Actually Egypt is a total disaster, starting with having too many people. Egypt used to export surplus grain, now imports grain because it cannot grow enough for the population. The Aswan Dam has restricted the flushing of the Nile Delta so they are having salt water intrusion into the water table in that area. Because of the dam, less sediment comes with the controlled releases causing two separate problems. First the lake behind the dam is filling up; second, the nutrients in the sediment are not getting to the fields,so Egypt has to import petro based fertiliser. Egypt survives on aid from Saudi Arabia and the US (the latter the buy off for the Camp David deal); without these donors Egypt would be totally insolvent, unable to buy either the fertiliser or the necessary foodstuffs.
And for a painful look at how Cairo functions (doesn't) check out "Garbage Dreams" a documentary on recycling.