More in the news today April 30, 2025
Report warns of unsafe working conditions for Egypt’s women farmworkers
A new report by the New Woman Foundation highlights the precarious and unsafe conditions endured by women agricultural workers in Egypt, framing their experiences as a stark manifestation of both social and environmental injustice. Titled “Lives on the Margins: Inadequate Working Conditions for Women in Agriculture”, the report was released two days ahead of International Workers’ Day and the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. It calls for the urgent inclusion of women farmworkers in the government’s forthcoming national strategy for occupational safety and health.
The report outlines several systemic failures including lack of legal protections, minimal access to safety equipment, and no mandatory safe transportation provided by employers. Researcher Omaima Emad noted that women make up 42% of Egypt’s agricultural workforce—a sector that itself represents 20% of all workers—yet they remain excluded from basic labor protections due to informal employment structures and seasonal work arrangements.
Between January 1 and April 23 of this year alone, 25 road accidents involving farmworkers were recorded, resulting in 44 deaths and over 300 injuries, including many children. In one recent crash in Minya governorate, eight people died when two trucks collided; most of the victims were child laborers working in agriculture.
Exposure to pesticides without protective gear is another critical concern, with reported links to breast cancer, miscarriages, and premature births. The report stresses the importance of regulatory enforcement, improved working conditions, and expanded union freedoms to ensure that women farmworkers are protected, heard, and empowered to shape labor policies that affect their lives.
Egypt to start oil production from new Gulf of Suez well in June
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum plans to begin producing crude oil from a new well in the Gulf of Suez next month, according to a source familiar with the ministry’s exploration program.
Initial output from the well is expected to reach around 1,000 barrels per day and will be directly added to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation’s (EGPC) supply for local refineries, the source told Al Manassa, requesting anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly.
The well lies within the East Morgan concession in the Gulf of Suez, part of a broader block operated by Dragon Oil, a company wholly owned by the Government of Dubai. Drilling and development operations are currently underway to accelerate the start of production.
In July 2024, Dragon Oil launched a development project for the Morgan and Bedri oil fields in the same region, deploying artificial intelligence technologies to enhance output.
The source said development activities in the Gulf of Suez and Egypt’s Western Desert aim to offset annual natural declines in reservoir productivity, which range between 25 percent and 30 percent.
Last October, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi reported a 20 to 25 percent drop in Egypt’s gas production over the previous two years. He also announced ongoing assessments of new concessions in the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea, with plans to offer them to investors via public tenders or through Egypt’s exploration portal.
EGPC is currently negotiating with multiple foreign partners to ramp up drilling in awarded blocks during 2024 to 2025 in hopes of discovering new oil reserves.
A statement from the Ministry of Planning last October noted a 4.7 percent decline in the petroleum extraction sector in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, citing falling crude and gas output due to reduced foreign investment and delays in well development.
Accountant sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting kindergarten student
A Damanhour criminal court on Tuesday sentenced a school accountant to life in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting a kindergarten student using force and threats, according to the victim’s family lawyer, Essam Mehanna.
The verdict came in the first court session, following protests outside the Itay El-Baroud Primary Court, where demonstrators gathered since early morning demanding maximum punishment for the accused. Some held signs urging the court to believe the child’s testimony.
Security forces tightened measures around the courthouse, deploying plainclothes officers to block unauthorized entry, while journalists from Beheira Governorate were barred from attending the session.
A legal source present at the hearing said the court appeared eager to expedite proceedings, asking the defense team if they were prepared to present arguments after the victim’s lawyer requested amending the charges. Initially, the prosecution had accused the defendant of "sexual assault without force or threat," but the victim’s legal team pushed to upgrade the charge to "sexual assault using force and threat"—a distinction that carries a harsher penalty.
Under Egypt’s penal code, Article 269 prescribes three to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor without force, while Article 268 mandates life imprisonment if the assault involves force or threats, particularly when the perpetrator holds authority over the victim—as was the case here, given the accused’s position at the school.
The defense argued for acquittal, citing the defendant’s old age and heart condition, claiming he was physically incapable of the crime. However, the court allowed the prosecution to proceed with the amended charges.
Gold demand in Egypt drops 16% amid soaring prices and weak purchasing power
Gold demand in Egypt fell by 16 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to a report published Tuesday by the World Gold Council. Egyptians purchased 11.1 metric tons of gold during the quarter, down from 13.2 tons in Q1 2024, Gold Bullion reported.
Three gold traders who spoke to Al Manassa attributed the decline to weakened consumer purchasing power and successive price hikes that have made gold unaffordable for many.
In April, domestic gold prices surged to a historic high, with 21-karat gold—the most commonly traded in Egypt—exceeding 5,000 Egyptian pounds per gram. This spike mirrored global price trends, driven largely by escalating U.S.–China trade tensions and retaliatory tariffs of up to 245 percent on some Chinese goods and 125 percent on American imports.
“Once gold hit 4,000 pounds per gram, many people rushed to sell, thinking it had peaked—especially during Ramadan when liquidity was tight and spending shifted toward basic needs,” said Hani Milad, head of the General Division for Gold and Jewelry at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce.
As of midday Tuesday, gold prices eased slightly. The price of 21-karat gold dropped by 35 pounds, reaching 4,730 pounds per gram, according to iSagha, a local gold trading platform.
Despite the correction, buying activity remains sluggish. “The market is quiet. Many people are holding off, waiting for prices to drop further,” said Nady Naguib, former secretary-general of the Gold Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. He believes the current dip may offer a short-lived buying opportunity before prices rise again.