Sisi builds dog quarters in palaces whilst Egyptians go hungry

A video is circulating on social media of lavish dog quarters being built inside one of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s palaces in the New Alamein area in the north of the country.

Journalist Moataz Matar published the video on Al-Sharq channel and said that it was from inside the presidential palace of Al-Alamein.

The dogs will have their own swimming pools, bathrooms with a personal bath and a private room for their personal vets, it has been reported.

Social media users mocked Al-Sisi’s plan to build homes for dogs at the same time so many Egyptians are suffering from soaring living costs under an austerity plan being rolled out across the country.

A third of Egyptians live below the poverty line; 6.2 per cent of Egyptians live in extreme poverty.

READ: Egypt security officials suspected of torturing Regeni set to face trial

Thousands of people have had their homes demolished and more face the threat of being made homeless after the government said it would crush homes and arrest owners if it was found that they had built their homes without permission.

Some compared the conditions Egypt’s political prisoners are forced to live under, in overcrowded cells with no ventilation and where they are denied medical care, with the luxury these dogs would live under.

Others pointed out that the government has failed to upgrade or maintain infrastructure in the country which meant streets flooded under the recent heavy rain. Many houses collapsed and people were electrocuted as a result.

Last year, Egyptian whistleblower Mohamed Ali lifted the lid on corruption within the ruling regime when he leaked details of lavish presidential palaces being built worth millions.

One of these was in New Alamein – the disclosure ignited fury due to the poor living conditions so many Egyptians have endured under the current government, which eventually erupted into protests.