It is perhaps rarely noted or even remembered nowadays, that the Swiss have had a longstanding presence in Egypt. They have not only been a familiar actor in the economic sphere, leaving their signature on countless grants and financial investments, or their white-cross-on-red flag marking sponsorship of a variety of cultural projects; in fact they have equally left a number of physical traces across Egypt’s urban centers of Cairo and Alexandria. A number of well-known historical landmarks and buildings – especially in Downtown Cairo – can be traced back to Swiss proprietors. The downloadable Swiss Trail App launched in 2018 reveals many Swiss-influenced sites, notably the prominent Windsor Hotel and Groppi Café. During the last two weeks of May, two Swiss-funded development projects in Egypt – one successfully completed in the sphere of fishing, and one about to be initiated in the realm of potable water and wastewater services – received brief attention in the Egyptian media and on official Swiss platforms. Yet while likely to be associated with a growing list of foreign-funded projects, these news-bites may also serve as a convenient reminder of an ongoing and historically flourishing…
The Swiss in Egypt: a Brief Overview of Recent and Historical Presence
May 31, 2019
