Egyptian business owners adapt to social unrest
As the turmoil and unrest continues in Egypt, many businesses in the country have closed operations. In many areas, it’s too dangerous to allow employees to come into work and in others, the commute may be too risky.
Ahmed Al-Qusi is a small business owner in Cairo. He owns six showrooms that sell stationary and fine paper. His shop in one of the more tumultuous areas was closed today, but he and his employees came to work anyway — with the doors locked and fire extinguishers ready — to make sure the property and items inside stayed safe. He worries about the safety of his employees, but he feels assured that they will be safe. By now, they are all used to it.
“We are always going through all kinds of crises. So we’ve got lot of experience to live the day, every day, by itself — to work on a daily basis,” he says.
Al-Qusi says even though tomorrow he plans to open all six of his showrooms and head offices, after tomorrow, he is less certain. Listen to the full conversation with Al-Qusi by clicking play on the audio player above.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
