Expatriates Demonstrate Patriotism: High Voter Turnout in Saudi Arabia for Presidential Polls

CAIRO - 2 December 2023: The operations room of the Ministry of Migration has observed gatherings of the Egyptian community in Saudi Arabia as they participate in the 2024 presidential elections, coinciding with the commencement of the second day of voting in the overseas presidential elections.

Amid an atmosphere of joy and high voter turnout, Egyptian expatriates in Saudi Arabia flocked to the polling stations on the second day of voting, chanting patriotic slogans and celebrating their participation with national songs.

Large numbers of the expatriate community arrived in special buses, transporting them from distant gathering points to polling stations, demonstrating their commitment to participating in the second day of the overseas presidential elections.

The list of candidates includes four contenders: presidential candidate Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (symbol: the star), presidential candidate Farid Zahran, the head of the Egyptian Democratic Party (symbol: the sun), presidential candidate Abdel-Sanad Yamama, the head of the Wafd Party (symbol: the palm tree), and presidential candidate Hazem Omar, the head of the Republican People's Party (symbol: the peace sign).

The electoral process outside Egypt takes place over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in 137 embassies and consulates in 121 countries worldwide, as specified by Resolution No. 27 of 2023 issued by the Board of Directors of the National Election Authority, determining their locations and addresses.

On the first day of voting in the presidential elections, Egyptian communities around the world orchestrated a symphony of patriotism, with expatriates leading the scenes in various countries, expressing their unity and solidarity in supporting their homeland.

The electoral committees outside Egypt operate from 9 AM to 9 PM local time in each country. Notably, New Zealand became the first country where the Egyptian embassy opened its doors to voters. There is a time difference of 11 hours between Egypt and New Zealand. Situated in the southwest Pacific Ocean, New Zealand consists of two main islands, with Wellington as its capital.