The Egyptian gazette published on Thursday a decree signed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who approved the amendment of some articles in the law on the entry and exit of foreigners and the naturalization law.
Last July, Egypt's parliament passed a bill to grant citizenship to foreigners who deposit at least EGP7 million (around $400,000) in the country for five years.
If the Interior Ministry accepts an applicant's naturalization request, the deposit will then be transferred to the Treasury to boost the country’s economy.
Some deputies were against the amendment, saying the move would allow foreigners to “buy” citizenship.
However, Speaker Ali Abdel Aal had previously explained that the Egyptian nationality is not bought or sold. “All countries in the world provide long-term residence, as long as they do not disrupt the general peace.”
Currently, foreigners must live in Egypt at least five years before they can apply for citizenship.
Separately, rumors about a decision in Egypt to limit the daily use of water per person to around 3 liters drove controversy on Thursday.
The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation denied the rumors, saying it “has not issued any statement regarding the matter.”
The Ministry has announced a strategy to secure the country’s needs for water until 2050 when the population of Egypt is expected to increase to 170 million from the current 104 million.
Also on Thursday, Egypt denied increasing the price of subsidized bread.
The Ministry of Supplies said that the around 80 million Egyptians who have ration cards could still buy the loaf of bread at the fixed price of EGP5 pounds.
Egypt consumes annually 14.6 million tons of wheat including 9.6 million for producing subsidized bread.
