El-Sisi said Egypt would take all necessary steps under international law to protect its water security, in an apparent reference to Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, which Cairo fears could reduce water flow.
Addis Ababa has repeatedly dismissed such concerns, insisting the project will not harm downstream countries.
The dam has been at the center of a decade-long deadlock between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, with negotiations yielding no agreement.
Ethiopia has accused Egypt and Sudan of trying to limit its development goals, while a 2023 Nile water-sharing pact supported by seven upstream nations, opposed by Cairo and Khartoum reignited tensions over colonial-era agreements that gave Egypt and Sudan greater rights to the river.
The Nile remains a key geopolitical flashpoint in eastern Africa.