Egypt

A summarized cheat sheet for Americans, Europeans, Levantines who want to comment on Egypt

Sarah Eltantawi posted this on her FB page. I found it very revealing and worth posting

At some point I’m going to write a cheat sheet for Americans and Europeans and Levantines who want to comment on Egypt and put it on my blog. For now I’ll say a few things.

1. Examine your intentions. If you are mad and bitter at Egypt for various reasons, and the actual stability of the actual nation of Egypt is not something that occurs to you much, you are at best braying in the wind, and at worst doing harm.

2. Make sure your not just repeating MB talking points. These are rife in Western analysis. Don’t be a dupe.

3. Pointing out that there is a military dictatorship is news to precisely no one. There is literally no one, anywhere, that doesn’t know that. What you’ll have to do - again if you actually care about the actual place - is figure out why that is preferable to a lot of people. To those who hate it, braying in the wind is still counterproductive.

4. The many problems of Egypt will have to be handled internally. External intervention would be a disaster. If you’re inclined to this, review point 2.

5. If you are American and super bitter at Egypt and have no critique of American policies in the region that have created the current order, especially the centrality of Israel’s “security”, have a seat.

6. There was a genuine grassroots revolt here against Islamist rule, powered primarily by practicing Muslims. 90% of Western analysis on this is wrong.

7. Accordingly, even the most anti-regime people here - and there is much more of an internal debate than you think - don’t want Islamist rule and do not consider it democracy.

8. Realize that there is a history of Levantine - let’s call it - looking down on Egyptians that stems from colonial favoring. I detect some of that in some of the sheer bile I feel from folks whose own countries are in much worse shape. Some of this rhetoric is once again, about Islamism, but some of it is this kind of snobbery. Whether it’s conscious or unconscious I don’t know.

9. Egypt has one of the only standing armies left in the Arab world. You can thank western imperialism for that.

10. I’ve yet to find anyone that takes western academic analysis particularly seriously. There’s a bad habit of not talking to a wide, representative sample of Egyptians and taking their opinions seriously.

11. Egypt has the right to not collapse.

12. Those who want change here will not benefit from hateful commentary. I just read a comment: “Egypt is a disaster.” Who benefits from that kind of rhetoric? Not people here who are trying to live. Again, the emotionally based heated rhetoric is suspect to me on a number of levels.

More soon and have a nice day.

 

 

 

 

Egypt denies reports of changing character of iconic historical palace during restoration

حنبطل نلت امتي؟

Source: Xinhua| 2019-08-18 22:57:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

CAIRO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anany denied on Sunday reports that the original character of the legendary Baron Empain Palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district was changed during the ongoing restoration works of the 20th century's masterpiece.

"Some people have been worried that the palace and the marble columns were painted in different colors ... today we can see with our own eyes that the original colors are still preserved," al-Anany told reporters during a tour at the palace.

There have also been reports that the original steel gate and the walls of the garden of the palace have been removed and that a four-meter wall will be constructed around the palace to block passersby from watching it, the minister said.

"I confirm all these reports are false," he said, affirming that the ministry is working carefully to preserve the palace in a form that is faithful to its original character.

Dust covered the palace since it was built over a century ago, "however, when the restoration teams cleaned the external walls of the mansion, it restored its original color which is burnt sienna," al-Anany said.

"Same thing happened with the marble columns," he stressed, noting that this is the first-ever all-out restoration process for the palace.

The Baron Empain Palace, better known as Le Palais Hindou, which literally means the Hindu Palace, is a distinctive and historic Indian-inspired mansion in Heliopolis that was owned by Belgian millionaire Baron Edouard Empain, who is also the founder of Heliopolis district.

The palace, which was built between 1907 and 1911, was designed for Baron Emain by French architect Alexandre Marcel and decorated by Georges-Louis Claude.

It was inspired by the Hindu temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The facade of the two-storey piece of art is richly decorated with sculptures of snakes, dragons and other figures. The construction is completely made of concrete which was a new building material at the time.

For many years, the palace was considered a place of ghosts that actually turned out to be bats.

Meanwhile, the minister said that the rehabilitation of the palace, which is being carried out by the Engineering Corps of the Egyptian Armed Forces and private companies, will cost 100 million Egyptian pounds (6 million U.S. dollars), adding that the whole process will be completed within 90 days.

Once the restoration is done, the minister said, the palace will be turned into an exhibition featuring the history of the wealthy Heliopolis suburb through various eras.

Hesham Samir, al-Anany's assistant for engineering affairs, said that the engineers of the Armed Forces oversee that the renovation works is being carried out by four private companies.

"The companies have been working on rehabilitating the garden and its walls, the marble columns, the statues and the antiques," he said.

He added that the renovation, which started in August 2017, is also observed by archaeologists from the antiquities ministry to ensure the highest levels of restoration.

"We are doing our best to ensure that the palace will be fully restored by the scheduled time so as to start preparing it to be a permanent exhibition as the minister said," Samir pointed out.

Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working effortlessly to preserve its rich archaeological treasures and historical heritage, which will also help boost the once-flourishing tourism industry that has largely been affected by the political turmoil over the past few years.

via www.xinhuanet.com

مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي: نقمة أم نعمة؟

الاهرام اليومي 

بقلم د. عزة رضوان صدقي

١٠ اغسطس ٢٠١٩

منذ فترة وجيزة لا تتعدى العشرين عاما لم نكن نحمل هواتف ذكية أو غير ذكية، ولم يكن الإنترنت قد تمركز بهذا الشكل، ولم يكن لجوجل ورفاقه وجود، وبالتالي لم تكن المواقع الاجتماعية مثل فيسبوك وتويتر وإنستجرام وسناب شات قد اكتُشفت بعد. وكان القليل من القنوات التليفزيونية ووسائل الإعلام المطبوعة هي المصادر الرئيسية لرصد المعلومات. واليوم أصبحت مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي منفذا قويا للتواصل وتلقي ونشر المعلومات وهي موجودة لتبقي إن لم تزد في الانتشار

يبلغ عدد مستخدمي وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي في العالم ثلاثة مليارات ونصف، أي ما يعادل حوالي ٤٥ في المائة من سكانه، مع العلم أن فيسبوك هو الموقع الأكثر استعمالا وبالذات في مصر، حيث إن فيسبوك له نصيب الأسد من متابعي مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي ويستخدمه حوالي ٩٠ في المائة من مشتركي المواقع في مصر  

إن نعمة أو نقمة هذه المواقع تتوقف على كيفية استخدامها، فهي أولا نعمة لأنها أدوات اتصال جذرية تجمع القريب بالبعيد وتضيف إلى معارفهم الشخصية وتشاركهم في الحياة السياسية والاجتماعية في بلدانهم وفي العالم، وتزيدهم معرفة وإدراكا لأمور مهمة كانت غائبة عنهم. هذا ينطبق على جميع الأعمار، الشباب منهم وبالطبع المسنون أيضا الذين أصبحت وسائل اتصالهم بالعالم خارج نطاقهم محدودة. وقد استبدل كثيرون الإعلام المعهود بهذه المواقع. عن طريق فيسبوك نبارك ونهنِّئ وننعي ونواسي ونتقبل العزاء ثم نتساءل وننقد ونستنير ونعجب، حتى أن البعض يتساءلون كيف كانت الحياة قبل هذه المواقع التي جعلت أمورا كثيرة في متناول أيدينا  

حتى رؤساء الدول أصبحوا يستعينون بتويتر لتوصيل رسالتهم سريعا وبدون تعديل أو شوائب. على سبيل المثال لا الحصر، كان الرئيس الأمريكي السابق باراك أوباما أول مرشح رئاسي يعزِّز حملته عبر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي، والآن معظم رؤساء الدول لديهم حسابات على موقع تويتر. ثم يلجأ الرئيس الأمريكي الحالي إلى تويتر بصورة منتظمة حتى يتجنب الإعلام المزيّف على حد تعبيره. كما أن الشركات والمؤسسات وكل من له وجهة نظر أو سبب للتواصل، تجد عبر منصات التواصل مكانا لبث أصواتهم ونشر انطباعاتهم وإعلاناتهم. كل هذا فوري، ففي لحظات تعرف نتائج الانتخابات والاستفتاءات والأحداث وكم ضحايا الكوارث الطبيعية مثل الزلازل والأعاصير مع إنذار أهالي المنطقة  

بقدر ما تكون هذه المواقع منصة للمعلومات، فهي أيضا منصة للإشاعات والتهويل والصور المحرفة والسخرية التي يعتبرها البسطاء حقيقة، ومع سذاجة البعض تمتزج الحقيقة مع المحرّف، والنتيجة: التشهير والتشويه بالبعض والبلطجة على الأبرياء والمتاجرة بالبعض الآخر.  كما يخترق المخادعون الحسابات لسرقة هوية أصحابها، وسهولة سرقة المعلومات الشخصية لها تداعيات أكثر خطورة. عن طريق بيانات مستخدمي فيسبوك مثل عنوان البريد الإلكتروني وتاريخ الميلاد أو حتى سلوكيات الشخص تبث لهم شركات التنقيب عن البيانات كم من المعلومات قد تجعل الشخص يتخذ قرارات تختلف عن اختياراته الأصلية في الحملات الانتخابيه أو في تسوُّق أشياء هو كان في غنى عنها  

كذلك تُستغل المواقع للتحريض والازدراء. مثلا، تستغل داعش وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي لتعزيز أعمال الوحشية ثم الإعلان عن مسؤوليتها بعد الهجوم الإرهابي، والإخوان يحاولون ذبذبة إرادة الشعب المصري عن طريق بث الخوف والتناقض والبلبلة. أما هجوم كرايست تشرش الإرهابي بنيوزيلندا فقد بدا كما لو كان مدبرا لعصر التواصل الاجتماعي. قبل المذبحة نشر الإرهابي المنشورات العنصرية المتطرفة التي تحث على القتل، ثم، عن طريق كاميرا ألصقها على جبينه، قام بتصوير عمليات القتل أثناء حدوثها مذيعا المذبحة على الهواء مباشرة عن طريق فيسبوك، ليشاهدها الألوف قبل أن يمنع فيسبوك تداولها  

من أكثر القضايا إثارة للجدل على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي هي السياسة والدين. وهنا تصبح المواقع منصة للنزاع والمشاجرة، إن لم تكن مشاجرات بالأيدي فهي أكيد مشاجرات بالألفاظ المهينة. وبما أن المنتقَد لا يرى من ينتقده، فالإساءه تزداد وأسلوب التخاطب يصبح مفعما بالسب

 كما يستخدم كثيرون وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي في مصر وخارجها للاستعاضة بها عن الحياة الحقيقية وملء الفراغ، فهم مفتونون بعدد المتابعين لهم، مهووسون بمشاركة الروابط والتعليق عليها، مدمنون التواصل، كما أنهم ينقلون اتهامات خزعبلية فقط من أجل نقل المعلومة بدون التأكد من شرعيتها أو تداعياتها. ومن نقم مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي أيضا أنها خلطت المفهوم الخاص بالعام والرسمي بغير الرسمي، فينضم الغرباء إلى الأهل، والمقرب والمؤيدون للمعترضين

هذه المواقع نقمة ونعمة معا، لذا وجب الحذر من: أولا نشر خصوصيات الإنسان على الملأ والمحافظة على المعلومات والصور الشخصية حتى لا نقع فريسة للمخادعين، وثانيا من الدخول في مشاحنات سب وتشهير، فإن نشر الأكاذيب وبثها يحاسب عليه القانون كما هو الحال في الصحف المطبوعة، في كلتا الحالتين بنفس الدرجة. يجب أن يظل مستخدمو هذه المواقع متيقظين ليس فقط لحقهم في التحدث بحرية، ولكن أيضًا بشأن حقوق الآخرين والتمييز بين الحقيقة والخيال مدركين أن ما ينشرونه ينعكس عليهم بقدر ما هو ينعكس على الآخرين.

Egypt 'best' reform story in emerging markets: Morgan Stanley report

Ahram Online

File photo: The corporate logo of financial firm Morgan Stanley is pictured on the company's world headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City, January 20, 2015. REUTERS

A new report by American investment bank Morgan Stanley has said that Egypt’s performance as an emerging market economy is the best globally, according to a statement on the report released by Egypt’s investment ministry.

The report, entitled Tales From the Emerging World, described Egypt as the “best reform story” in emerging markets, due to its having implemented a large number of economic reforms since 2016.

Egypt has created an investment environment friendly to the business community, Morgan Stanley’s head of Emerging Markets and Chief Global Strategist Ruchir Sharma said in the report.

There have been significant efforts to achieve financial inclusion, and the government has also succeeded in curbing the budget deficit.

Moreover, the floating of the pound in November 2016 has had a positive effect on increasing exports and the number of tourists in the country, Sharma said.

The country has attracted significant investment to its food industries sector, Sharma said, and a number of American technology companies have expanded their work in the market, with greater investments likely in the future.

In addition, there are many national mega-projects underway; 14 new cities and towns have been established and around 7,000km of new roads built, and the country’s New Administrative Capital is under construction, the report notes.

The country has decreased its reliance on oil and gas imports due to significant new investments in the energy sector, and is predicted to be getting 20 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, with positive effects on the balance of payments.

Public debt has decreased from 108 percent of GDP to 88 percent, the report notes.

It added that consumption is no longer the growth leader as it was in 2015, as with the increasing rate of the Egyptian pound in 2019 and the full implementation of the economic reform program, consumption rates have begun to recover.

The report is “optimistic” about the future of Egypt’s economy beyond the reform phase, it noted.

via english.ahram.org.eg

A 'secret' tour inside the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum

CNN, by Stephanie Vermillion (Excerpt; read on A 'secret' tour inside the long-awaited Grand Egypt Museum)

(CNN) — When it finally opens, Cairo's Grand Egyptian Museum will be the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization.

Standing just two kilometers away from the pyramids of Giza, the monument, which will house some of Egypt's most precious relics, is expected to attract around five million visitors a year.

More than a decade in the making, and with its opening being pushed back once again in 2018, there's one "secret" way travelers can visit the 5.2-million-square-foot structure before it officially launches in 2020.

 

A private behind-the-scenes tour is currently in operation -- albeit with a $250 price tag.

This exclusive experience provides a very select few with a sneak preview of the $1 billion project before the rest of the world gets a look in.

 

Grand Egyptian Museum international relations representative Faten Mohammad is one of the leaders of the tour, which lasts four hours and runs every day. CNN Travel joined one of her tours earlier this year.

 

Mohammad kicks things off by detailing the museum's ongoing conservation efforts.

 

"The conservation center has received 46,000 artifacts until now [April 2019], and we've finished the refurbishment of 42,000," she explains.

 

After running through the center's tight security measures -- no photographs unless authorized and absolutely no touching -- Mohammad opens the door to the organic lab.

 

Here hundreds of King Tut's textile, leather and papyrus artifacts lie ready for restoration.

His refurbished necklaces, shoes and even a loincloth (yes, King Tut's underwear) are shown without the typical glass casing.

THE GEM was originally set to launch in 2012, but this has now been pushed back to 2020.

 

Continue reading A 'secret' tour inside the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum

Donations campaign raises EGP 71 million to repair National Cancer Institute after terrorist bombing

Ahram Online (Link: Donations campaign raises EGP 71 to repair National Cancer Institute after terrorist bombing)

A popular Egyptian TV show has managed to raise EGP 71 million to renovate the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Cairo, which was damaged in a terrorist bombing that took place in the vicinity on Sunday.

Twenty people were killed and 46 were injured in the bombing.

Popular TV host Amr Adeeb launched a campaign on his night talk show on MBC Masr TV channel calling for donations to repair the damage to the hospital.

Donors have included public figures such as crown prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who donated EGP 50 million. 

Other top donors include Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who donated EGP 1 million, businessman and construction tycoon Hisham Talaat Mostafa, who donated EGP 10 million, as well as companies and groups like Garhy Steel, which donated EGP 3 million.  

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has praised the donations campaign on his social media accounts and hailed the solidarity of the Egyptian people against terrorism.

El-Sisi also lauded "our Arab brothers and our country's people" for giving what they can "to overcome what this terrible act of terrorism has caused in ruin and destruction."

"This demonstrates a fact that is firmly rooted in our minds as Arabs and Egyptians, that we are united with all our strength in the face of terrorism and its ugliness," he added.

On Monday, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced that the explosives laden vehicle was on its way to carry out a terrorist operation, although the target of the planned attack is unclear.

The ministry said that the terrorist group Hasm, which is affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, was behind the blast.  

Egypt's Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali announced that the ministry has allocated EGP 5 million from Nasser Social Bank to contribute in the renovation of the NCI.

Al-Orman charity association , Egypt's largest charity organisation, has donated EGP 10 million.

The NCI, the country's oldest cancer educational hospital, was inaugurated in 1969 and has served millions of Egyptians either for free or for little money compared to private hospitals.

Thousands of patients from all over the country travel to the hospital for treatment.

Egypt's Arab Contractors company has announced that it has begun the process of renovating the NCI.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Tutankhamun on sale

Ahram Online, by Zahi Hawas

(Link: Tutankhamun on sale)

Known as the golden boy-king, the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun became important news this month when Christie’s, an auction house in the UK, put a head featuring the boy-king’s facial features on sale on 4 July in London

Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany asked the National Committee for the Return of Stolen Artefacts to discuss the issue. They announced that the ministry would file a lawsuit against Christie’s and asked Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek to give authority to the Egyptian Embassy in London in its attempt to halt the sale. The UN cultural agency UNESCO was also asked to intervene.

The head is made of quartzite and represents the god Amon Re with the facial features of Tutankhamun. This type of head came from Karnak, or rather it was stolen from Karnak. One major problem that we are facing with stolen artefacts is that the antiquities authorities in Luxor seldom report stolen objects.

As a result, even in the case of this head of Tutankhamun it is difficult to offer evidence that it was stolen. UK law also does not require that Christie’s should present legal documents to the effect that the object left Egypt legally. Egyptian law before 1983 required anyone taking an object out of Egypt to go to the Egyptian Museum and obtain a certificate saying that the piece was not stolen. Christie’s did not show any evidence that they had a legal document to show that the head of Tutankhamun was not stolen.

At the same time, the auction house said that the head had belonged to German prince Wilhelm von Thurn und Taxis (1919-2004) in the 1960s and that he had sold it in 1973 or 1974 to Josef Messina, the owner of the Galerie Kokorian & Co in Vienna.

But according to a report by the website LiveScience, Gudula Walterskirchen, a historian and journalist who knew Wilhelm well, said that he did not have an artefact collection.

Moreover, Sylvia Schoske, director of the Museum of Egyptian Art in Munich in Germany, published the head in a book in Germany (Konzeption der Ausstellung und Katalog Heinz Herzer, an exhibition catalogue).

This was for an exhibition in 1986, but she did not report the event to the Egyptian authorities at that time, who also did not recognise the head of Tutankhamun. Even so, the Munich Museum has a reputation for exhibiting stolen artefacts, as was shown by its exhibiting the coffin of Akhenaton even though it knew that it had been stolen.

The head of Tutankhamun was sold on 4 July for over four million pounds sterling, the equivalent of $5.97 million. The occasion took 10 minutes, and we do not know who bought the head. Unfortunately, it seems to have been some rich person who will now keep the head in his private collection, not allowing the public to see it. I said on many TV channels at the time that this was a black day in the history of Egyptian archaeology.

People all over the world were upset. If the British government lets this object leave the country without looking at the legal papers, then this will also be wrong. Some 18 British archaeological teams are working in Egypt, and though we do not want to punish them because of the actions of Christie’s, some people have argued for just that. These teams are made up of colleagues working at many sites and making major discoveries.

Other people have argued that there should be an embargo on the current Tutankhamun exhibition visiting London in November, but we cannot punish British citizens for the actions of Christie’s or their government.

I recently returned from the US to attend a meeting of the national committee headed by El-Enany. We decided to hire a law firm in London to take action against Christie’s, and this decision was passed on to the Egyptian ambassador in London. Sadek has also asked the international police organisation Interpol to follow up on any sale of Egyptian objects abroad. At the very least, we should see the legal documents to ensure that the objects left Egypt legally.

Meanwhile, Christie’s has done nothing whatsoever to help. They sold the piece, and they damaged history, and the world was outraged at the move. We may not be able to do anything to bring back the head, but those who deal in such statues may do well to beware the curse of Tutankhamun.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 25 July, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Tutankhamun on sale

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt displays restoration of Tutankhamun coffin

Hurriyetdailynew.com (Link: Egypt displays restoration of  Tutankhamen coffin)

Egypt displays restoration of Tutankhamun coffin

Egypt displayed on Aug. 4 the gilded coffin of Tutankhamun, under restoration for the first time since the boy king’s tomb was discovered in 1922.

The restoration process began in mid-July after the three-tiered coffin was transferred to the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo from the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, southern Egypt.

“We are showing you a unique historical artefact, not just for Egypt but for the world,” Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told a press conference at the new museum, which overlooks the famed Giza Pyramids.

The golden coffin of the boy king will be displayed along with other Tutankhamun artefacts towards the end of next year when Egypt’s new mega-museum is opened to the public.

The restoration is expected to take around eight months.

The outer gilded wood coffin stands at 2.23 meters (7.3 feet) and is decorated with a depiction of the boy king holding the pharaonic symbols the flail and crook, according to the ministry.

In the last century, the coffin has “developed cracks in its gilded layers of plaster, especially those of the lid and base.”

Famed British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the 18th dynasty king in Luxor in 1922.

Aug 4’s announcement comes after the controversy the Pharoah courted in early July when a 3,000-year-old Tutankhamun artefact was sold in London for $6 million.

Furious Egyptian officials condemned the sale and asked the international police agency Interpol to trace the artefact which it deems looted.

via www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Bombardier-led consortium wins $4.5 billion monorail contract in Egypt

Link: Bombardier-led consortium wins $4.5 billion monorail contract in Egypt

(Reuters) - A consortium led by Bombardier Inc said on Monday it had won a contract to build and operate two monorail lines in Egypt for more than $4.5 billion.

The project, for which Bombardier’s rail division had emerged as the preferred bidder, would be its largest in recent years, with the company having a $2.85 billion share of the contract. Orascom Construction will have a share of about $900 million.

The project, signed with the National Authority for Tunnels in Cairo, includes a 54-kilometre monorail system connecting the New Administrative City with East Cairo and a second 42-kilometre line linking 6th October City with Giza.

As part of the contract, Bombardier Transportation will design, supply and install the electrical and mechanical equipment for the two lines.

The consortium, which also includes Eqypt’s Arab Contractors, will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of both lines for 30 years.

Bombardier is in the middle of a broader restructuring, shedding underperforming commercial plane programs to focus on its more profitable jet and rail units.

The Montreal-based plane and train maker lowered its full-year core earnings and free cash flow forecasts, and reported a quarterly loss last week, as the company wrestles with challenges in the rail division, its largest by revenue.

Egypt seeks opportunities in Libya’s reconstruction

The Arab Weekly

Egyptian and Libyan authorities recently established coordination offices to coordinate the entry of workers into Libya for reconstruction purposes.

Saturday 03/08/2019 (link: Egypt seeks opportunities in Libya's reconstruction) 

Looking ahead. A hotel under construction in downtown Tripoli, Libya. (AFP)

CAIRO - Egypt is working to ease the entry of tens of thousands of Egyptian workers to eastern Libya as that part of Libya becomes more politically stable.

Egyptian and Libyan authorities have established two coordination offices along the countries’ borders to coordinate the entry of Egyptian workers into Libya for reconstruction purposes.

“The parliament and the Labour Ministry work to ease the participation of Egyptian workers in Libya’s reconstruction in coordination with Libyan authorities,” said Abdel Fattah Mohamed, a member of the Labour Committee in the Egyptian parliament. “Improving security conditions in Libya will increase the flow of local workers to this country.”

Millions of Egyptians worked in Libya before the country descended into chaos in 2011. Egyptians worked in all sectors of the Libyan economy, especially in construction.

After 2011, Egyptian nationals were targeted by Islamist militias, a drive that manifested itself brutally in February 2015 when the Libyan branch of the Islamic State killed 21 Christian workers.

Soon after that incident, a huge number of workers returned home, swelling the ranks of the unemployed in Egypt.

Their return was viewed by security analysts as a conspiracy by Egypt’s regional rivals, especially Turkey and Qatar, which sponsor Islamist militias in Libya, given the size of remittances sent home by the workers as well as the burden their return constituted to the Egyptian economy.

To avoid the possible unrest stemming from the inability of those returning from Libya to find work, Cairo initiated tens of billions of dollars in construction projects, including new cities, roads and bridges. Those efforts were also part of Egypt’s overall development plans.

Libyan trade union officials visit Egypt to hammer out deals and draw attention of the needs of post-war Libya to Egyptian construction companies.

A Libyan Trade Chambers Association delegation visited Egypt in March and met officials at the Federation of Egyptian Industries. Mohamed Raied, who led the delegation, referred to strong demand in Libya for Egyptian construction companies and workers

A delegation of Egyptian businessmen visited eastern Libya in May to assess business opportunities and needs.

“Our companies are ready for Libya’s reconstruction at all levels,” said Walid Gamal Eddine, chairman of the Construction Materials Export Council. “We are still waiting to be part of this reconstruction, even through partnerships with Libyan companies.”

Apart from being an opportunity for Egyptian labour, Libya’s reconstruction opens business opportunities for Egyptian construction material producers, especially in the presence of huge surpluses.

In 2018, for example, there was a cement production surplus of about 33 million tonnes. Egypt’s overall cement production was expected to reach 100 million tonnes by next year.

Libya’s infrastructure, tourism, electricity and communications sectors are especially of interest for Egyptian companies. Projects in the first phase of Libya’s reconstruction are expected to cost approximately $20 billion to implement, the Libyan Trade Chambers Association said.

Major Egyptian construction companies are reportedly contacting financing agencies, including the African Development Bank, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, to bankroll projects in Libya.

However, shaky security conditions could scare companies away from Libya.

Competition from Chinese and Turkish companies is another challenge for Egyptian firms, especially with most companies from those counties not having the same financing problems Egyptian companies face.

Egypt, economists said, is in a good position to win a share of Libya’s reconstruction because of its proximity to Libya and the strong relations between Cairo and eastern Libya authorities.

“State authorities have to offer backing to national companies as they try to be part of Libya’s reconstruction,” said Yumn al-Hamaqi, an economics professor at Cairo University. “Egypt has to take Libya’s reconstruction very seriously before it is left out of this process, especially in the presence of fierce competition from other countries.”

 

Written ByHassan Abdel Zaher

Hassan Abdel Zaher is a Cairo-based contributor to The Arab Weekly.