Country Profile

Home to one of the oldest civilisations in the world, Egypt remains the most populous and one of the most influential countries in the Arab world. Over the past two years, a state of transition has become a more or less permanent feature of Egypt’s political scene. Popular protests starting on January 25, 2011 represented Egyptians from a wide spectrum of backgrounds and originated in calls for increased economic equality and transparency. The country’s first free and fair democratic elections in November 2011 resulted in a win for the Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt’s lower house of the bicameral parliament. However, protests against Mohammed Morsi’s presidency gathered momentum in mid-2013, resulting in the military acting to remove Morsi from office and suspend parliamentary proceedings. Despite the political events of recent years, the country remains a key player in the region.

This chapter contains interviews with Osama Saleh, Minister of Investment, and Chairman, General Authority for Investment and Free Zones; and Zafer Çağlayan, Turkish Minister of Economy.