tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post8572485270661965454..comments2023-02-08T08:46:03.131+00:00Comments on Awraq: Will Egypt go bankrupt?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09378774299471399435noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-89730978847734982032013-05-31T10:26:02.348+01:002013-05-31T10:26:02.348+01:00Kevin, Ziad, I beg to disagree, today (31/5/2013&#...Kevin, Ziad, I beg to disagree, today (31/5/2013's shorouq front cover ran a story about above price sale of LNG to Egypt by Qatar-Karim MalakAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-21199843982784777392013-05-22T00:25:55.475+01:002013-05-22T00:25:55.475+01:00Thank you Abu Daoud for your comment and interesti...Thank you Abu Daoud for your comment and interesting remarks. I have been (and probably will be for a while) focusing on short-term urgent issues. Demographics are important of course, but their problems are likely to manifest themselves in the medium to long run. That said, I do intend to write about them at some point in the future, so I hope you watch this space.Ziad Daoudhttp://ziaddaoud.blogspot.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-79750140839288269072013-05-19T07:07:31.706+01:002013-05-19T07:07:31.706+01:00Thank you Ziad for this helpful article. I'm w...Thank you Ziad for this helpful article. I'm wondering what your opinion is on economics in relation to demographics in Egypt? Perhaps you know of some good material on the topic. I know that in 1900 the population of Egypt was under ten million, and now it is around 80 million. While the country itself is large, most of it is desert and cannot produce wheat or other crops. I recall reading that Egypt imports over half of its wheat. Importing crops is normal, but importing over 50% of the needed wheat? This does not seem sustainable. Anyway, thank you again.Abu Daoudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18399746942963002389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-7612729042537576642013-05-10T23:28:58.695+01:002013-05-10T23:28:58.695+01:00Kevin - You are absolutely right. Getting energy s...Kevin - You are absolutely right. Getting energy supplies from Qatar, Libya and Iraq on favourable prices or credit terms should reduce Egypt's external financing needs below the $11.7bn figure I quoted. I just worry about the medium-term sustainability of all this. Ziad Daoudhttp://ziaddaoud.blogspot.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-29013693362892162732013-05-10T04:23:44.682+01:002013-05-10T04:23:44.682+01:00One of the other forms of financing that seems imp...One of the other forms of financing that seems important in the Egypt situation is the form of indirect financing secured through their energy swap deal. http://www.zawya.com/story/Qatar_to_supply_Egypt_up_to_24_LNG_cargos_in_swap_deal-ZW20130509000104/. By reducing the immediate cost of energy for consumers and energy subsidies for the government (according to the IMF greater than 6% of GDP), it seems like Egypt has gotten a decent short term solution. All at the cost of selling their medium term future to the Qataris. What are your thoughts on this?Kevin Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-87451218573030927752013-05-06T13:46:22.721+01:002013-05-06T13:46:22.721+01:00The success of Egypt in getting all these loans su...The success of Egypt in getting all these loans suggests otherwise. Plus the IMF rhetoric on Egypt has been supportive so far. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09378774299471399435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5160004127418883749.post-88236936785511292742013-05-05T20:02:30.108+01:002013-05-05T20:02:30.108+01:00Thank you for clarifying this. My question is ; is...Thank you for clarifying this. My question is ; is it of the interest of any regional or international players that Egypt goes "bankrupt" ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com