Egyptian president Abdel Fatah El Sisi has appointed a close aide as temporary head of the country's intelligence agency in place of Khaled Fawzi, who had held the post since December 2014.
The decision was announced in one-line statement from the president's office on Thursday that made no mention of Mr Fawzi or why he was replaced as head of the General Intelligence Directorate.
The statement said the president's office director Abbas Kamel, a retired army general who works behind the scenes for Mr El Sisi, would run the agency until a new director is found.
The General Intelligence Directorate is the Egypt's equivalent of the US Central Intelligence Agency, but it has also taken on tasks that normally fall under the mandate of a domestic security agency.
The agency's chiefs have traditionally hailed from the military.
more from Janine di Giovanni
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
