Egypt
Looks Ahead
8
Moving forward, the people of this “antique land” are con-
fronted with many local, regional, and global challenges
to their well-being. The citizens and their political lead-
ers are confronted by numerous and pressing social, economic, and
political issues. This chapter provides a brief discussion of some of
the steps that the majority of Egypt’s observers insist the country
should take if it is to move forward.
Egypt’s most difficult problems are economic. Prospects for the
country’s poor, who make up half the population, have not improved
in recent years. The middle class, too, has made little progress. Most
of the economic benefits have gone to the wealthiest 10 percent of
the population. Unless this widening gap begins to narrow, chances
for political unrest and violence will increase. Observers agree that
Egypt’s government must do more to improve the lives of Egypt’s
underprivileged.