Egypt's generals use power grab to increase their economic clout
Military chiefs place allies in key economic posts and expand their authority over highly lucrative deals, such as the Suez Canal project
In the shadows of a harsh political crackdown, the military that overthrew Egypt's first democratically elected president last summer is positioning itself to become the country's uncontested economic power.
Egyptians have focused in recent months on the likely ascent of military commander Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi to the presidency in the nation's first post-coup election this spring.
But already, the generals have used their July power grab to slip their allies into key economic posts and expand their authority over government development deals, including a lucrative Suez Canal project.
The industries owned by the military have always been a powerful force in the country's economy, though their profits and scope have never been disclosed to the public.
In the years before the 2011 revolution, the military and its businesses sometimes competed for economic policymaking power with the family of ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak and a handful of oligarchs.
Now, experts say, the Egyptian economy is increasingly shaped by the opaque desires of the ruling generals. And the military's business activities appear to be expanding - from the manufacture of basic items such as bottled water and furniture into mega-infrastructure, energy and technology projects, analysts say.