Introduction

This section gives a condensed account of Egypt’s modern political economy. The country’s economic structure and socioeconomic development record were determined by power dynamics linking the state to the economy and Egypt’s position in the global division of labor. Overall, Egypt’s long journey has promised much more than what was delivered. No radical redefinition of the country’s position in the global economic order took place. This was the cause and effect of the absence of any significant restructuring into higher-value added goods and services. More recently, Egypt’s reintegration into the world political-economic order has been reliant on rent and debt more than trade and investment.