A chaotic laboratory

Egypt's internet SME's are helping to get the local economy back on track after the last couple of shaky years. Photo: Dana Smillie / The National

In the rough economic seas roiling post-Arab Spring countries, a positive financial story can be hard to find. Can a mobile app or new internet technology be the solution? In Egypt, where young people are beginning the process of rebuilding inspired by the limitless power of the internet, the answer appears to be yes. Embracing social media platforms, young Egyptian entrepreneurs are attracting local and foreign investment in myriad social media and technology ventures, anchored by the country’s recent engagement with the internet.

As we reported yesterday, the entrepreneurial scene in Egypt is alive with successful, if fledgling, internet companies. This makes perfect sense. Mobile technology and applications are often meant to do no more than solve many of our daily hassles, from getting a cab to ordering food. Egypt, where political instability has transformed the way society functions, is a perfect laboratory for the next great internet technology because the rocky road to stability has proven to be a good test surface for new platforms.