# Expats living in Egypt



## CatMandoo

Anyone want to conjecture on how the current situation is going to play out? Days? Weeks? Months? 

What's your comfort level at this time? Not worried at all, somewhat, alot?


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## marimar

I think things will escalate and there are going to be a lot of bad things going on. I am so glad we left when we did but I do feel for all those in Egypt. Please everyone stay safe and don't take chances. Let's hope the country gets through this phase without too much more bloodshed.


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## Gounie

Here in the private town of El Gouna life carries on as normal. Tourists sunbathing round the pool and on the beach, everyone happy and smiling.

My friend has organised a cultural dance Festival which is usually held in Cairo but moved and will begin here in El Gouna on 1st December. All the participants (I think all ladies) are flying in from all over the world into Cairo on Friday to travel by road down to El Gouna. They will be doing workshops with Farida Fahmy and Mahmoud Reda who are icons of Egyptian dance and famous for their TV appearances in the past. I hope they aren't all put off by what is going on!! Tuesday is supposed to be a big day for demonstrations. It is a mammoth event for my friend to organise. She lived here in El Gouna but left her apartment with her young daughter after the revolution. She organises these events in Australia, USA and UK so very experienced and is currently travelling from Oz back to Gouna. I hope it all goes smoothly!!


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## Lanason

marimar said:


> I think things will escalate and there are going to be a lot of bad things going on. I am so glad we left when we did but I do feel for all those in Egypt. Please everyone stay safe and don't take chances. Let's hope the country gets through this phase without too much more bloodshed.


I don't think it will escalate too much - will of course be sporadic fights and fires as FJP and MB locations are targeted.

I have certainly seen a huge drop in Expats but don't see much changing for the area that I live in from a personal point of view.

In the country the uncertainty will continue - nothing happens quickly here.


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## aykalam

CatMandoo said:


> Anyone want to conjecture on how the current situation is going to play out? Days? Weeks? Months?
> 
> What's your comfort level at this time? Not worried at all, somewhat, alot?


I am very worried, because even if the current flare-up dies down the situation in Egypt is bound to get worse before it gets better. Swiss embassy warning nationals to stock on necessities and food (and keep as far away from events as possible)

Tonight, in Damanhour, a 15 year old has died in clashes between pro and anti-Morsi protesters. And MB are calling their people for a big one on Tuesday in Cairo.


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## MaidenScotland

Lanason said:


> I don't think it will escalate too much - will of course be sporadic fights and fires as FJP and MB locations are targeted.
> 
> I have certainly seen a huge drop in Expats but don't see much changing for the area that I live in from a personal point of view.
> 
> In the country the uncertainty will continue - nothing happens quickly here.




Mubarak also said the same thing.......... Let them have some fun


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## Sonrisa

I am also very worried, but more in a more personal, self centered kind of way, you know, work situation, school for my children, personal safety... I hope that if things get too bad, we will not be affected, I hope our lifes can continue with a certain degree of normality. i think we will spend more time in Maadi, in our own little bubble.

As for Egypt, Yes things will get bad. People are desperately poor. i think this is what will bring on the riots, crime and blood, when families can no longer afford basic comodities and feed themselves. This is when things will get REAL bad. 

I can see the cOuntry movIng towards more fundamental, tyranic, sharia based form of government in an attempt to control the discontent of Egyptians.

I dont think there will be a so called "2nd revolution" as the first one because what I see in tahir is not organised at all, honestly, when I see the pictures of tahrir these days, it looks like a crowd of 14 years old high on glue and gas throwing stones and some grown ups with a serious twitter adiccion. This will achieve nothing. Instead we will see violent riots, mass Unrest, civil disobedience, crime, more pollution, more more missery.

In the midst of all these problems at home, Egypt will have to fight for its control over the Nile. I dont know when armed conflict over the water will finally blow, but it has been brewing for a long time, And I think it will happen sooner than later.


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## canuck2010

Agreed, neighbors are putting up Christmas trees here in Maadi. It's definitely a bubble!


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## Sonrisa

So what is everyones comfort level right now? Are you worried about how things will develop during the next few weeks or months? Plans to leave Egypt any time soon?


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## MaidenScotland

Not worried despite Egyptian friends telling me that is will be trouble on the 25th... What can I do other than stay indoors on that date but if it got that I couldn't go out for months on end then yes I would need to leave..as it is I have curtailed my social life to pathetic and to go non existent would not be good for my sanity.


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## aykalam

My main worry right now is not the 25th or anything related to the anniversary, but the effect the currency sliding down will have on the vast majority of Egyptian's lives. Food prices are bound to shoot up, people won't be able to afford many basics, there will be riots...

I read somewhere yesterday that LE will lose 50% of its current value.


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## MaidenScotland

aykalam said:


> My main worry right now is not the 25th or anything related to the anniversary, but the effect the currency sliding down will have on the vast majority of Egyptian's lives. Food prices are bound to shoot up, people won't be able to afford many basics, there will be riots...
> 
> I read somewhere yesterday that LE will lose 50% of its current value.




Didn't the IMF say that the Egyptian pound is still over valued


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## canuck2010

My Egyptian friends expect the pound to fall to 8le to the dollar.


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## aykalam

MaidenScotland said:


> Didn't the IMF say that the Egyptian pound is still over valued


Precisely. They want the pound to go right down before the loan is released.


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## Sonrisa

Why is that?


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## paolop

Whatever happens its not looking good, looking at my business the last few months have been awful and now even the weather is against us. People I speak to are all talk about protests against the MB as they feel that the MB threaten their way of life.


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## aykalam

Sonrisa said:


> Why is that?


The pound has been propped up by the Egyptian government, they have been spending USD loans coming in from Qatar (and others) in $ auctions so the pound would remain stable, but this is unsustainable as there is no more money in the piggy bank. So IMF have told them, if you want the loan you'll need to let the pound devalue as per market value, rather than spend the money on keeping it from falling.

IMF official in Egypt as currency crisis bites | Egypt Independent


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## paolop

aykalam said:


> The pound has been propped up by the Egyptian government, they have been spending USD loans coming in from Qatar (and others) in $ auctions so the pound would remain stable, but this is unsustainable as there is no more money in the piggy bank. So IMF have told them, if you want the loan you'll need to let the pound devalue as per market value, rather than spend the money on keeping it from falling.
> 
> IMF official in Egypt as currency crisis bites | Egypt Independent


Add to this the measures that they will have to introduce as part of the terms if the loan, none of them will be popular as they include cutting subsidies and raising taxes.


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## aykalam

paolop said:


> Add to this the measures that they will have to introduce as part of the terms if the loan, none of them will be popular as they include cutting subsidies and raising taxes.


Indeed. But all those measures may not be implemented until after the elections in Spring (the Brothers are not that stupid), whereas food inflation will be almost immediate


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## Sonrisa

i have to sAy that right now my confort zone is flashing bright red. I stayed put during the revolution and the weeks, months that followed...but right now I really feel its time to start thinking about packing my bags. 
Got a feeling things are about to get real bad.


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## paolop

Sonrisa said:


> i have to sAy that right now my confort zone is flashing bright red. I stayed put during the revolution and the weeks, months that followed...but right now I really feel its time to start thinking about packing my bags.
> Got a feeling things are about to get real bad.


Cannot help but agree, I am back home on the 11th of Feb and I cannot wait, after that I genuinely don't know.


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## akteacher

Just landed a job teaching near Al Rehab City. I'm supposed to start in August. I've heard the situation is stable outside the city. Is this correct? For those of you living in this area, have you felt unsafe in day to day life? Any information would be extremely helpful. So glad to have found this site. Any other recommendations for other expat forums for Cairo?


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## paolop

akteacher said:


> Just landed a job teaching near Al Rehab City. I'm supposed to start in August. I've heard the situation is stable outside the city. Is this correct? For those of you living in this area, have you felt unsafe in day to day life? Any information would be extremely helpful. So glad to have found this site. Any other recommendations for other expat forums for Cairo?


Hi, having lived in Rehab for the last 9 months I can assure you that it is very safe, it's a lovely place to live, very green and very quite wi a good range of amenities close by. Cairo in general is fine, just avoid the flash points and you will be totally fine.


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## akteacher

paolop said:


> Hi, having lived in Rehab for the last 9 months I can assure you that it is very safe, it's a lovely place to live, very green and very quite wi a good range of amenities close by. Cairo in general is fine, just avoid the flash points and you will be totally fine.


Great to hear something positive! I am moving with my boyfriend. No kids. Will you be staying in the coming months or taking off?


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## paolop

akteacher said:


> Great to hear something positive! I am moving with my boyfriend. No kids. Will you be staying in the coming months or taking off?


Sadly it's my last day, the economic situation has made me too expensive for my company. I have loved it here but I am ready to leave.

Best of luck!


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## aykalam

akteacher said:


> Just landed a job teaching near Al Rehab City. I'm supposed to start in August. I've heard the situation is stable outside the city. Is this correct? For those of you living in this area, have you felt unsafe in day to day life? Any information would be extremely helpful. So glad to have found this site. Any other recommendations for other expat forums for Cairo?


Hi akteacher,

Welcome to the forum.

If you are teaching in New Cairo, make sure your accommodation is in Rehab. Anywhere else would most likely involve a commute down the Ring Rd (death trap) or the Suez Rd (ditto). 

I have lived in Rehab for over 3 years, don't love but it makes Cairo bearable because it doesn't seem like I live in Cairo. It is clean and organised (well, sort of). There aren't many Western expats here now as most left after the revolution, but if you are working for a school there'll be other teachers living nearby.

To answer your question, the area is safe although things do happen here too. And if you are female, you will have the sexual harassment issue to worry about, regardless of what area of Cairo you are in.

Make sure your employer has a sound evacuation plan in place, the situation is extremely volatile.


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## aykalam

paolop said:


> Sadly it's my last day, the economic situation has made me too expensive for my company. I have loved it here but I am ready to leave.
> 
> Best of luck!


Wow, things are really bad.  Good luck for the future!


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## paolop

aykalam said:


> Wow, things are really bad.  Good luck for the future!


Pretty bad! Still, have enjoyed my time here and have no regrets. Sadly the country is rapidly going down hill and it feels like the right time to go.


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## charleen

I am an American living in Sherouk, teaching in Tagama and NOT leaving the country. Would love to see who else is out this way...


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## akteacher

Where are you teaching?


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## charleen

Cairo Korean School. And you?


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## jemiljan

I have a question for anyone working under a contract. I have renewed mine, but discovered two rather irregular things. One is that I was asked to sign a post-dated letter of resignation that I didn't sign last year. The second is that a clause that I thought pertained to my original probationary period, is now added to the entire term of the contract itself. It basically states that I will be informed 30 days prior if the contract is renewed for another year, but otherwise it can be terminated without notice. 

I was told by the head of the administration (not my boss, but the team of Egyptian employees who work managing the office) that this is normal. I remain highly skeptical, and I've refused to sign it until the legal pretexts are clarified. My boss is happy with my work, so this problem is more with the administration and the (predictably) sketchy lawyer, and my boss has so far backed me. 

So, I would like to compare notes with anyone else. Have any of you been presented with contracts containing clauses like these? 

Thanks in advance...


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## expatagogo

jemiljan said:


> I have a question for anyone working under a contract. I have renewed mine, but discovered two rather irregular things. One is that I was asked to sign a post-dated letter of resignation that I didn't sign last year. The second is that a clause that I thought pertained to my original probationary period, is now added to the entire term of the contract itself. It basically states that I will be informed 30 days prior if the contract is renewed for another year, but otherwise it can be terminated without notice.
> 
> I was told by the head of the administration (not my boss, but the team of Egyptian employees who work managing the office) that this is normal. I remain highly skeptical, and I've refused to sign it until the legal pretexts are clarified. My boss is happy with my work, so this problem is more with the administration and the (predictably) sketchy lawyer, and my boss has so far backed me.
> 
> So, I would like to compare notes with anyone else. Have any of you been presented with contracts containing clauses like these?
> 
> Thanks in advance...


Don't fall for it. I've seen Egyptian bosses put all kinds of things under people's noses for them to sign, including that they've received salaries.

Tell them there must be some misunderstanding, and have that garbage removed.


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## akteacher

charleen said:


> Cairo Korean School. And you?


Global Paradigm School


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## Monty B

charleen said:


> I am an American living in Sherouk, teaching in Tagama and NOT leaving the country. Would love to see who else is out this way...


Hi Charleen. We are in Sherouk. Would be lovely to meet you Are you here with family?


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