Livelihood Reports Al Amrikeya Area - Final Assessment | Page 150

Figure 54: Diagram showing the percentage of shops that buy their ingredients from outside the AAA
The MSME stakeholders of the AAA are ana-
lysed according to their influence and interest
in relation to the current commercial activity.
a) Egyptian Shop Keepers/Owners
Egyptian shopkeepers and owners account
for around 60 to 70% of businesses. Their
interest in the AAA increased after 2012
when it showed signs of booming with the
arrival of Syrian entrepreneurs. In the area
adjacent to the University, they focus on
students’ educational supplies and services
such as printing, plotting and photocopying
services, dentistry and pharmacy supplies
and offering food, meeting and entertain-
ment space in cafes, restaurants and gaming
parlors. The general drawback is their low
regard for environment and hygiene.
b) Syrian Shop Keepers/Owners
Since 2012, AAA witnessed a growing in-
flux of Syrian family businesses that have
become the main point of attraction for
its customers. Cooperation and solidari-
ty bonds Syrian business owners based on
their common origin, culture and plight as
immigrants. They possess - or have access
to - large personal funds that they have used
to bid for good locations (shops and offices)
and have pushed up real estate prices and
shop rents (from EGP1000 in 2012 up to EGP
8,000 in 2016), as it will be described in de-
tail in the following section. It was cited that
they started an unwelcome practice of of-
fering key-money for shop rental that could
go up to EGP 1 million, and that they pay
large amounts of money to ward off distur-
bances and threats (from all sources: thugs,
local police or local authorities).
The majority of Syrians opened food busi-
ness and cafes, mostly compliant with
health and safety regulations, offering Syri-
an specialties that Egyptians are fond of and
introducing dishes that are new to Egyptian
clients yet have grown to be liked and de-
manded. They target all client segments:
families, singles, university students, house-
wives and mothers, competing on the basis
of their reputation for quality, cleanliness
and hygiene. Apart from the food sector,
they tend to concentrate on apparel and
garment accessories, perfumes and scents,
and mobile accessories. The most renowned
2.4 | Socio-Economic Analysis
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