Cairo’s Al Fagala district is the go-to place for school supplies in the Egyptian capital, its streets and alleys usually packed with shoppers every September, ahead of the new academic year. But not this year.
With barely two weeks to go before Egypt’s public schools reopen on September 30, crowds were sparse when The National visited on Wednesday.
“Demand is very low this year, it’s very disappointing because we rely on the school season to make the highest profits all year. People browse for a long time before only buying the necessities,” said Ibrahim El Sayed, who owns a stationery shop in Al Fagala.
Parents say they are buying less because the cost of books and stationery has doubled since last year.
This is a reflection of the record high inflation being recorded in the Arab world’s most populous nation – with almost 110 million inhabitants.
At the same time, the Egyptian pound has lost more than half of its value against the US dollar after three devaluations since March last year.
This has increased costs for sellers of school supplies, most of which are either imported or manufactured locally using imported materials.
“Everything has doubled or more,” said Amal El Refaey, a mother of three browsing at Al Fagala.
“Pens that used to cost one pound [$0.03] are now two pounds. Notebooks – and not the nice, bound kind – that used to cost three pounds are now six or seven pounds,” she said.
“But the really big issue for me was the prices of additional books this year, which my children need to pass their exams.”
Most schoolchildren in Egypt do not rely on education materials offered by the Ministry of Education, which parents and teachers consider to be seriously lacking.
They also require textbooks outside the ministry’s curriculum to do well in the subject they are learning.
Unlike the ministry's materials that are provided free of charge and online, these additional books cost money, and this year their prices have increased beyond the reach of Ms El Refaey.
“My eldest daughter is in her final year of school. The book that was requested by her private tutor costs 850 pounds," she said.
“For what? It’s just some paper. How can it cost this much?
“I cannot afford it. She will most likely have to borrow it from a friend of hers and photocopy the parts that she needs as the year progresses.”
Because of the high prevalence of private tutoring centres Egypt, much of the country’s education is actually in the hands of the private sector, with little input from the state.
Each private tutor gets to outline the education materials that students enrolled in their class have to purchase.
Most of them devise their own textbooks and charge the students for them as another means of making an income, Ms El Refaey said.
“They usually make a deal with a printing shop to make copies of their textbooks and sell them to students. The shop gets a cut of the profits and the teacher gets the rest,” she said.
Because of the ongoing economic crisis, some tutors have started to sell their textbooks by the chapter to ensure that those who cannot afford to buy them all at once do not fall behind the rest of the pupils.
The government has tried to help struggling parents by selling school supplies for up to 30 per cent lower than market prices at expos called Ahlan Madares – Welcome, Schools in Arabic – being set up across the country.
These are organised jointly by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, the Cairo Chamber of Commerce and the Consumer Protection Agency of Egypt, said Mohamed Hassan, head of the Cairo chamber's stationery division.
“There are certain controls we have placed in the Ahlan Madares expos to ensure that citizens can afford school supplies this year,” Mr Hassan said this week.
“The chamber organised over 200 sellers to display their wares at each expo, which increases competition, that in turn brings down prices. The Consumer Protection Agency’s role is to ensure no seller is displaying unreasonable prices.”
One of the expos opened on Thursday in Cairo's Nasr City district, with colourful backpacks on display alongside an array of stationery items.
Mohamed Sameh, a father of two who was among the small group of shoppers, said he did not think they would help families save any money.
“Yes, it’s true some of the items here are cheaper than most places in Cairo. But the cheap items are of really low quality, they are virtually unusable. I tried out one of the cheaper notebooks today and it ripped when the pen went across it,” he said.
“So, in reality very few people will accept the quality of the cheap items.
“They will have to bite their tongues and buy the more expensive ones that can last their child longer in school.”
Families struggling to afford school supplies do have other options. Used backpacks, pencil cases and uniforms are available at informal markets all over Cairo for a fraction of the cost of new ones.
Unauthorised copies of textbooks can be found at Soor El Azbakeya in Cairo, a place known for selling all kinds of printed material, for a fraction of the price.
The problem is that these counterfeited books are usually from the previous school year, which means students run the risk of studying material that is not in the curriculum of the current year.
However, with prices so high, Egyptians must make do with what they have, Ms El Refaey said.
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
TRAINING FOR TOKYO
A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:
- Four swim sessions (14km)
- Three bike sessions (200km)
- Four run sessions (45km)
- Two strength and conditioning session (two hours)
- One session therapy session at DISC Dubai
- Two-three hours of stretching and self-maintenance of the body
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
For more information go to www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mobile phone packages comparison
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
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