Egypt – a tourist trap despite repression

The unexplained deaths of two Brit holidaymakers in an Egyptian hotel, with further incidents of food poisoning badly affecting others, may or may not dent the tourist trade in Egypt which is seeing a resurgence this year. It had slumped after 2010 given the political upheavals, and a Russian airliner bombed by ISIS in 2015 as it left Sharm-el-Sheikh didn’t help. An improved security situation under Al Sisi’s repressive regime seems to have helped. And the economy is growing fast after severe austerity measures imposed as part of an IMF loan programme.

But the deteriorating human rights situation has been roundly condemned by international agencies and described as a ‘pressure cooker waiting to blow’ – with an effective ban on protests and freedom of expression, opponents imprisoned, usually after unfair trials, torture, forced disappearances, deaths in custody, persecution of NGOs and journalists; with women and members of religious minorities discriminated against.

Neither the Egypt 14 May 1922 10.43 pm GMT Cairo chart, or the 19 June 1953 1.30 am chart, give any indication of any kind of major disruption ahead.

Although Al Sisi’s Presidency chart, 8 June 2014 11.18 am does show up a period of violence in six months’ time as the Solar Arc Mars opposes the Uranus. There’ll be a slump in confidence with tr Neptune square the Pres Sun from April 2019 running till early 2020; with either growing unpopularity or a financial crisis in 2020 as the Solar Arc Venus opposes Saturn, or both. His presidency kicked off on a Cardinal Grand Square which includes Jupiter, so will be luckier than it deserves.

The Bank of Egypt chart, 1 January 1961 does show up eighteen months ahead for a year or so as majorly problematic on the economic front.

Al Sisi himself, 19 November 1954 has a formidably strong, controlling and ruthless chart with Mars in uncompromising Aquarius opposition Pluto square a Scorpio Sun Venus; with Saturn and mercury in Scorpio as well. Plus a lucky Uranus Jupiter in Cancer trine his Sun. He looks rattled in 2021 with Solar Arc Mars square his Uranus. But nothing short of an Act of God will shift him.