logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
17m 29s

Egypt's economy under pressure

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The Suez Canal was once one of the busiest global shipping routes – a third of the world's shipping containers normally pass through it.

Since the Houthis began to attack passing ships last year, the volume of vessels going through has declined rapidly.

The canal is run by the Egyptian government, and fewer ships means less foreign currency coming into the economy.

And it’s not just revenue from ships that Egypt is losing, it’s also losing tourists, as many people cancel their trips and spend their dollars elsewhere.

We speak to businesses in Cairo to see how they’re being impacted by these changes, and ask, as Egypt loses out, are other countries winning? Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane (Image: A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on November 3, 2024 in Egypt. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
The impact of 'thirsty' data centres
We're in the US state of Georgia, where huge data centres need water to keep cool. But how is this need for cloud storage and AI capability affecting local residents and the environment?Presenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez(Image: Georgia resident Beverly Morris l ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 8
Does university still get you a well-paid job?
Graduates are facing one of the toughest jobs markets in decades. We hear from students in India, the US and UK about whether they feel a university or college degree is worth it as we discuss the cost of attending university around the world and what your job prospects might be ... Show More
17m 27s
Jul 7
Returning to Ukraine?
The UN estimates that nearly seven million Ukrainians have left their home country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Many have set up businesses in their new country - around 90,000 of those in Poland. We hear about the challenges they’ve faced, and the sectors ... Show More
17m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
Egypt: What are al-Sisi’s priorities after his re-election?
On Monday, Egypt’s incumbent president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi won a third term in office with just under 90 % of the vote.This is despite ongoing economic turmoil in the country, caused by high inflation. A former army chief, Mr Sisi has ruled Egypt since overthrowing the democrati ... Show More
18m 28s
Sep 2024
Egypt: Stability Lays Groundwork for Transformation
With all the instability within the Middle East and North Africa region of late, Egypt has nonetheless managed to reign in soaring inflation and win its largest-ever foreign investment. Egypt’s efforts to restore macroeconomic stability in recent years have led to an arrangement ... Show More
20m 8s
May 29
The ongoing mysteries of Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza are among Egypt's most famous landmarks. The Great Pyramid is made up of 2.3 million stone blocks, weighing five million tonnes in total. For centuries no one has known precisely how they were built, or how the stones were transported.Using radar satellite im ... Show More
10m 23s
Mar 2025
Six killed as Egyptian tourist submarine sinks
Tourist submarine sinks off Egypt's Red Sea coast with at least six people confirmed dead. Also, Trump imposes new tariffs on foreign cars, and the devastation Sudan's civil war has caused to the National Museum. 
30m 29s
Jan 2024
High tension on the Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthi militias are attacking commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, and say the attacks will continue until Israel ends its “crimes in Gaza.” Who’s backing the Houthi rebels? Why is the U.S. sinking Houthi ships and sailing naval destroyers in the region? What could ... Show More
24m 3s
Sep 2024
Egypt's Wasted Potential
Once a powerhouse of the ancient world, Egypt today faces a range of internal and external challenges that are holding it back from becoming a major global economic force. With its prime location between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and control of the critical Suez Canal, ... Show More
17m 4s
Oct 2024
Dockworkers Bring Ports From Maine to Texas to a Standstill
A.M. Edition for Oct. 1. Thousands of workers at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports launch a strike overnight. The WSJ’s Paul Berger reports on the ground. Plus, Israel sends troops into Lebanon in the first big incursion in two decades. And, WSJ Heard on the Street columnist Jon Si ... Show More
13m 47s
Jun 2024
Ahmed Luxor and Amr Mansi, the people behind Shark Tank Egypt
Ahmed Luxor and Amr Mansi, the people behind Shark Tank Egypt explain the success of the show, the number 1 show in Egypt now entering its third season 
29m 9s
Mar 2025
Several dead in US strikes on Yemen and submarine sinks off Egypt
US strikes on Yemeni capital Sanaa have killed two people and injured two others. A tourist submarine has sunk off the coast of Egypt Red Sea city of Hurghada. A notorious Kurdish gangster has fled Turkey to avoid extradition on drug-trafficking charges he’s facing in Sweden.     ... Show More
7m 29s
Jul 2024
Karim Haggag: Egypt's Balancing Act
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ambassador Karim Haggag. After an Egyptian diplomatic career that spanned more than 25 years, Amb. Haggag is now a professor of practice at the American University in Cairo's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the director of ... Show More
41m 3s