A multi-faceted account of Egyptian economic development by nineteen internationally recognized authorities and the critical challenges the economy is likely to face in the next twenty years The Egyptian Economy in the Twenty-first Century addresses the question of why Egypt, despite possessing a plethora of assets—such as a fertile agriculture, a strategic geographic location, oil and gas deposits, innumerable tourist sites, a labor force prized by regional countries, and a diaspora that remits large amounts of funds—has seldom performed to its economic potential during the last sixty years. Indeed, economic weakness created political weakness, and often exposed the country to foreign diktats. What should the country do to change this state of affairs? Nineteen internationally recognized authorities on the Egyptian economy discuss the critical challenges that the Egyptian economy is likely to face in the next two to three decades, challenges which must be overcome in order to improve the life of Egypt’s citizens and to protect the country from external pressures. Their analyses cover population and employment; development strategies; principal macroeconomic issues; development of a digital economy; fiscal and monetary matters; the external sector; poverty and income distribution; the enterprise structure; higher education; water availability; urbanization; institutional performance; and many others. Contributors: - Gouda Abdel Khalek, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt - Khaled M. Abu-Zeid, Regional Water Resources, CEDARE (Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe), Cairo, Egypt. - Fatma El Ashmawy, World Bank. - Ragui Assaad, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA - Izak Atiyas, Economic Research Forum, Cairo, Egypt. - Marwa Biltagy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Lahcen Bounader, International Monetary Fund. - Ishac Diwan, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. - Ahmed Ghoneim, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Khalid Ikram, Washington DC, USA. - Karima Korayem, al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. - Heba el-Laithy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Noha el-Mikawy, Ford Foundation, Middle East and North Africa, Cairo, Egypt. - Mohamed Mohieddin, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt. - Heba Nassar, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. - Osman Mohamed Osman, Cairo, Egypt. - Noha Razek, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. - David Sims, Cairo, Egypt. - John Waterbury, Princeton, New Jersey.

An overview of the political economy and development of contemporary Egypt, focusing on the nature and extent of economic reform and restructuring in the last twenty years.

This book examines the relationship between demographic growth and economic development in eight Arab countries. Despite a slowdown in demographic growth, as a result of the change in the age structure of the population, the labor force is increasing rapidly. In other parts of the world, similar developments have enhanced economic growth. In the Arab world, however, many of the opportunities presented by demographic transition are being lost, resulting in serious threats to the political stability of the region. The main reason for this is that the region has missed out on industrialization. The book goes beyond conventional analysis to ask two closely related questions. The first is, why were governments so slow in tackling stability? The second is, why has the response been similar in apparently different economies? Answers are provided using new literature in economics and economic history.

No other comprehensive study of Egyptian economic development The book obtains a unique insight into Egyptian politics through interviews with Prime Ministers and Cabinet ministers from the last 35 years Uses unpublished analysis by the World Bank, the IMF and USAID

There is a significant discrepancy between the population of Egypt and the GDP of this country. This book offers pragmatic policy prescriptions for Egyptian decision-makers. It provides a path forward and toward a better future for the Egyptian people. The country faces challenges with household income, social welfare, productivity, and many other markers of twenty-first century economic success even vis-à-vis other developing country peers. This book focuses on framing the optimal macroeconomic policy agenda for Egypt in the face of the big global, regional and national forces that are being accelerated, intensified or changed by the COVID-19 crisis rather than on specific sectoral policy formulations. The authors present these big questions in the context of showing how Egypt can best navigate the risks and seize the opportunities of the current period of intense flux and transition, to put itself in the best possible position to create prosperity, stability, and hope for its citizens. The authors examine to what extent the Egyptian authorities can fulfill their ambitious development plans and in producing this work, to provide useful lessons that can be applied to other governments struggling to respond to the challenges of the age.

At the time of the Egyptian Revolution in 1952, the population of Egypt was around 22 million. At the end of 2002, it stood at 69 million, and was growing at a rate of 1.33 million a year. What happens to a society that grows so quickly, when the habitable and cultivable land of the country is strictly limited? After the success of Whatever Happened to the Egyptians?, Galal Amin now takes a further bemused look at the changes that have taken place in Egyptian society over the past half century, this time considering the disruptions brought about by the surge in population. Basing his arguments on both academic research and his own personal experiences and impressions, and employing the same light humor and keen sense of empathy as in his earlier work, the author discusses how runaway population growth has not only profound effects on many aspects of society--from love and fashion to telephones, the supermarket, and religion--but also predictable effects on the economy.