Extreme heat and economic hardship: The double burden Egyptians must bear
It’s so hot in Cairo that people often go out all night. It looks like there’s a party, but in reality, one vendor said, ‘everyone is numb inside’ because of the severe economic recession taking place in the country.
The shopping street is deserted
At 10 p.m, darkness fell on the streets of Cairo’s Sayyida Zeinab district like anywhere else, but on the twinkling shopping streets and in the sidewalk cafes, there were few people. glanced at the clock. While it’s time to go to bed in other countries, the Egyptian capital is still awake.
Energy shortages forced the government to order an early shutdown. By 10 p.m, the once vibrant streets were now dark as the shops closed their shutters, there were no street lights, no cheerful music from the cafes, only the occasional flicker of lights from the cafes. Grocery stores and pharmacies remain open.
Egypt’s economic crisis has taken a heavy toll on all but the wealthiest. With the country lacking natural gas and the capital to import more, rolling blackouts continued until just a few weeks ago. In July, the government introduced strict regulations: shops must close by 10 p.m, and cafes, restaurants and malls must close by midnight and possibly a day later little on the weekend. Only grocery stores and pharmacies are exempt from this rule.
In Cairo’s wealthier suburbs, residents can move from air-conditioned homes to air-conditioned cars and malls, or even send doormen on errands to Avoid heat. But in Cairo’s crowded, traditional neighborhoods, such luxuries are out of reach.
“If you go shopping during the day, you will be boiled,” Hind Ahmed, 51, said as he was getting clothes from a tailor.
Her friend, Wafaa Ibrahim, 46, rarely goes out anymore, whether the shops are open late or not. She can’t afford it. “As soon as I run out of money, I will lock myself in the house,” Wafaa Ibrahim said.
The government’s curfew is strictly enforced. “Police patrol the main streets every night to make sure people comply,” explained one shop owner preparing to close his store.
No power can completely silence Cairo. But the city’s volume is unusually low, with fewer and fewer shoppers even as the sounds of motorbikes and tuk-tuks still echo on the streets.
Tourists are amazed by the shimmering beauty of the city, by the friendliness and famous sense of humor of the Egyptians. But locals say they joke to cope with what they cannot change.
Struggle to make a living
“Business is really bad right now,” said Saied Mahmoud, 41, who works in his father’s small clothing store near a mosque. Despite working from noon until closing time, his income barely covers rent, food and transportation after years of skyrocketing prices. Although inflation has eased somewhat, many people, like Saied, are still feeling the pinch.
Like many highly educated but underemployed Egyptians, Saied Mahmoud couldn’t find a better job despite having a master’s degree in business. Marry? He can only laugh when thinking about the cost of a wedding, a wife and children.
Hope for economic recovery
Since coming to power in 2014, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has promised prosperity. However, multiple currency devaluations since 2016 have reduced Egyptians’ purchasing power, especially for imported goods. The COVID-19 pandemic and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East further shocked an economy already weakened by el-Sisi’s policies.
Despite recent influxes of international money and investment that have stabilized the economy, analysts warn that Egypt faces another crisis without significant reforms. While welfare programs were expanded, the IMF bailout forced Cairo to reduce subsidies on bread, gas and electricity – necessities for the country’s poor.
People are stressed, facing back-to-school expenses, summer vacations and skyrocketing prices for almost everything. “A man is now considering other priorities — appearance is no longer important,” Ashour added, noting that some customers have even started cutting their own hair at home.
Nearby, in a narrow alley, Hosni Mohammed, 67, packed up his eyeglasses shop after a day without customers. “From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., no one came,” he said with a sigh. “Hardly anyone comes here these days.”
Still, he remains optimistic. Hosni Mohammed said: “Someone taught me that business only sleeps but never dies,” hoping that the Egyptian economy will recover again.
