"It is the latest Egyptian military base on the Mediterranean, and will be focused on securing the country's northern and western front," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The ceremony was attended by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

The base lies some 255 kilometres (160 miles) west of Alexandria, towards the border with Libya, a country where both Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have played a key military role.

State-run newspaper Akhbar Al-Youm reported that the base includes an airstrip and a 1,000-metre (3,280-foot) long pier.

The opening coincided with the eighth anniversary since Sisi led the military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.