Washington, D.C. — Egypt’s new President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi prevented the country’s many political, economic, and security issues from spiraling into full-blown crises during his first 100 days. But he requires a longer-term, sustainable plan to deal with the country’s incomplete political and economic transitions and manage the multiple security threats the country faces.
In an issue brief released today, the Center for American Progress has outlined some of Egypt’s most pressing and intertwined challenges, including boosting a struggling economy, improving security, and ensuring that the political transition of the past few months has the endurance necessary to bring normalcy to the nation after years of political turmoil.
“As the United States focuses on other challenges in the Middle East—including the threats posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and Iran—Egypt should remain a top priority.” said Brian Katulis, CAP Senior Fellow and co-author of the report. “As the largest country in the Middle East, Egypt faces major challenges in creating jobs, dealing with security threats, and advancing pluralism and tolerance.”
The brief argues that al-Sisi’s three main challenges of strengthening the Egyptian economy, ensuring its security, and consolidating its scattered political centers of power are all intertwined. Major economic reforms are needed to attract the amount of direct private and foreign investment that is needed to create enough jobs to build a new foundation for economic growth. This growth will be difficult without significant security and political improvements—and much work remains ahead for Egypt.
Click here to read the report.