Introduction

El Misri, or the Egyptian, was a label that was used during the national struggle against the British occupation, and a name applied to the national leader, Ahmed Urabi, who called for reforms to hold the khedive (viceroy under Turkish rule) and his government accountable (Maghraoui 2006: 51). Misri Effendi (or Mr Egyptian) became a cartoon character during the 1920s, invented as a symbol of the average or ordinary Egyptian. The character, developed to refer mainly to petty bureaucrats, was later replaced by ibn al-balad, or the true son of Egypt (El Messiri 1978: 48). Misri Effendi remained a symbol of the emerging middle class during the first few decades of the twentieth century. This representation was seen in a film entitled Misri Effendi (directed by Hussein Sedki, 1949) featuring the story of Mr Egyptian (El-Misri), a middle-class salaried employee. He is not content with his life and wants to be wealthy in order to be able to afford luxury items for his children. He joins forces with his friend, Ismail, in order to establish a housing company to fulfil his dreams – a reflection on the class of new, salaried employees that rose in considerable numbers during the 1950s and 1960s (Halpren 1963: 50).

This chapter provides a discussion regarding the rise of the Egyptian middle class, drawing on a range of studies by Egyptian sociologists who define this class and the problems it has faced since Nasser's era. Before doing so, a note is due about the definition of the Egyptian middle class vis-à-vis the classic Marxist characterisation.