Egypt Agriculture Under Emirates’ Grip and the Threat of Food Crisis
Since 2013, after the overthrow of Egypt’s first and only elected democratic government, the country’s political and economic direction has increasingly come under external influences. General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled Muhammad Morsi’s government through a military coup, and in this process, the most prominent support came from the United Arab Emirates. The purpose was not only to crush the Muslim Brotherhood but also to create a safe and friendly environment for Israel in the region. Thus, on one hand, Egypt’s democracy was strangled, and on the other hand, Israel gained stability.
After this coup, Egypt became a victim of severe economic pressure. Foreign loans and financial crises forced the government to hand over the country’s largest productive sector, namely agriculture, to foreign powers in the name of investment. The result was that Egypt’s greenery and agricultural projects rapidly came under the control of Emirati companies.
In exchange for supporting Sisi, the Emirates took control of billions of dollars’ worth of lands, large farmhouses, and grain-producing projects in Egypt. These are the same lands that gave Egypt the status of the “food basket” of the Arab world.
The most dangerous aspect of the Emirati grip is that now Egypt’s food security is directly in the hands of Abu Dhabi. Whenever the Emirates wishes, it can halt crop production or export them, plunging Egypt into a food crisis. This pressure can be used as a powerful weapon in any political or diplomatic conflict.
In Egypt, the most basic thing for the common man is bread. Since the military coup, the price of bread has increased several times. In 2013, subsidized bread was available for five piasters (0.05 pounds), which has now risen to at least 20 piasters (0.20 pounds), while non-subsidized bread has become far more expensive. This increase is not only a result of inflation but also a sign of the Emirates’ growing control over the agricultural sector and the decline of Egypt’s economic sovereignty.
The Emirates’ actions have benefited Israel the most. On one hand, the Muslim Brotherhood and a government sympathetic to the Palestinian resistance were eliminated, and on the other hand, an Egypt emerged that is not only no longer a threat to Israel but has become an indirect facilitator of regional policies.
Thus, General al-Sisi’s military coup not only killed democracy and the Brotherhood but also put Egypt on a path where its food, economy, and security are all pawned in the hands of foreign powers. Today, Egypt’s farmer, laborer, and common citizen are crushed under the burden of expensive bread and food shortages — and behind this situation is the same deal that was struck in closed rooms ten years ago.
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