ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of emigration of both skilled and unskilled labor from an Egyptian village which has been exporting a significant number of its inhabitants to Saudi Arabia since 1974. It aims to fill a gap in the Egyptian literature and data on the socio-economic impact of temporary emigration from Egyptian villages to other Arab countries. Small businesses dealing in electric consumer appliances have been increasing in number since emigration started from the village. The larger number of those who trade in the village, trade mainly in livestock inside the village or in bricks, but mainly in Cairo markets. The chapter discusses the socio-economic background of emigrants as compared to those of non-emigrants. A test of significance is applied to differences between averages of the two samples, i.e., the emigrants and the non-emigrants, whenever relevant. In spite of land fragmentation in El Quebabat, mechanization of agriculture is prevalent among both emigrants and non-emigrants.
