Nasser, Gamal AbdalNas‧ser, Ga‧mal Ab‧dal /ˈnæsə, ɡəˈmɑːl ˈæbdəl $ ˈnæsər/(1918–70) an Egyptian army officer and politician, who was the first president of the Republic of Egypt (1956–70) . He successfully took control of the suez canal from France and Britain in 1956, and this made him extremely popular in Egypt.