Most Americans would have a hard time imagining how
Egyptians get by on their salaries. Typical middle-class salaries
range between $100 and $400 per month (of course the costs
of living are much lower than in the United States). Many
people work second jobs, such as driving taxis. There also are
some very rich people in Egypt. One of the criticisms of Sadat’s
infitah policy, and of Egypt today, is that a select few have
enriched themselves with lucrative business contracts, while
the masses have lost ground, or have failed to make progress
economically. The apparent disparities between the haves
and have-nots in Egypt have grown. The visitor to Egypt sees
flashy Mercedes cars and other showy signs of wealth, appear-
ing quite out of place where city and village people struggle
to make a living. While living space is notoriously cramped,
costly, and difficult to find for the great majority of Egyptians,
a select few have second and even third summer or winter
homes in the countryside. There are fears that at some point
popular resentment against the wealthy class could turn into a
raging civil conflict.