Desperation for gas drives controversial Egypt gas import plans

Many individual elements of a plan to fix Egypt’s energy problems are now coming into focus – including a politically controversial proposal to import gas from Israel. But important details are still missing, not least the commercial terms for imports and how these will relate to the terms under which domestic producers will sell their gas. It is also far from certain that the administration of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has a coherent plan to address fundamental economic concerns, such as the need to abolish subsidies, which are currently being alleviated by massive injections of Gulf finance.