Jobs in Egypt

The availability of jobs in Egypt is most certainly not an issue especially for English speaking professionals and particularly in fields as diverse as the tourism industry, real estate and construction, teaching, aid work, IT, engineering, financial services and even the media. 

Basically Egypt is a progressive country, one that is rapidly developing, advancing and welcoming new industries and organizations and a country that also welcomes professional expatriates from around the world.  This is a guide to finding work in Egypt as well as the types of jobs in Egypt available for expatriates.

In Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria there are frequently vacancies available for teaching staff at all levels - from kindergarten assistants right through to university lecturers.  There are many international schools and colleges in these three locations and if a teacher is qualified in the UK, US or Canada to teach a specific subject or an age group then they will find vacancies to suit their qualifications and experience. 

There are a number of other international schools that teach through the medium of French for example, as well as schools that follow the national curricula of nations other than the US and UK.  Those who wish to secure a job with such an establishment should apply directly giving details of their qualifications and experience that make them suitable for a specific teaching post.

Those who have qualifications teaching English as a foreign language will find a whole host of available jobs in Egypt in language schools, with companies or even working as private tutors for adults and children alike.  The rates of pay are not especially generous when freelancing, but those who secure a job in Egypt teaching at a specific professional institution often get paid in US dollars and find themselves earning a decent salary.

Cairo is the main centre for expatriate professionals living and working in Egypt but resorts such as Dahab, Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada often recruit seasonal staff to teach people to dive, to assist with entertainment and activities at resort hotels or to assist with the influx of foreign visitors that the Egyptian resorts enjoy annually.  Such temporary and seasonal jobs are usually found by traveling to the destination and networking, although those hotels or companies seeking qualified personnel to teach people to dive for example or to work in a given profession will often advertise vacancies in trade press or online.

Once an expatriate relocates to live in Egypt they will quickly learn that the majority of job vacancies are filled as a result of networking.  It’s wise to have name cards or business cards printed with your basic contact details and to have one side printed in English and one in Arabic ­ such cards are traded freely everywhere you go and you never know when you might be meeting someone useful, influential or who just happens to know of a vacancy that might suit you.  The main cities and resorts where expatiates live all have social clubs where expats get together, but if you make an effort to learn at least a little Arabic you’ll soon be invited to all sorts of events by your Egyptian colleagues and friends which will mean you expand not only your social and cultural horizons but that you have the potential to meet even more prospective employers for example.

A large number of expatriates relocate to work in Egypt for one of the non-governmental organisations such as the UN High Commission for Refugees, the Ford Foundation or with various development and aid agencies.  Such jobs can be found online or by applying directly to a given organization.  Those wishing to secure opportunities in the media have a range of options, there are a number of journalistic posts usually available as well as freelance work for writers, photographers etc., and just recently a growing number of web based companies and web design teams have established themselves in Egypt and these often require content contributors as well as graphic and technical staff.

Depending on the company or organization expatriates find jobs in Egypt with, they may or may not be required to obtain their own work permit.  A lot of companies assist with the application but because the requirements of the individual vary greatly depending on the country they originally herald from, it can sometimes be simpler for an individual to contact their nearest Egyptian embassy and find out about the application process.  Those who wish to travel to Egypt to find a job can do so on a temporary tourism visa ­ again, depending on the country they originate from the terms and conditions of the visa can differ and the best place to start is with the Egyptian embassy.