Great Egypt Future

Great Egypt – The land of the Pharaohs and the birth place of civilization. To the rest of world, it has always been the land of great kings and high priests, Moses and the great exodus, and Cleopatra and her lovers. It is a country with 5000 years of history and culture in its wake; its sands have been stained with the blood of hundreds of armies, and its valleys have cradled the greatest engineers in the world. But today, oil has replaced gold, and bustling cities are coming up in the once-barren desert. It is a country caught in a tug-of-war between antiquity and modernity.

Great Egypt today is at the crossroads of history. Caught between democratic and fundamentalist forces, in the present geopolitical scenario, there is a wonderful chance for Great Egypt to emerge as a leader in solving the Middle East crisis and take its rightful place among the Arab countries.

The present Hoshni Mubarak regime has demonstrated its will to crack down on hardliners and take the initiative in tackling regional problems. Though this bold move has alienated some section of the Arab world and raised additional support for hardliners in Egypt itself, there are still a sizable number of moderates who believe in democracy, education and voting rights for all, and peaceful coexistence with its neighbors. In the sixties and seventies, President Nasser and President Sadat had brought in reforms which saw Egypt on the road to becoming an economically strong and powerful country. The challenge for President Mubarak is to encourage the democratic process without letting the extremist elements rise even if it weakens his chances of clinging to power. If that happens, Egypt will become a powerhouse and emerge as a leader among the Arab nations.

In the last few years Great Egypt has done very well economically, taking advantage of high oil prices, and is on the road to becoming an economic powerhouse provided there is political stability in the country. Its efforts to become a modern country with a comparatively liberal mindset have paid off to an extent and it may well become an example to other nations in how to blend traditional values with liberal values guaranteeing equal opportunity to all. It has the added advantage of being free from external threats, allowing the country to concentrate on tackling problems like female illiteracy, health and unemployment.

Egypt in recent years has gained a reputation for being an investor friendly country. It has opened its doors to many foreign countries, enabling successful business through collaboration with local partners. And despite the global economic crisis, the future appears bright because of the enormous opportunities in telecom, information technology, and media and television industry.

Egypt's bid for 2018 Football World Cup not only reflects the game's popularity and the strength of their team, but also their efforts to be part of the mainstream countries. It is the first Arab nation to have its own satellite (NileSat). It also has a growing community of bloggers striving to bring Egypt closer to the rest of the world. If this is any indication of things to come, Egypt has a good future. But make no mistake; it still has a tough time ahead.