In 2018 Egypt raised petrol prices by 50%, exacerbating the already rising food prices. The population has surged from 27 million in 1960 to over 110 million by 2019, leading to increasing impoverishment of the middle class. Despite the challenging conditions, Egyptians, known for their friendliness, humour, and improvisational skills, manage to adapt. However, the country is experiencing a deep depression, and the populace is growing weary.
Tourism, which generated nearly $30 billion in 2018, and foreign aid from Europe and the USA do not benefit the general population. Meanwhile, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi constructs lavish palaces and purchases billions in weaponry from EU countries, reinforcing his authoritarian rule.
Al-Sisi’s pervasive power means dissenters risk disappearance. Pre-trial detentions are extended without court orders, and activists and political opponents face years of imprisonment without trial or contact with their families. Since the 2011 revolution, over 80,000 people have been imprisoned without conviction. More than 4,000 were arrested following the September 2019 protests, as the regime continues to suppress civil society. Egyptians live under the constant pressure of state control and the threat of terrorism from an increasingly radicalized Muslim society.
The images were captured between August 2019 and January 2020
