Teaching English
Teaching in Egypt largely means working in Cairo or Alexandria, where there are many private language schools, generally catering to adults. There's quite a big market for people wanting to learn both conversational and business English. Try contacting...
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Journalism
Cairo has been the launch pad for several journalistic careers, for it is easy to place work with the local English-language media. Egypt Today takes travel articles and photos, while the Egyptian Gazette may need subeditors from time to time. International press agencies may also accept material and possibly employ stringers.

Acting and modelling
Westerners are often required as extras in Egyptian films, TV shows or advertisements. You aren't expected to be a professional model, nor are you paid like one: this is simply a day-to-day job for any face that fits, for about £E40-50 a day. You can make contact with agents at the New Sun Café in Cairo. Women should keep their wits about them - and preferably a male escort.

Diving instructors
Divers with Divemaster or Instructor certificates can often find work with diving centres in Hurghada or Sinai, which may also take on less qualified staff and let them learn on the job, at reduced rates of pay or in return for free tuition. Dive centres commonly turn a blind eye to the lack of a work permit, or might procure one for a valued worker. As with language schools, you should be wary about surrendering your passport, and ask other foreigners working in the same job about the potential drawbacks.

Bellydancing
Foreign bellydancers are much in demand in nightclubs in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Hurghada. The work can be well paid, but you have to be careful: financial or sexual exploitation are real hazards. Aside from work, many foreign dancers come to Egypt to improve their art, or buy costumes. Finding a teacher is surprisingly difficult, as there are no schools as such; instruction takes place in people's homes and the addresses are hard to obtain. If you're interested, start making enquiries at the specialist shops in Cairo's Khan el-Khalili bazaar, where you can buy costumes, music tapes and videos of top performers.

Tourism
Though most jobs in the tourism field are restricted to Egyptian nationals, and locally based companies usually insist on a work permit, you can sometimes fix up a season's work with a foreign tour operator abroad as a rep or tour guide.

In Sinai, Hurghada and Luxor there may be a demand for people with foreign languages to sell dive courses or work on hotel reception desks. The most useful languages to have are German, French, Italian, Japanese or Russian (the last only in Hurghada). Ask around dive centres or upmarket hotels if you're interested

Studying
The American University in Cairo (113 Sharia Qasr al-Aini, near Midan Tahrir; tel 02/355-2965, www2.aucegypt.ed) offers year-abroad and non-degree programmes, a summer school and intensive Arabic courses. A full year's tuition...
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