In Egypt, a severe shortage of natural gas has led to rolling blackouts during a sweltering heatwave, disrupting the lives of many, especially students preparing for their critical high school exams. At a press conference in late June, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly apologized for the ongoing power cuts across the nation, announcing that they would continue for three hours per day this week, but would be reduced to two hours starting the following week. In the meantime, students are struggling with the pressure of exams. “The heat is unbearable,” Ibrahim Hussein, a high school student, tells Egyptian Streets. “It makes it more difficult to concentrate when the power is out for more than three hours.” Hussein is one of 745,000 students who are studying for the high school, or thanaweya amma exams, which are critical for both students and parents, as the grades obtained in these exams determine university prospects. The exams are expected to run until 20 July. The Problem with Natural Gas Egypt relies heavily on natural gas for electricity generation. However, declining domestic gas production, fluctuating imports, and increased demand due to the heatwave have exacerbated the…
