Egyptian drivers hold the key to cleaner air

By Ambassador Yasser Elnaggar, and Deborah Lehr as featured on Middle East Institute

As the slow wheels of government inch toward policies that lead to cleaner air, Egyptian drivers could be provided with faster results by an unlikely partner—Chinese auto companies.

The vast majority of Egyptians live in the Cairo environs and along a small sliver of the Nile Valley, where public transportation cannot keep up with the explosive demand of its residents. This dynamic has forced its 9.5 million people into cars. Add to that dilemma the fact that 94 percent of freight is shipped around the country by truck, as the more efficient rail and water systems remain underutilized. The region around the capitol accounts for over 40 percent of all car ownership in Egypt.