According to Reuters citing sources, former Egyptian Prime Minister and current presidential hopeful Ahmed Shafik has been arrested at his home in the UAE and is set to be deported to his home country.
"Shafik has publicly asked to go to Egypt and his wish will be met," the agency cited an informed source as saying.
The reason for the deportation of the politician, who is widely considered to be one of the main rivals to incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, remains unclear.
Last week, Shafik, in exile in the UAE since 2012, publicly announced his intention to run in the 2018 presidential election, while Sisi, who had become the president replacing Mohamed Morsi in 2014, hasn't yet confirmed his possible bid for a second term.
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Shafik previously served as a top commander of the Egyptian Air Force and later was the prime minister for just over a month in 2011.
No further details have been immediately available.
