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EMBASSY/CONSULATE ADDRESSES

Diplomatic Representation in the US:
Ambassador: Sameh Shoukry
Embassy: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: 202-895-5400
FAX: 202-244-4319/5131

The Washington consulate has the same address:
Telephone 202-966-6342.

The Egyptian mission to the United Nations is located at:
Address 304 East 44th Street, New York, NY 10017
Telephone 212-503 0300

US Diplomatic Representation:
Ambassador: Margaret Scobey
Embassy: 8 Kamal ElDin Salah St., Garden City, Cairo
Telephone: [20] [2] 797-3300
Fax: [20] [2] 797-3200

Consulates General are in:
San Francisco
3001 Pacific Av.,
San Francisco, CA 94115.
(415) 346-9700

Chicago
500 N. Michigan Av., Suite 1900,
Chicago, IL 60611.
(312) 828-9162

New York
1110 2nd Av., Suite 201,
New York, NY 10011.
(212) 759-7120

Houston
3 Post Oak Central, 1990 Post Oak Bl., Suite 2180,
Houston, TX 77056.
(713) 961-4915

Embassy and Consulate Web Sites for Egypt

U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt
Embassy of Egypt, Washington DC


FOREIGN RELATIONS

Geography, population, history, military strength, and diplomatic expertise give Egypt extensive political influence in the Middle East and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a whole. Cairo has been a crossroads of Arab commerce and culture for millennia, and its intellectual and Islamic institutions are at the center of the region's social and cultural development.

The Arab League headquarters is in Cairo, and the Secretary General of the League is traditionally an Egyptian. Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa is the present Secretary General of the Arab League. President Mubarak has often chaired the African Union (formerly the Organization of African Unity). Former Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister Boutros Boutros-Ghali served as Secretary General of the United Nations from 1991 to 1996.

Egypt is a key partner in the search for peace in the Middle East and resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sadat's groundbreaking trip to Israel in 1977, the 1978 Camp David Accords, and the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty represented a fundamental shift in the politics of the region--from a strategy of confrontation to one of peace as a strategic choice. Egypt was subsequently ostracized by other Arab states and ejected from the Arab League from 1979 to 1989. Egypt played an important role in the negotiations leading to the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991, which, under U.S. and Russian sponsorship, brought together all parties in the region to discuss Middle East peace. This support has continued to the present, with President Mubarak often intervening personally to promote peace negotiations. In 1996, he hosted the Sharm El-Sheikh "Summit of the Peacemakers" attended by President Bill Clinton and other world leaders. In 2000, he hosted two summits at Sharm El-Sheikh and one at Taba in an effort to resume the Camp David negotiations suspended in July of 2000, and in June 2003, Mubarak hosted President George W. Bush for another summit on the Middle East peace process. Throughout mid-2004, Egypt worked closely with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to facilitate stability following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which occurred in August and September of 2005. Prior to this Egypt and Israel reached an agreement that allowed Egypt to deploy additional forces along the Philadelphi Corridor in an attempt to control the border and prevent the smuggling of weapons.

Egypt played a key role during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis. President Mubarak helped assemble the international coalition and deployed 35,000 Egyptian troops against Iraq to liberate Kuwait. The Egyptian contingent was the third-largest in the coalition forces, after the U.S. and U.K. In the aftermath of the Gulf war, Egypt signed the Damascus declaration with Syria and the Gulf states to strengthen Gulf security. Egypt continues to contribute regularly to UN peacekeeping missions, most recently in East Timor, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. In August 2004, Egypt was actively engaged in seeking a solution to the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, including the dispatch of military monitors. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Egypt, which has itself been the target of terrorist attacks, has been a key supporter of U.S. efforts against terrorists and terrorist organizations such as Osama bin Ladin and al-Qaeda, and actively supported the Iraqi Governing Council, as well as the subsequent government of Prime Minister Allawi. In July 2005, terrorists attacked the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh. In the same month, Egypt's envoy to Iraq was assassinated.

U.S.-EGYPTIAN RELATIONS
The United States and Egypt enjoy a strong and friendly relationship based on shared mutual interest in Middle East peace and stability, revitalizing the Egyptian economy and strengthening trade relations, and promoting regional security. Over the years, Egypt and the United States have worked together assiduously to expand Middle East peace negotiations, hosting talks, negotiations, and the Middle East and North Africa Economic (MENA) Conference. Multinational exercises, U.S. assistance to Egypt's military modernization program, and Egypt's role as a contributor to various UN peacekeeping operations continually reinforce the U.S.-Egyptian military relationship.

An important pillar of the bilateral relationship remains U.S. security and economic assistance to Egypt, which expanded significantly in the wake of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979. U.S. military aid to Egypt totals over $1.3 billion annually. In addition, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided over $28 billion in economic and development assistance to Egypt since 1975. Early assistance focused on infrastructure, health, food supply, and agriculture. The Commodity Import Program, through which USAID provided hundreds of millions of dollars in financing to enable the Egyptian private sector to import U.S. goods, was one of the largest and most popular USAID programs. Current programs focus on trade and investment; utilities; education; healthier, planned families; natural resources; democracy and governance; and other programs supported by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

U.S. military cooperation has helped Egypt modernize its armed forces and strengthen regional security and stability. Under Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs, the U.S. has provided F-4 jet aircraft, F-16 jet fighters, M-60A3 and M1A1 tanks, armored personnel carriers, Apache helicopters, antiaircraft missile batteries, aerial surveillance aircraft, and other equipment. The U.S. and Egypt also participate in combined military exercises, including deployments of U.S. troops to Egypt. Every other year, Egypt hosts Operation Bright Star, a multilateral military exercise with the U.S., and the largest military exercise in the region. Units of the U.S. 6th Fleet are regular visitors to Egyptian ports.

NATIONAL SECURITY
Egypt's armed forces, among the largest in the region, include the army, air defense, air force, and navy. The armed forces inventory includes equipment from the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the former Soviet Union, and China. Equipment from the former Soviet Union is being progressively replaced by more modern American, French, and British equipment, a significant portion of which is built under license in Egypt. To bolster stability and moderation in the region, Egypt has provided military assistance and training to a number of African and Arab states. Egypt remains a strong military and strategic partner of the United States.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Margaret Scobey
Deputy Chief of Mission--Matthew Tueller
Economic/Political Affairs--Donald Blome
Consular Affairs--Roberto Powers
Management Affairs--Dolores Brown
Public Affairs--Haynes Mahoney
USAID--Hilda Arellano
Defense Attaché--Maj. Gen. F.C. Williams
Office of Military Cooperation--Maj. Gen. F.C. Williams
Foreign Commercial Service--Margaret Keshishian
Foreign Agricultural Service--Jonathan Gressel

The U.S. Embassy is located at 8 Kamal ElDin Salah St., Garden City, Cairo, Egypt, tel: [20] [2] 797-3300, fax [20] [2] 797-3200.


TRAVEL ADVISORIES

To obtain the latest Travel Advisory Information for Egypt check the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet.


TRAVEL TIPS

Driving U.S Driving Permit and International Driving Permit required
Currency (EGP) Egpytian Pound
Electrical 220 Volts
Telephones Country Code 20, City Code Alexandria 3+7D, Banha 13+6D, Suez 62+6D



Time: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from May to September).

Electricity: Most areas 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Certain rural parts still use 110-380 volts AC.

Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 20. Outgoing international code: 00.

Climate: Hot, dry summers with mild, dry winters and cold nights. Rainfall is negligible except on the coast. In April, the hot, dusty Khamsin wind blows from the Sahara.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens during summer, with warmer clothes for winter and cooler evenings.

Transportation: Several international airlines serve Cairo. There is domestic air service between Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Luxor, Hurghada, the Sinai, and the New Valley. Rail service is available from Cairo to Aswan in the south and to Alexandria in the north. Taxis are often shared with other customers. Settle on a price before entering a taxi.

Food & Drink: Egyptian cuisine is excellent, combining many of the best traditions of Middle Eastern cooking, and there are both large hotel restaurants and smaller specialist ones throughout the main towns. Some of the larger hotels in Cairo and its environs have excellent kitchens serving the best cosmopolitan dishes. In the centre of Cairo, American-style snack bars are also spreading. Local specialities include foul (bean dishes), stuffed vine leaves, roast pigeon, grilled aubergines, kebabs and humus (chickpeas). Restaurants have waiter service, with table service for bars.
Although Egypt is a Muslim country, alcohol is available in cafe-style bars and good restaurants. The legal drinking age is 21.

Shopping: The most interesting shopping area for tourists in Cairo is the old bazaar, Khan-el-Khalili, specialising in reproductions of antiquities. Jewellery, spices, copper utensils and Coptic cloth are some of the special items. There are also modern shopping centres available, particularly near Tehrir Square. Shopping hours: Winter: Tues, Wed, Fri-Sat 0900-1900, Mon and Thurs 0900-2000. During Ramadan, hours vary, with shops often closing on Sunday. Summer: Tues, Wed, Fri-Sun 0900-1230 and 1600-2000.

Photography: Tourists will have to pay a fee to take photographs inside pyramids, tombs and museums.

Tipping: 10 to 12 per cent is added to hotel and restaurant bills but an extra tip of 5 per cent is normal. Taxi drivers generally expect 10 per cent.

Currency: Egyptian Pound (E£) = 100 piastres. Notes are in denominations of E£100, 50, 20, 10, 5,1, 0.5 and 0.25. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5 piastres.

Currency exchange: Available at banks and official bureaux de change. There are five national banks and 78 branches of foreign banks.

Credit & debit cards: MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.


CUSTOMS/DUTIES

Currency................Should be declared on arrival

Tobacco.................200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco

Liquor....................1 litre of alcoholic beverage

Perfume.................Reasonable amount of perfume and 1 litre of eau de cologne

Cameras................No restrictions

Film.......................Reasonable for personal use

Agriculture items...Refer to consulate

Gifts.......................Up to a value of E£500

Prohibited items....Drugs, firearms and cotton; for a full list contact the egyptian state tourist office.

Note: All cash, travellers cheques, credit cards and gold over E£500 must be declared on arrival.



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