Egyptian graduates turn to risk delivery work

According to Middle East Monitor, a search for “delivery rider killed” across Egyptian news outlets reveals a steady stream of reports documenting the deaths of dozens of app-based delivery workers.

Despite the delivery driving profession being dubbed the “flying coffin” by Egyptians, as reported by MEM, university students and graduates are turning to app-based delivery work as limited graduate-level job opportunities and mounting economic pressures push them towards informal employment. This trend is supported by a 2026 peer-reviewed study, which found that 40.7% of delivery drivers in Mansoura were university students or graduates.

Egypt’s Ministry of Labour has addressed this concern by launching the ‘Your Safety Matters’ campaign in July 2025. The initiative aims to enhance social and professional protections, improve working conditions for delivery workers, and register drivers in Egypt’s irregular labour database. This registration would ensure access to social and health insurance, pensions, and workplace injury protection, with a legal requirement that companies contribute to a central fund.

Yet for many Egyptians, conditions remain unchanged as recent unofficial surveys indicate that only 12 per cent of delivery drivers carry any form of health insurance, 48 per cent have reported being required to sign promissory notes, and 21.5 per cent have experienced unfair dismissal, reports Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ).

Riders usually work about 12 hours a day without formal employment contracts, base fixed salaries, risk allowances, benefits, or compensation for accidents or motorcycle damage, according to workers at Talabat, one of the delivery companies under Germany’s Delivery Hero Group operating in Egypt.

Ali Abdullah, 25, who has a bachelor’s degree in arts, told MEM, “I work in food delivery services,” calling it a “humiliating job and a deadly profession.” He said that “those who work in this field suffer serious health problems because they spend long hours riding and working in difficult weather conditions, whether in winter or summer.”

Workers earn between 30 and 35 Egyptian pounds (approximately $0.70) per delivery, while covering the cost of their own fuel, food, and motorcycle maintenance. Although pay varies by location and demand, riders told MEE that they typically aim to earn about 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($400) per month, which exceeds Egypt’s current minimum wage of 8,000 pounds. The potential for higher earnings has drawn many university students and graduates into the profession, despite the occupational risks.

In another interview, 30-year-old Ahmed Sameh, who holds a bachelor’s degree and works as a delivery rider, stated that he had to pay 800 Egyptian pounds for the delivery box and a company-branded t-shirt.

Reflecting on his experience, Sameh said: “When I was involved in an accident, the company abandoned me, forcing me to cover my own medical expenses and pay for repairs to my motorcycle.” He added that labour supply offices and delivery companies assume no responsibility for delivery riders and provide no financial compensation when workers are injured or killed in traffic accidents.

The lack of legal protections is further echoed by Mustafa Mahmoud, a computer science student, who explained that becoming a rider didn’t involve signing an employment contract. Instead, he was made to sign a promissory note for 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($200), serving as a financial guarantee that the company would receive payment for the orders he delivered. He continued stating that “Workers have no rights,” citing incidents in which riders had died in traffic accidents or had their motorcycles stolen without being compensated.

During a briefing to the Egyptian parliament, MP Maha Abdel Nasser cited field investigations and specialised surveys, which found that 80 per cent of delivery workers lack formal contracts, 97 per cent have no form of social insurance, and just 2 per cent have been compensated for workplace injuries. Abdel Nasser emphasised that delivery riders work without adequate legal protection or insurance, despite the occupational dangers they face.

As Egyptians contend with a declining local currency (currently about 50 Egyptian pounds to the dollar), high inflation, and increased poverty, app-based platforms such as Talabat and Mongz continue to act as a financial lifeline for many university students and graduates struggling to secure graduate-level or formal employment.

Middle East Monitor and agencies, Maghrebi.org