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Middle East and North Africa

Egypt
Last reviewed: 27 January 2008

Country information

Area: 1,001,450 sq. km
Population: : 76.5 million (Census 2006)
Capital City: Cairo (population - 17 million)
People: Eastern Hamitic (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) (99%); Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) (1%)
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood
Religion(s): Muslim (mostly Sunni) (90%), Coptic Christian (9%) and other (1%)
Currency: : 1 Egyptian Pound (LE) = 100 Piastres (PT)
Major political parties: National Democratic Party (ruling party), Wafd Party and Tagammu Party
Government: Republic
Head of State: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since October 1981)
Prime Minister/Premier: Dr Ahmed Nazif (since July 2004)
Foreign Minister: Mr Ahmed Aboul Gheit (since July 2004)

ECONOMY

Overview

The success of Egypt’s ambitious programme of economic reform and liberalisation is demonstrated by GDP growth of around 7% for the past 3 years. Growth has been driven by high levels of FDI and increased exports. The government’s five-year plan for the period 2007/8 to 2011/12 includes an ambitious target for annual real GDP growth of 8%. If achieved, this would meet the need to create jobs for Egypt's fast-growing and youthful population, and allow the gradual reduction of the debt burden. However, some predict that growth will slow to 6.7% this financial year, with inflation expected to average 14.4%. Living standards remain low, and Government subsidies add to a growing deficit of 10% of GDP.

High inflation and rising food prices have led to social tension, resulting in sporadic demonstrations and will continue to do so as the economic climate remains uncertain.

Financial sector reform is a government priority and privatisation is an important element in this. Measures taken so far have included major cuts in income tax rates and customs duties and an ambitious programme place to consolidate the banking sector and to improve access to finance for the private sector.

Educational reform is another key challenge for the government, improving the skills base of the workforce in line with market demands is essential for Egypt to continue to enjoy high economic growth, and for its citizens to realise the benefits.

In trade, Egypt is heavily import-dependent. Exports include oil, cotton and textiles. Service industries, specifically tourism, canal revenues and emigrant workers' remittances, provide a significant proportion of foreign currency earnings.

Basic Economic Facts

Sources: Economic Intelligence Report
GDP: $129.8bn (2007)
GDP per head: $5,318 (US$ at PPP, est 2007)
Annual growth: 7.1%
Inflation: 14.4% (2008)
Major Industries: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services, Tourism.  Growth sectors include ICT, Construction.
Exchange rate: £1 = 10.61 Egyptian pounds (June 2008)

HISTORY

Egypt, one of the main civilisations of the ancient world, has a history that goes back more than 5000 years. Starting with the Pharaohs who were able to create a civilisation based on the banks of the Nile, they were succeeded by foreign conquerors, mainly Persian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine. European influence in the 19th century gave way to a constitutional monarchy in 1922. Following the revolution of 1952, Egypt declared itself a Republic in 1953. The first President, Mohamed Naguib, was soon ousted by Gamal Abdel Nasser, whose leadership over the next 18 years left a long lasting imprint on the Egyptian political, economic and social scene. His successor was Anwar El Sadat (1970-1981) who was followed by the current President, Mohammed Hosni Mubarak.

BBC News Country Timeline: Egypt

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Egypt remains an important regional interlocutor, and plays an active role in the Arab League.

EU

The EU-Egypt Association Agreement came into force on June 2004. It includes provisions for initiating free trade between the EU and Egypt. It also includes co-operation in a wide range of fields, including regular political dialogue on issues such as human rights, rule of law and democratisation. The European Commission have completed negotiations with Egypt on a European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan, the next step in developing the EU's relationship with Egypt. The Action Plan identifies areas for reform linked to closer co-operation with the EU.

EGYPT'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK

The British and Egyptian governments have a strong relationship and share mutual objectives.

UK/Egypt visible bilateral in 2007 was worth £1 .2 billion, with UK goods exports up by 20% on 2006. Together with estimated bilateral trade in services of around £1 billion (based on 2006 figure), total trade is worth about £2.2 billion. The UK is the largest foreign investor in Egypt, with cumulative investments across a wide range of sectors estimated at £10 Billion. UK companies are increasingly looking Egypt as a hub from which to develop business in the region as a whole.

We have full diplomatic relations with Egypt.  Our Ambassador to Cairo is His Excellency Dominic Asquith CMG.

Inward Visits

• Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, 11 – 14 November 2007
• Rashid Mohammed Rashid, Minister for Trade, November 2007
• Grand Imam of Al Azhar, December 2007
• Delegation led by Fathy Surour, Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament, 21 January 2008Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Foreign Minister, May 2008
• Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, 18-23 May 2008
• Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, Minister for Water Resources &Irrigation, 9 – 13 June 2008

Outward Visits

• Lord Malloch Brown, FCO Minister of State, November 2008
• David Miliband, Foreign Secretary, November 2007
• Lord Malloch Brown, FCO Minister of State,  November 2007
• HRH the Duke of York, January 2008
• Lord Mayor of London, 11-13 March 2008
• William Hague, Shadow Foreign Secretary, 12 May 2008
• HRH the Duke of York, World Economic Forum, 18-20 May 2008
• Lord Malloch Brown, FCO Minister of State, 30 June – 1 July 2008

AID

The EU continues to provide assistance to Egypt through the MEDA programme, and the UK contributes a significant proportion to the EU's total development assistance programme.

CULTURAL RELATIONS and EDUCATION

We have excellent cultural links with Egypt. The British Council has a substantial operation in Cairo and a smaller operation in Alexandria. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers approximately 20 Chevening Scholarships and 10 Chevening Fellowships to young Egyptians each year. The United Kingdom was the guest of honour at the Cairo Book Fair where the business of publishing was a feature as the cultural debates between intellectuals, writers, scientists and the reading. The fair will run from 23 January until 4 February. 

GEOGRAPHY

Egypt lies in the north-eastern corner of Africa, a major crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, Africa and west and south Asia, with an area of 386,000 square miles (four times the size of the UK). It is bordered by Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel and Jordan to the north-east. Its north coast is on the Mediterranean Sea, while the Red Sea bounds the eastern coast. The Suez Canal links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean - a linkage vital to both Egypt and the world. Less than 4% of the country is cultivated and inhabited, mainly in the Nile Delta and along the banks of the Nile.

The Nile runs for over 1,000 miles within Egypt, from Wadi Halfa in the south to the Mediterranean in the north. It divides the country into four broad regions; the Western Desert, which occupies almost two-thirds of the total area, the Eastern Desert, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Nile Valley and Delta, which is the most densely populated region of the country. Egypt is dependent on the Nile for nearly all its water needs. The vast majority of the remaining land is made up of sparsely inhabited, arid desert.

Egypt is hot and dry in the summer, mild in the winter with rainfall increasing nearer the coastlines. Temperatures increase southwards, and on average, these vary between 22-37 degrees Centigrade in the summer and 9-19 degrees Centigrade in the winter.

POLITICS

Overview

President Mubarak assumed power in October 1981, after President Sadat's assassination by Islamist extremists. He was re-elected on 7 September 2005 for his fifth successive term. This was the first contested presidential election in Egypt, following a change to the constitution in May 2005.

In March 2007, the constitution was amended again. It is difficult to judge the practical impact but the changes were criticised as reducing not increasing political freedoms and guarantees. The changes were supposed to pave the way for the introduction of counter-terrorism legislation, and the consequent ending of the State of Emergency which has existed continuously since 1981. This gives the authorities the ability to detain people suspected of being a threat to national security and public order.  But in May 2008 the State of Emergency was extended again, for two years or until counter-terrorism legislation is introduced.

The amended constitution sets out the procedures for the succession to the President. The next presidential elections are due in 2011. In the event of the President becoming temporarily ill before then, the Prime Minister would assume his role. Should he become permanently incapacitated, the Speaker of the People's Assembly would become caretaker Head of State for up to 60 days until presidential elections were held.

The President appoints the Prime Minister. Ahmed Nazif has occupied the post since July 2004. Elections to the People's Assembly are held every five years and were last held in November/December 2005. 454 deputies are elected by popular vote, 10 are appointed by the President. The second chamber, the Shura Council, has 176 elected members and 88 presidential appointees. The last Shura Council elections were held in June 2007.

President Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) holds the majority (361) of the 444 seats in the People's Assembly. The largest opposition bloc is that of the Muslim Brotherhood (nominally independents) who hold 88 (almost 20%) of the seats. The Brotherhood, although generally hitherto tolerated, is a banned organisation in Egypt, and all religious parties are prohibited under the constitution. Secular parties are also subject to restrictions. In February 2005, Ayman Nour, leader of the liberal Al Ghad Party and a presidential candidate was charged with alleged forgery. He was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment in December 2005. This and other controversial issues are covered in full by an increasingly diverse and lively independent media, which is often highly critical of senior figures.

 

HUMAN RIGHTS

Egypt is a signatory to all the major UN human rights conventions. In January 2004, we welcomed the establishment of a National Council for Human Rights chaired by the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali, as a demonstration of Egypt's willingness to improve their human rights record. Nevertheless there is still much work to be done, much of which has been set out in the National Council's reports. Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are two examples of areas in which the Egyptian Government has made progress. But we shall continue to encourage the Egyptian authorities to work towards improving their human rights record.

One of the key human rights concerns in Egypt is the widespread mistreatment of detainees and use of torture in police stations, especially in cases involving political detainees. The government has taken some steps to address the problem, such as allowing semi-independent prison inspections, improving prison conditions, and paying compensation to victims of torture. There have also been a few court cases against police and prison officers accused of mistreating detainees. But the basic problem still remains, and we actively encourage the Egyptians to tackle it.

The Egyptian Government is sometimes accused of persecuting Coptic Christians and other religious minorities, such as Bahá'ís, and restricting freedom of religion. The President is personally involved in efforts to promote tolerance and inter-faith harmony, and has taken some concrete steps to promote and protect Christian rights, such as appointing Christians to parliament and other senior government posts (including the current head of the National Council for Human Rights, Minister of Finance, Minister of Environment and Governor of Qena) and declaring 7 January – Coptic Christmas – a national holiday. But sectarian tension and discrimination does sometimes exist at grass roots level, and non-Muslims remain under-represented in certain sectors of society e.g. the armed forces.  Another concern is the difficulty in obtaining permits for building churches; this eased somewhat after a presidential decree in 2005 devolving the regulation of church repairs to governorate level. Further changes may be on the way if Parliament passes the ‘Unified Building Law’, that will regulate the building and restoration of all places of worship.  Other issues of concern include difficulties faced by religious minorities including converts from Islam to Christianity when obtaining official documents, and the requirement to stipulate one of the three Abrahamic religions on ID cards. We will continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian Government.

For more information about individual human rights cases which have been raised, please see Egypt FAQs below

 

EGYPT - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What has the UK done about the persecution of Christians in Egypt?

The British Government is committed to promoting tolerance and mutual respect between religions. Although the majority of citizens in Egypt are Muslim, there is a large Christian minority who are free to practise their own religion. We are aware that there are isolated incidents of violence against the Coptic Christian community in Egypt and where appropriate, along with EU partners and others, we raise our concerns about these incidents with the Egyptian authorities. We also discuss these incidents with the Coptic Church in Egypt. The Egyptian Government place a strong emphasis on national unity which includes creating tolerance between Coptic and Muslim communities. They therefore have a shared interest with the Coptic Community in tackling the threat posed by religious intolerance and extremism.

What is the UK's position on religious conversion in Egypt?

Egypt is an Islamic country. Religious conversion is a sensitive issue in Egypt. The Government does not interfere with the practice of other religions but conversion from Islam to Christianity is frowned upon and encouraging conversion is illegal. Where there is evidence of violation of human rights, we of course make our views known to the Egyptian Authorities.

What is the UK's position on Egyptian Identity Cards?

The lack of administrative provisions for converts to change their religious affiliations and the limited choice of religions on identity cards is a problem. There are strict laws pertaining to falsification of identity cards. Along with our EU partners we have made our views known to the Egyptian Authorities, and will continue to do so.

What is the UK's position on the incident at El Kosheh in 2001?

We were deeply concerned by the sectarian violence in El-Kosheh in January 2001, which left 20 Christians and one Muslim dead. We have followed the case closely, and made our concerns known at the time.

We were encouraged that the Prosecutor-General persistently sought judicial review of early judgements in the case, reflecting the authorities' concern that justice be done.

We are concerned that this process seems, following a decision of the Court of Cassation in June, to be at an end. We will continue to make our concerns known to the appropriate authorities.

What representations did the UK make to the Government of Egypt concerning the detention of Dr Ayman Nour MP?

The UK, together with other EU partners, has raised the arrest and imprisonment of Ayman Nour with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a regular basis. We have made clear to Egypt that while we are conscious that they regard Mr Nour’s arrest and detention as an internal matter, it risks sending negative signals of Egyptian’s commitment to political reform. We were disappointed when the courts found Dr Nour guilty in December 2005 and sentenced him to five years in prison.

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Travel Advice

Egypt

See Also

Useful Links

• BBC News Country Timeline: Egypt

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