Cairo - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
HUGE - it seems to be a fairly happy expat group but this is our first post so I can't compare it. - Mar 2023
There are hundreds of Americans here and also tons of other Missions. Morale is generally high. - Aug 2022
This is one of the largest cities in the world. There are PLENTY of expats. We've made friends with diplomats from other embassies. We have friends who are Egyptologists doing research here or working for museums. A lot of journalists from the big papers. Expats all seem to really enjoy it here. - Aug 2022
The expat community is massive here which can make it difficult to plug in. Morale is much higher among non-USG personnel so it is worth seeking out friends outside the mission. Many UN regional offices are based here, lots of international school teachers, international college professors, international business people, NGO workers, and Arabic students, in addition to other diplomatic missions. Because it is a popular family post, most people seem to make friends through school and kid activities. - Mar 2022
There is a huge expat community and everyone I met loved Egypt and took advantage of everything you can do in the country. - Dec 2021
Large, good morale. Covid-19 has definitely changed things, but overall morale is good. - Feb 2021
Cairo has a large expat community, morale is generally high and there's plenty of people to interact with if you turn over enough stones to find them. - Nov 2020
There's a large and vibrant expat community, and morale is fairly decent. I've had a good time interacting with these folks and definitely haven't connected with all of them. - Jan 2020
There is a large expat community and I have found it very welcoming and supportive. - Jan 2018
The expat community in Cairo is huge. Cairo is a major international city and there are dozens of embassies, international organizations, etc. that use Cairo as a hub for their regional activities. Morale tends to be mixed, though most people seem to be happy. Cairo has a way of grinding you down over time. Most people arrive happy and then cannot wait to leave by the end of their tour. - Sep 2017
There's a large expat community that spans the socio-economic spectrum. Morale is mixed and significantly impacted by the changing security situation. - May 2017
Not huge but very active. Generally good morale. Most like living here. - May 2017
Variable. Some people loved the adventure and the chance to know people from all over the world, and others complained about the dirt and the instability and the traffic. - Jan 2016
There are a lot of expats in Zamalek and in Maadi near the school (CAC). Not as many as before as many international companies have left Egypt. - Jan 2016
It's pretty large. The morale seems to be good though people are often happy to go on vacation. - Oct 2014
There are a lot of expats from various countries here. The morale is low due to terrorism and lack of funds for the local government. The electricity is cut multiple times a day for 1-3+ hours each time lately. That is terribly frustrating and annoying. - Aug 2014
Big community, morale varies. This is a tough place in recent years. - Aug 2014
The size of the expat community is shrinking in my sphere because of the USG security stance and reduction plan. Plenty of expats with UN agencies, many women from all over Europe and the US married to Egyptian men. expats are active, mostly in downtown/Zamalek. The morale is simply characterized by uncertainty, since history has shown that we are unable to predict much about Egypt. So you never know what will happen next. - May 2014
Getting smaller, and abysmal. - Apr 2014
Large but diminishing; morale at the Embassy is very poor. - Mar 2014
Pretty large. This can cause it to be a less cohesive community. - Jul 2013
Huge -- by far the largest I have seen. You lose a bit of your sense of comeradery in a post this big because the American community breaks into subclans. - Jul 2013
Shrinking rapidly. - Jun 2013
Huge. From diplomats to oil to education (there are many Americans and Europeans here studying Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies). - Jun 2013
Pretty big, but shrinking. There are many expat clubs such as the ACE club and the British Club. There are also several expat organizations that either run (Hash House Harriers), bike, or scuba dive. Most of expat community is in Maadi. - May 2013
Large for most posts, but isolated and getting smaller every day as people leave. - May 2013
Very large. Don't know numbers. - May 2013
The expat community in Cairo is very very large. Beyond the USG community (which is huge), there are substantial communities from the other embassies, a huge US military/contractor community, and a huge oil community. In addition, there are faculty at CAC and the American University in Cairo, along with other donor groups. - Feb 2013
Not as large as before the revolution, but there are still a fair number of expats here. - Feb 2013
Large, but shrinking because of the political unrest. - Mar 2013
Dwindling. - Mar 2013
Small. - Feb 2013
Getting smaller by the day. - Jan 2013
Huge! - Nov 2012
HUGE! - Sep 2011
Fairly large - Aug 2011
Huge and of all nationalities. - Jul 2011
Very large. American, British, Canadian, German, Polish, Italian, Korean. Their are lots of different types. Each will have their own amenities clubs, shows etc. - Jun 2011
Large expat community. Most expats either work for oil companies, the embassies, or the U.S. military. - Sep 2010
HUGE! - Jun 2010
Huge! - Dec 2009
