Egypt’s ministries of electricity and petroleum are to begin scheduled power cuts on Tuesday amid a continuing heatwave that has intensified pressure on the country’s grid and natural gas supplies.
Last month, as the country saw some of its hottest temperatures on record, the government began cutting power in select areas of 24 of Egypt’s 27 provinces amid a significant rise in power consumption as citizens stayed at home and kept their fans and air conditioning units on.
Given the government often boasts of being ready to export surplus electricity, the power cuts have shocked and angered Egyptians, adding another layer to their daily struggle to make ends meet in a crushing economic crisis.
The power cuts were randomly implemented throughout last month, and citizens were inconvenienced by being unable to anticipate when and for how long they would be without power.
In response to repeated complaints, the cabinet released a schedule on Monday night detailing which areas would be out of power and for how long. The schedule is divided up by cities which are then divided into districts.
The government has repeatedly asserted that the power cuts are essential to give the nation’s power grid a reprieve from increased consumption amid the heatwave.
Power consumption hit 34,650 megawatts, its highest level for the year, in July, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy last week.
Despite the rise, which was revealed by the cabinet to be around 11 per cent in July compared with last year, consumption had not yet exceeded the national power grid’s maximum capacity of 44,900 megawatts, with a reserve capacity of 9,800 megawatts, the ministry said.
On Sunday, the cabinet’s spokesman Nader Saad said that the power cuts could continue into August or, in the worst-case scenario, September if the heatwave does not relent.
The government has said that the power cuts are being implemented equally across all areas, rich and poor.
However, there have been reports that some areas, particularly densely populated neighbourhoods, have been disproportionately affected by the cuts.
Sherihan Hassan, a resident of Cairo’s lower-income Talbia district, told The National that power cuts happen four times a day for an average duration of one hour.
But Aya Khaled has not had any power cuts. She lives in Heliopolis, an affluent neighbourhood where a number of government officials own homes and a national intelligence agency has an office building.
“I live very close to the Ettihadeya presidential palace,” Ms Khaled said. “There are also a number of prominent businessmen living in the area.
“When I first heard that some areas were getting power cuts, I prepared for it myself, but it has not cut out one single time throughout the last month.”
Another resident, Ahmed Alaa, who lives in the central district of Agouza, told The National that his street, which also hosts the Chadian Embassy, has also not lost power throughout July.
Last week, the cabinet mandated that public sector employees work from home every Sunday – provided that their presence at the workplace is not essential – to reduce power consumption.
Coastal provinces such as the Red Sea and Marsa Matruh are exempt because of their importance to the country's tourism sector.
In July, temperatures in Egypt rose dramatically, reaching 46°C in some provinces.
The heatwave and subsequent power cuts led Cairo residents to spend a lot more time outside their homes in the city’s parks and public spaces.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
