Egypt's elections and its faltering economy

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is widely expected to win Egypt's presidential election. The former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Commander-in-Chief of Egypt's armed forces, has stored away his army uniform and is seeking election as a civilian.

He has a faltering economy to contend with.

For instance, Egypt's important tourism industry accounts for over 11% of GDP and one in eight jobs. Last year, there were five million fewer visitors to Egypt than in 2010, falling from 14.7 million to 9.5 million.

Over the same period, revenues from tourism have more than halved from $12.5bn (£7.4bn) to $5.8bn. The Tourism Minister described 2013 as the worst in modern history.

That is not the only challenge facing Egypt's new president.

The public finances are in dire straits. In the last financial year, the budget deficit was 14% of gross domestic product (GDP) and public debt exceeded 100% of GDP.

The support of its Gulf allies means it has managed to stave off default.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait have backed the interim government to the tune of $16bn. These loans have come with no conditions requiring structural reform.