divided into two sectors: Western Delta, including Alexandria, Marsa Matrouh, and Beheira; and Northern and Central Upper Egypt, comprising Giza, Fayyoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, and Aswan.
Voters from these governorates may cast their ballots at diplomatic missions in the 117 countries, with polling station locations available on the NEA’s website.
Coordination is ongoing with the Saudi ambassador and the consulate in Jeddah to accommodate the large number of Egyptian voters, including increasing the number of voting computers.
While adding polling stations depends on host country regulations, Egypt recommends expanding stations where needed to facilitate voting.
Regarding polling stations abroad, Bendary said there are three in Iraq, and two each in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and India.
