Cairo... between domestic pressures and regional concerns

A Pause

I came to Cairo to attend the launch ceremony for the third edition of my book, “Gandhi... and the Issues of Arabs and Muslims,” on an occasion that coincides with the 157th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and the “International Day of Non-Violence.”

This visit allowed me to meet with Egyptian writers, politicians, thinkers, diplomats, and media figures, as well as to interact with citizens, enabling me to listen to a segment of Cairo’s pulse and reflect on Egypt’s concerns as it faces domestic pressures and regional anxieties.

The Egyptian street appeared less discontented than in my previous visit. Perhaps, as one satirist remarked, people have adapted to the situation. However, the decline in visible complaints does not mean the underlying causes have disappeared. High prices continue to pressure families and their savings, while the burden of debt and its servicing weighs heavily on the budget. The private sector requires greater liquidity, confidence, and an enabling environment for investment and production.

Some indicators have improved, and inflation rates have declined from their peak levels, but the impact of this does not quickly reach people’s lives following price hikes.

Sustaining recovery requires expanding the base of production and exports, strengthening industry and agriculture, and avoiding reliance on sources vulnerable to emergency conditions or temporary deals. In this context, the importance of the Suez Canal, tourism, and remittances from Egyptians abroad becomes evident. These resources are affected by regional instability, which is accompanied by rising costs of energy, transport, and trade.

Egypt is surrounded by multiple crises. In the south, Cairo closely follows the war in Sudan with concern, supporting a ceasefire and a political settlement that preserves the country’s unity. Continued conflict exacerbates the suffering of Sudanese people and increases humanitarian and economic burdens on Egypt, which hosts a large number of refugees fleeing the conflict. This is linked to the Nile waters issue and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD); water is a matter affecting water and food security and future development. Therefore, Cairo emphasizes the necessity of understanding and reaching a fair agreement that safeguards the rights of river states and prevents ongoing tensions.

In the east, the war in Gaza and expansionist Israeli policies weigh heavily on Egyptian calculations. The failure of a political solution and the continuation of attacks threaten stability. Egypt is directly concerned with developments in Gaza due to geography and history, and it seeks de-escalation, the entry of aid, and opening the path toward a settlement that guarantees Palestinian rights and security for all.

However, a prevailing concern in Cairo’s discourse relates to the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. Egyptians recognize that the security of the Arabian Peninsula is not distant from Egypt’s security. Threats to navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait affect ships and the Suez Canal, adding pressure to the Egyptian economy.

I sensed relief among the Egyptian public regarding Egypt’s stated position in supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and defending its security if necessary, alongside calls to avoid widening the war and to adhere to negotiation.

This represents a balance that combines solidarity with brothers, a commitment to Arab security, and an awareness of the costs of open confrontation. As of the writing of these lines, the request for parliamentary authorization to militarily support Saudi Arabia remains under discussion, reflecting the sensitivity of the decision and the need for a precise assessment of defense requirements and escalation risks.

From these meetings, it became clear to me that Egyptians do not separate regional crises from their daily concerns; livelihood, water, navigation, and border stability are threads in a single tapestry. In such circumstances, the importance of Egyptian diplomacy in de-escalating tensions and supporting political solutions becomes evident, while safeguarding national interests and demonstrating solidarity with Arab states.

Here, the atmosphere of Cairo converges with Gandhi’s message. Nonviolence was not submission to injustice or abandonment of rights, but a resistance that seeks to change reality without making violence the sole path. In our region, merely raising the slogan of peace is insufficient; it must be translated into respect for the sovereignty of states, an end to aggression, safeguarding of navigation, protection of civilians, and a return to dialogue.

In Cairo, where history meets the questions of the present, my conviction deepened that peace is not a luxury, but a shared interest and a political and moral responsibility. Challenges are mounting around Egypt, while the peoples of the region look toward security. Perhaps the most profound lesson we can draw from Gandhi is that preventing war, preserving human dignity, and seeking just settlements are not signs of weakness, but courage that our region needs more than ever.

Former Bahraini Minister of Labour and Social Development