Egypt protests Islamic bloc leader's Sisi joke

Egypt on Saturday condemned the Saudi head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for mocking its President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in comments that provoked outrage among Egyptians.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Madani, a former Saudi minister, had mixed up Sisi's name with that of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi.

"Mr President Beji Caid al-Sisi. Essebsi sorry. This is a big mistake. I'm sure your fridge has more than water, your excellency," he told the Tunisian leader at a conference.

He was referring to widely derided comments made by Sisi this week in which he claimed that his fridge only had water in it for a decade.

Madani's remark was "a serious encroachment against a founding member state of the organisation and its political leadership," Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a statement.

"Such remarks do not conform with the responsibilities and the duties of the organisation's secretary general position, and fundamentally affect his ability to carry out his duties," he added in the statement in English.

Madani, who has headed the 57-member bloc since 2014, has apologised, saying in a statement he meant no "insult to the Egyptian leadership".