Country Profile
From The Report: Egypt 2022
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Egypt was seen as a global centre of knowledge, science, and development throughout antiquity. Today, it stands in an economically advantageous location, straddling the Mediterranean and the Red seas, and at the confluence of Europe, Africa and Asia. The Suez Canal, completed in 1869, is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Moreover, Egypt’s population is large and rapidly expanding, at a rate around 2.5% a year. It is seen as one of the country’s greatest economic assets if it can be harnessed by effective public policy. Moreover, the country is also characterised by a bottom-heavy population pyramid. The large youth cohort helps to limit the overall burden on the health care system, as evidenced by the relatively successful navigation of the Covid-19 pandemic. This chapter contains a viewpoint with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Test of time: Building on a legacy of leadership in knowledge and trade
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Egypt is at the geographic centre of the MENA region, with a well-documented history that has seen it accumulate knowledge and wealth over millennia. It has leveraged the fertile soils of the Nile Delta and its location along global trade routes through the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, as well as the strategically important Suez Canal, completed in the mid-19th century. This varied history, straddling multiple geopolitical and economic spheres, continues to shape Egypt’s development. It also…

Viewpoint

A sustainable future: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, on meeting economic and social objectives in parallel with international environmental targets
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Viewpoint:President Abdel Fattah El Sisi The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the international community approved are a comprehensive framework through to 2030 to achieve the welfare and prosperity of all people. Egypt’s pursuit to realise the SDGs has gained increased importance in an environment that compels us to face extremely difficult international challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic added to these hurdles and affected all countries. Increasing growth rates, eliminating…

Analysis

Next steps: As the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, policymakers advance plans to improve socio-economic outcomes
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While the current constitution dates from 2014, Egypt became a presidential republic in 1952. Under a presidential republic, the president – who serves as the head of state – selects the Cabinet and the prime minister; Mostafa Madbouly has occupied the role of the latter since 2018. The president is elected by an absolute majority of voters and initially serves a four-year term, which, conventionally, can be followed by a second term. However, a popular referendum held in April 2019 extended…