Samir Ragab, a newspaper editor known to be close to the government, suggested in a recent article that Washington hand out part of next year's aid to Egypt now and in cash. The country receives more than US$2 billion in annual US economic and military aid.
On Monday, the US Embassy in Cairo announced the immediate disbursement of 400 million Egyptian pounds (US$95 million) of that annual aid to the Egyptian government "to help alleviate the economic distress caused by the repercussions of the Sept. 11 attacks," a statement from the US Embassy said.
Egypt is the second largest recipient of US aid after Israel.
Egypt is not alone in the region in experiencing the painful economic consequences of the attacks.
In Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer and exporter, the number of pilgrims who usually crowd Muslim shrines in Mecca and Medina this time of year are down by 50 percent and hopes for the first balanced budget in 20 years have been crushed.
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