I own four clothing shops and a store for local exports. I sell children’s clothing. I used to have high-profile commercial relationships, but these were all affected after the January Revolution. The importers who used to deal with my business based on the deferred payment system ceased to do so and requested full payment before supplying needed materials. Shipping costs doubled and we lost so much since we could not return the unsold merchandise due to market stagnation and delayed sales.

I own four clothing shops and a store for local exports. I sell children’s clothing. I used to have high-profile commercial relationships, but these were all affected after the January Revolution. The importers who used to deal with my business based on the deferred payment system ceased to do so and requested full payment before supplying needed materials. Shipping costs doubled and we lost so much since we could not return the unsold merchandise due to market stagnation and delayed sales.

When the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, exporting suffered and the financial crisis exacerbated the situation. After the June 30 Revolution, risks doubled and imports completely stopped. Thugs and supporters of the Brotherhood started to give us a hard time. I had to close down three stores, keeping only one open to sell off remaining stock.

The current political situation is a natural result of the ongoing deterioration for three years. We have been through political ups and downs since the January Revolution, which lacked leadership. The country suffered from a great stagnation under which most big merchants went bankrupt.

Politics and trade are inseparable. We needed a revolution to stop this chaos under Morsi so that we would move towards a secure and stable situation that will, God willing, persist.

I supported the breaking up of the pro-Morsi sit-ins by force because these sit-ins closed down streets and squares, disrupted the freedoms of other citizens, and brought the country to a standstill. Thugs, in the absence of security forces, imposed royalties on the merchants who, fearing for their interests, had to comply.

I expect Egypt will start an infrastructure building phase. Thirty years ago, particularly when we aligned ourselves with the Russian camp, we built so many big factories and companies and Egypt’s economy boomed. In contrast, factories were closed and their lands were sold and we started destroying everything for commissions when we turned towards the capitalist camp led by the US. Once competing internationally, the cotton and wool factories ceased to exist.

We demand the new government enact the legislations needed to protect the rights of Egyptians at home and abroad, ensure responsible freedoms and establish real relationships with successful economic entities. We need to launch an industrial and commercial revolution in the future Egypt. I do not think that such a scenario is unlikely: if real security returns, everything will be good once again.