Features / Political Review
Egypt Two Years Later
On the second anniversary of the 2011 revolution, Egypt appears to be experiencing a bit of deja vu. Videos of a protestor stripped and beaten, a state of emergency declared by the president, and protestors chanting, ''the people want to bring down the regime'' are obviously similar to events that occurred two years ago. While Morsi's name has replaced Mubarak's within protestor's chants to take down the president, it is unclear if the masses have the stamina for another revolution. Many, disillusioned by bickering politicians and the broken promises of the Muslim Brotherhood, have lost their optimism. Egypt-Israel Gas Deal: Behind Closed Doors
On March 25 the Cassation Court accepted an appeal for the retrial of former Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmy. The ex-official was charged with the wasteful use of public funds by allegedly facilitating the sale of Egyptian natural gas to Israel at a significantly below market prices. For his role in the deal, Fahmy was accused of corruption, negligence and the subversion of public interest. Political Perplexity and Egypt’s Oil and Gas Sector
An atmosphere of political perplexity has deepened in Egypt since the vote on constitution referendum, with many Egyptians rushing to take out cash from banks and hoarding hard currency savings at home. Egypt’s Oil and Gas sector is not immune from the latest controversial political developments. Investors and local companies operating in the field are waiting to see if the transitional period will end any soon. Governmental Economic Plan and Demands on Combustible
Following the recent announcement to the press delivered by the Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, revealing the country's 10-year economic plan, the country's economy is foreseen to exhibit an annual growth between 3.5 and 4 percent in the 2012-13 fiscal years, followed by a one percent increase on the following fiscal year. EGAS Refutes False Reports
Several false reports have been circulating in the Egyptian and Arab-speaking media, suggesting that Israel and Cyprus had taken over three Egyptian natural gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea. The dilemma was instigated by Egyptian geologists Khaled Ouda and Engineer Khalid Al-Shafei, who claimed that Israel took the opportunity of the Egyptian official ineptness and commenced drilling operations within Egyptian territorial waters as early as April 2012. Subsidies Readjustment: Paving a Path to the Poor
The subsidies dilemma is witnessing more and more relevance as the situation becomes unsustainable and the national economy buckles under the strain. The new minister of petroleum will have his hands full attempting to balance economic wisdom and public need. Strikes Continue to Hit Egypt’s Petroleum Companies
Ever since the eruption of the revolution of the 25th of January, protests and strikes have been the most effective mechanism for Egyptians to publicly display frustrations and grievances born of the deteriorating living and working conditions. The petroleum sector has been no stranger to these incidents, which dent productivity. Staying Above the Fray: Why the new minister must sidestep the political power plays
The dominant theme in Egyptian politics has become the political struggle between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and all other factions have either rallied under one of the two banners or faded vaguely into the background. It is the job of the new minister of petroleum to keep these circumstances as irrelevant as possible to the sector. 
