Egypt’s Ancient Roots to a Modern Economy and Vision 2030 Roadmap

The Pyramid of Giza

The Pyramid of Giza weighs 10 million Tonnes of sandstone, with each stone having a length of 2 metres and weighing more than a car. It is over 4500 years old and is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu under his command. It is 490 ft tall and was the tallest structure in the world for over 3,800 years, until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in 1311.

In an Interview with NOVA, American archaeologist Mark Lehner revealed that the pyramids were once covered with polished white limestone and reflected gloriously under the sun.

Mortuary Temples/Tombs

Pharaohs built magnificent temples to commemorate their reign. The largest temple, covering 350,000 sq ft(6 football courts), was built under the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The Temple is one of the many located above the West Bank of Luxor and has drawn millions of tourists yearly.

The Nile River

Ancient Egypt was able to build such a level of civilization under harsh conditions only because of the Nile River.

The Nile River, measuring 4000 miles, is the longest in the world. It was the life force without which Egypt would be a desert. Before dams, Ancient Egypt relied on floods caused by the Monsoon rains over Ethiopia to the South of Egypt. This flood caused the Nile River bank to break and deposit fertile silt on the lands.

Soon, they developed the Nilometer to forecast how well the crops would flourish. The Nilometer is a set of chiseled markings used by ancient Egypt to gauge the flood heights.

The Fall of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was weakened mainly by:

1. Tension arises from the unfair distribution of wealth between the religious elites and the common people.
2. External forces such as invasion by the Persians, Nubians, and Hittites, who had access to weapons made of iron, against those of Egypt made of Bronze.

Ancient Egypt was conquered by Rome in 30 BC. The Romans imposed administrative changes, heavily taxed Egypt, introduced Latin and Greek, which suppressed the Egyptian Language and spread Christianity.

[Britannica]

As of 2019, Egypt is home to about 10 million Christians. One of the notable places to visit is Mt. Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the 10 Commandments, according to the Christian Bible. This site, held very sacredly, inspired the erection of The St. Catherine's Monastery, which is the oldest continuously inhabited monastery in the world.

Egypt is set to expand its renewable capacity to 45,000 megawatts from projects under construction in the coming years. The Arab Weekly reports that the country is aiming for 42% of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2030.

Some of the strategies put in place, as reported by GlobalData, are:

1. $2.5 billion investment for 2GW solar(can power over 600,000 households) and 1.1GW wind energy in the Zafarana region(construction starts in 2026).
2. Government plans: 32 hydrogen plants with $228.1 billion investment by 2030.
3. Suez Canal Economic Zone agreements: 18 million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, with another project planned ($7.5 billion investment).

We cannot highlight the economy of Egypt and miss its Tourism sector. The Arabian Gulf Business Insight reports that Egypt's Tourism sector accounts for 8% of its GDP. Egypt's revenue rose to $15.3 billion in 2024 compared to $7.2 billion in 2014 after pulling 15.7 million tourists in 2024 alone.

The recently finished Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, is partially open and set for official inauguration in July 2025. Here, relics and treasures from millennia will be housed under one roof. The Grand Egyptian Museum covers approximately 500,000 sq ft (about 80 soccer fields).

Top locations to visit in Egypt include:

1. Pyramids of Giza (Giza, Cairo)
2. Great Sphinx of Giza (Giza, Cairo)
3. Valley of the Kings (Luxor, Upper Egypt)
4. Temple of Karnak (Luxor, Upper Egypt)
5. Abu Simbel Temples (Aswan, Upper Egypt)

The Ancient Egyptians in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine were profound and have led to modern-day breakthroughs, like:

1. Biomedical engineering projects that now reference ancient healing practices, using 3D bioprinting and telemedicine to advance healthcare.
2. Astronomy and space technology initiatives like Project Horus reference the precision of pyramid alignment to develop new navigation and satellite systems.

Present-day Egypt's Vision 2030, a long-term strategic plan unveiled by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, launched in 2016, aims to build a diversified economy that is dependent on technology. The government has also developed two initiatives, namely Digital Egypt and ICT Strategy 2030, to see to the actualisation of this Vision.

The African Economic Development and International Consulting (AEDIC), responsible for covering all aspects of African economic development, featured key strategies that have been implemented from Vision 2030. Some are:

1. The Investment of $1.1 billion in expanding 5G networks and fiber optic connectivity.
2. The construction of regional cloud data centers, in partnership with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
3. The introduction of a five-year tax exemption for startups to ease business registration.
4. Adoption of digital solutions like Fawry and Vodafone Cash has been adopted by 57 million users for daily transactions.

Egypt's government is being realized through tangible reforms and investments.

Egypt's arts and culture is reflected in:

Arts and Design

Contemporary fashion and interior design draw inspiration from symbols like the Lotus flower(Nymphaea lotus) and the Eye of Horus. Ceramic plates and vases painted with the pharaonic motifs are also used to adorn homes.

Egyptian Fashion

Egyptian traditional dresses are made of linen or cotton with unique embroidery that represents the family name and origin.

The traditional dress for men is the shemagh, also known as keffiyeh. It is like a scarf that covers the head and shoulders from the sun. From past to present, hijabs, Abaya and Tarha have been the traditional outfits for women. Western clothing style is still very much worn by everyone especially in corporate settings.

Egyptian cuisine

Egyptians are known to use a lot of garlic and onions in their everyday dishes such as ful medames made from mashed fava beans; koshary, made from a mixture of lentils, rice, pasta, and other ingredients; molokhia, chopped and cooked jute leaf stew. Seafood like Tilapia is a popular staple and can be served as a main course.