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Egyptians abandon gold gifts as prices soar

Egyptians getting married have to cast gold gifts aside because of rising prices, but this appears to be a blessing for imitation gold traders.
Visitors look at displayed ancient jewelry during its official reopening a day after the Pharaohs' Golden Parade ceremony, National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo, Egypt, April 4, 2021.

CAIRO — Taxi driver Khaled Hussein had a hard time convincing the woman he intended to marry to drop the gold gift, a decades-old custom for engagement in Egypt.

"She refused at first, but after learning the price of gold she realized that it would be very hard for me to buy her any gold gifts for the engagement," Hussein told Al-Monitor.

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