Egypt

Analysis: BBC did not know Zubeida is married, not ‘behind the sun’

Egypt Today, by Mirit Agaiby

CAIRO – 27 February 2018: Becoming a famous woman in the past few days, Zubeida, the woman claimed by the BBC to have disappeared, was actually married and with a newborn. The woman appeared in an interview with famous anchor Amr Adib on his program, “Kol Youm” (Every day) on ON E Monday night.

Sitting with her husband on a cream-colored couch, with their newborn cradled on his father’s lap, Zubeida looked out of place. Docile, fatigued even; yet her demeanor betrayed very little emotions. One difference was intelligible though, she looked a little different than her infamous photo which was broadcasted by the BBC. Dark circles framed her eyes and her face seemed darker in tone. She even dressed differently; no lipstick this time. She wore a long blue veil and what seemed like a long blue abaya as well.

But Zubeida also explained that she had her son, Hamza, 15 days ago. Which can explain the fatigue visible on her face. As for the change in appearance, that can be attributed to her marriage and her religious and political views. Both Zubeida and her husband, Saeed Abdel Azim, appeared extremely indifferent to Adib. Indifferent to his prompting, prying questions.

Their nonchalance and silence prompted Adib to ask further questions. “Were you ever tortured?” Both replied negatively and non-hesitantly. Yet, when Zubeida smiled after Adib directed one of his questions to her husband, Adib remarked: “You’re smiling… you wouldn’t be smiling with us if you had been tortured, right? People who were subjected to torture undergo difficult psychological phases after.”

“I wasn’t tortured,” Zubeida replied quietly.

No stress ticks were visible on either one of Adib’s guests. They were both relaxed, both quiet. They weren’t sweating, shaking, or exhibiting any other signs of distress.

Her husband openly admitted that he was in the Freedom and Justice Party, which was operated by the Muslim Brotherhood. Similarly, Zubeida verified a fact her mother had told to the BBC; they were indeed arrested in a protest in 2014, when they went down to Abdel Moneim Riad street. They were sympathizing with the Muslim Brotherhood, not simply passing by as her mother had claimed; they had gone specifically to participate in the protests.

They were imprisoned for four months, but Zubeida denied any torture claims. When Adib asked her whether her mother had been tortured during her prison sentence, she replied: “I honestly don’t know. I wasn’t with her.”

Even though not explicitly acknowledged, Zubeida made it very clear that she has had no contact with her mother since March 2016. She wasn’t aware that her face and an alleged story of her life were broadcasted worldwide, but she was aware that her mother appeared on one of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated channels a year ago, claiming that her daughter was lost.

“So the whole world is looking for you simply because you have a dispute with your mother?” Adib asked incredulously. Zubeida smiled and nodded.

Her husband in particular seemed even less interested in the whole conversation. Trying to wiggle himself out of some questions asking about his political views and whether or not he is a Brotherhood sympathizer, he was nevertheless at ease. He did not break eye contact with Adib, and his posture made it seem as though he felt secure; at home.

So what had the BBC done? What is true and what isn’t?

Had Orla Guerin failed to verify her sources? Did she take the mother’s testament for granted and failed to fact-check it? Did Guerin notice that Zubeida’s eyes were green, not “striking hazel-colored”? It’s a difficult detail to miss; you always look at the eyes first.

Read on here. 

via www.egypttoday.com

Mo Salah, the phenomenon

Never before has an Egyptian left his mark on the British or western public as Mohamed Salah.

For years on end, Egypt has had its diaspora invade the western world, leave a dominant impact on those listening and watching, stirring the course of the field its members are partaking in. However, an impact as that of Mo Salah is novel and everlasting.

Think of the many Egyptians in the modern days who have left their mark world wide.

Omar Sharif, the dark, young, and handsome debonair who came on the Hollywood scene to capture the love and adoration in film if not in real life of women such as Barbara Streisand and Julie Christie, is renowned and recognized until today, 55 years after Lawrence of Arabia.

Omar Sharif told the world Egyptian men are gallant, classy, and proud. They speak many languages, respect women, and, by God, are worth the adoration of many.

From a different perspective altogether, late Professor Ahmed Zuwail was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry. From Zuwail the world realized that Egyptians can be extraordinary scientists and can excel in research and progress.

Sir Magdi Yacoub is another member of the Egyptian diaspora who was able to upturn the field he worked in. Through his dedication and endeavours, heart transplants and heart surgeries have changed. In fact, it was Sir Magdi Yacoub who established the heart transplant field in the UK.

The above three remarkable Egyptians are some examples of the many Egyptians who found themselves elsewhere in the world, proved themselves worthy of the esteem honour bestowed upon them, but steered themselves back to serve Egypt.

That was then and this is now. No steering is necessary; you can be abroad and in the heart of Egypt simultaneously. You can affect change, gain wildfire admiration, and remain Egyptian. And this is the phenomenon: Mo Salah. 



Salah is the Egyptian football player who played abroad in various clubs, but is currently playing for Liverpool of the United Kingdom. Despite his milestones abroad, Salah remains an Egyptian to the core. He is known for his allegiance to Egypt, his ongoing giving to his village, and his playing on Egypt’s national team.

In fact, we all watched Salah as he scored the last minute penalty which qualified Egypt to go to World Cup, Russia, 2018.

However, hardly ever has an Egyptian managed to sway the West towards understanding and appreciating Egyptians, if not Muslims, too, as Mohamed Salah has done. This is the most exceptional of all Salah’s feats.

In recent years, western media have refused to endorse anything Egyptian. It continues to tarnish everything we hold dear, but when it comes to Mo Salah, it can’t but appreciate the man and be candidly explicit about his achievements.

Salah is spoken of as “the Egyptian Forward,” “the Egyptian Pharaoh,” and “the Egyptian Ace.” British media talk about Salah sealing his place in history, his sterling performances, and being a catch at 36.9 million.

British media also admire his personal traits, describing Salah as a man of few words but is personable and good company. They rave about how he gave the Liverpool fan his shirt, or how he stops to take selfies with admirers.  

His good deeds are noted and appreciated, “The Egyptian has taken the Premier League by storm following his return to England this season, and his class seems to extend off the pitch too,” and “Mo Salah hasn't forgotten where he came from despite his rise to the top as the Liverpool star… pays for the gym and pitches in his village... and he even helps couples get married.”

Their reporters go to Nagrig, Salah’s hometown, not to speak negatively about the simple life these people live, but to talk about how friendly and happy they are. This is quite a revelation, something only someone like Salah can cause.

Now football fans don’t usually construe the general view of countries, but their attitude is notable nonetheless. The songs that rave about Salah are many. One in particular is worth repeating:

If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me. If he scores another few, then I’ll be Muslim, too.
If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me, then sitting in a mosque is where I wanna be.

The image projected here is phenomenal. Salah is helping to break down racial and religious barriers. For once a Muslim is looked upon with appreciation. For once, an Egyptian is considered worthy of praise. No one, not even British media, can deny his good character and of course his talent as a football player.

Egyptians need to savour this unprecedented change in western media and hope it will be trendsetting in other diaspora members. The more Mohamed Salah’s we have, the better our image will be around the world.

Egyptian naval forces deployed at Mediterranean's Zohr gas field to combat potential threats

Ahram Online

File Photo: Largest gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, Zohr (Photo: Reuters)

Egypt's Armed Forces said in a statement on Tuesday that its navy is implementing security measures at the country’s Zohr gas field in the Mediterranean's to combat any potential threats.

The Armed Forces said that in concurrence with Operation Sinai 2018, naval forces are conducting a series of missions to secure vital and strategic sites in the country’s territorial waters to protect its national and economic interests and investments.

The statement said that the navy is securing great distances off the coast using modern naval technology with advanced combat capabilities, including submarines, frigates and missile boats, as well as special naval units with high mobility and manoeuvrability.

Operation Sinai 2018, which was launched on 9 February, is a “comprehensive” anti-terrorism campaign primarily focused in northern and central Sinai, and also includes operations in the Delta, the Nile Valley and the Western Desert.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt's Potential Gas Surplus Could Feed Global LNG Glut

Bloomberg, by Salam ElWardany

The most populous Arab country has facilities to turn gas into super-chilled LNG, which can be exported by ship. Photographer: Dana Smillie/Bloomberg

Egypt faces a possible over-abundance of natural gas after two Israeli companies proposed a $15 billion supply deal, raising the prospect that the Arab nation may turn its surplus into liquefied natural gas and export it to a market currently glutted with LNG.

Egypt was already expecting to become self-sufficient in natural gas by the end of this year with the start of Eni SpA’s giant Zohr field, Oil Minister Tarek El-Molla said last month. Noble Energy Inc. and Delek Drilling-LP said Monday they plan to supply around 64 billion cubic meters of gas over 10 years to Egypt’s Dolphinus Holdings Ltd. from Israel’s Tamar and Leviathan reservoirs, in a $15 billion export arrangement.

Tarek el-Molla Photographer: Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images

The most populous Arab country has facilities to turn gas into super-chilled LNG, which can be exported by ship. The global LNG oversupply is unlikely to end before the mid-2020s, the International Energy Agency forecast in October. 

“It is possible that gas imported under this agreement will be directed towards domestic consumption or to the LNG plants to be liquefied and re-exported,” El-Molla said on Egyptian CBC television. “We have LNG plants, we have capacity that is not being exploited, so why not have a third party bring good?” 

The Israeli deal is scheduled to start gas supplies to Egypt in 2020. By 2023, Delek has said it expects Zohr output will just meet Egypt’s demand and only for a limited time. Egypt’s gas demand in 2016 was 46.1 million tons of oil equivalent, while its production was 37.64 million tons, according to BP Plc.

Report: Will Egypt’s future leaders be PLP alumni?

Egypt Today, by: Nawal Sayed

CAIRO – 19 February 2018: Since the declaration of the republic following the Egyptian Revolution in 1952 and the abolishment of the monarchy, Egypt has been led by nine leaders; six presidents, two interim presidents and one acting president.

No Egyptian leader thought about his successor, but incumbent President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi does. In September, 2015, Sisi revealed launch of the Presidential Leadership Program (PLP) which seeks to educate and enlighten junior cadres who can be the country’s future leaders.

Comparing Sisi to France’s Chales du Gaulle may be not fair. Gaulle is the founder of the fifth republic of France and was the head of state for ten years (1959-1969).

Sisi has been leading the country in difficult circumstances, following the removal of the Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi. Since June, 2013, Egypt has been rebuilding with hands of its patriots, despite the acts of terror that it has suffered.

Sisi is Egypt’s savior who rescued Egypt from autocracy of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group. American researcher Andrew MacGregor described Sisi as “Egypt’s second modern state’s founder.”

Sisi is running for the upcoming March’s presidential election and is expected to win a second four-year term in office due to impressive successes that he has achieved throughout his first presidential term.

By success of Sisi’s projects for youth, he will be able to prepare and present Egypt’s future leaders and may be presidents as well.

The PLP’s successes

wo batches of students have successfully graduated from the PLP and the third batch is still attending the program.





In October, 2016, Sisi attended a session on an integrated simulation model of the Egyptian state, where members of the PLP simulated some of the government's ministries and offered ways to address various issues and crises. The relevant ministers attended the session and evaluated the performance of the PLP youth.

Sisi contributes to prepare Egypt’s future leaders

“The PLP aims to inject new blood into the state's apparatuses and not to establish a platform with political nature or objectives,” stressed President Sisi during the first National Youth Conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh.

In February, 2017, Sisi met with the participants in the PLP’s second batch, reviewing achievements made over the past three years in terms of consolidating the state and launching national projects to enhance economic progress.




Charles du Gaulle’s model

After the Second World War, Charles du Gaulle founded in 1945 the National School of Administration (ENA) to train civil servants who would rebuild France.

France’s current President Emmanuel Macron is an ENA graduate

The ENA stands as one of the main pathways to high positions in the public and private sectors; most notably in politics and business. It is one of the most prestigious French and international institutions in the field of preparing officials and qualifying them to assume senior management positions.

ENA graduates are often recruited as aides and assistants by state ministers and statesmen. Four French presidents are graduates of the ENA: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Jacques Chirac, François Hollande and current President Emmanuel Macron.

Current ministers who graduated from the ENA:

● Édouard Philippe: France’s Prime Minister since May 15, 2017.

● Florence Parly: France’s Minister of the Armed Forces since June 21, 2017.

● Bruno Le Maire: France’s Minister of the Economy since May 17, 2017.

Egyptian-French partnership

President Sisi received on Sunday director of the (ENA) Patrick Gerard, to discuss cooperation between the school and the Youth Academy to hone the skills of officials and enable them to advance their posts.

Sisi stressed Egypt's aspiration to benefit from the experience of the French National School by establishing a full partnership with the Egyptian Academy of Youth to prepare cadres trained at the highest scientific level, so that the Egyptian Academy will become the main source for selecting leaders in the country according to the criteria of efficiency and equal opportunities.

Egypt’s former interim President Adly Mansour also is an ENA alumni

“Egypt is looking forward to benefiting from a French experiment in training cadres through a partnership between the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) and Egypt's Youth Academy,” said Sisi.

Excerpt. Read on here. 

Egypt Is Back In The Tourism Business

The Media line, by Daniela P. Cohen. Excerpt from Egypt is back in the tourism business

Despite lean years, indicators suggest that Egypt’s tourism industry is rebounding

Egypt is implementing a grand plan to revive its floundering tourism industry. With the allocation of a multi-million-dollar budget, Cairo is adding attractions such as a Disneyland-inspired venue in the Matrouh Governorate and placing electric cars at the pyramids to revolutionize how tourists are transported.

The amusement park is being funded through a joint U.S.-Saudi Arabian $3.3 billion investment agreement signed between the Entertainment World Company and Matrouh Governor, Ala Abu Zeid. The park, which will also a feature a city devoted to education, accompanied by hotels and malls, will be built over the course of a decade with its first phase slated for completion in two years.

A 45-minute plane ride away from Matrouh lie the famous pyramids of Giza, a UNESCO World heritage site that has experienced a decline in tourism since Egypt’s violent revolution in 2011. Recent innovative efforts to connect the pyramids to the newly built Grand Egyptian Museum are intended to boost the number of visitors.

Egypt appears willing to go to any length to revive one of its most important industries. Last month, the Council for Tourism Promotion arranged for the world’s tallest man and shortest woman, Sultan Kosen (8’2’’) and Jyote Amge (25 inches), respectively, to visit the pyramids in a widely publicized promotional initiative.

Egypt is also one of the three countries set to be connected to Neom, Saudi Arabia’s planned megacity along the Red Sea geared towards diversifying Riyadh’s economy. The intended business hub is scheduled to be completed by 2025 and stands to be a major draw, particularly among Middle East residents.

Egypt’s economy was hit hard following the 2011 uprising that deposed longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak and has since been unable to recover due to ongoing security challenges and political upheaval, including the subsequent overthrow two years later of President Mohamed Morsi by current leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. And now, many international figures consider the upcoming Egyptian elections—set for March 26-28—a farce given Al-Sisi’s crackdown featuring arrests and intimidation of his potential opponents.

Egypt’s tourism industry took a further nosedive in October 2015, when a Russian commercial aircraft was shot down by the Islamic State’s affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 passengers and crew on board. In response, Russia and European countries such as the United Kingdom suspended air travel to certain Egyptian resorts. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent reinstitution of flights from Moscow to Cairo promises to bring at least some relief to the Egyptian economy.

In fact, there are already signs of a rebound according to Amr Abdel Ghaffar, Regional Director for the Middle East at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), who told The Media Line that “tourism grew strongly in Egypt in 2017, reaching 55 percent and leading growth in the Middle East. Until October, almost 7 million international tourists visited Egypt in 2017, generating $5.5 billion in revenues, thus catching up on the losses experienced in 2016.”

Ghaffar noted that “promotional efforts and a return of stability and confidence contributed to this recovery, fueled in particular by the come-back of Russian tourists after the declines suffered in previous years.” Therefore, he concluded, “UNWTO is confident that the sector is prepared to continue its path to recovery and consolidation.”

via www.themedialine.org

President Trump’s footprints

Ahram Online, by Azza Radwan Sedky

Ignore President Trump’s actions altogether, and focus on his words, tweets and rhetoric

Turn a blind eye to the nuclear threat that he embarked on; brush aside his bombing of the Syrian airport, an intentional act to terrorise anyone who goes against him; and disregard his irrational resolution to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Now, focus on his words.

President Trump’s rhetoric is erratic, bizarre, and with severe ramifications. He flabbergasts the world with ear-splitting, politically incorrect, distasteful arrogance, leaving everyone baffled at the gross indiscretion and unable to fathom the lack in decorum.

In fact, any article on the issue becomes outdated instantly since soon afterwards, President Trump unleashes further warped outbursts especially on his Twitter feed. Hence, I don’t intend to refer to specifics, first to maintain my sanity, and second to avoid becoming outdated.

By being the US leader, President Trump is vigilantly listened to by Americans as well as the world at large, and yet he may have succeeded in lowering ethical standards across the globe.

The notion of diplomacy, the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and tactful way, doesn’t mean much to the US president. His voracious appetite for slandering and insulting those who don’t see eye to eye with him had him chastise many, from presidential candidates to presidents, from White House staff to chief strategists and advisors, and from actors and actresses to journalists and broadcasters.

Furthermore, he has badmouthed refugees, Mexicans, Muslims, Haitians, asylum seekers, and the physically challenged. More importantly, he doesn’t seem to care if he offends; rather, he says, “The US is so politically correct, we are afraid to do anything.”

We need to examine the repercussions of this blunt but provocative, and often unethical, discourse that President Trump releases upon us. How will Trump’s era be remembered and what footprints will he leave on how we communicate with one another?

Some would tell you that Trump’s rhetoric didn’t emerge out of the blue; that he speaks like an average American. Jennifer Sciafani, a linguist at Georgetown University, says President Trump is a “unique” politician because he doesn’t speak like one, but he speaks like everybody else. I doubt “everybody else” speaks that way, but she continues: “We’re used to hearing somebody speak who sounds much more educated, much smarter, much more refined than your everyday American.”   

President Trump’s discourse misleads the American citizen into believing that the US is above the rest of the world, that white pride is supreme, and that bullying pays.

Misogynistic, racial, and offensive slurs are supposedly challenged; but are they if uttered by a president? Are they bygones or, even more damaging, exploited as the norm and repeated by the press and ordinary Americans? I visualise average Americans, from now onwards, communicating with others disdainfully having been given a carte blanche to speak as they so please.

At first, the president’s rhetoric may have shocked some Americans, but not anymore. Republican Mark Sanford tells TheWashington Post: “I’ve talked to a number of people … They say, ‘Well, look, if the president can say whatever, why I can’t say whatever?’ He’s given them license.”

This attitude has encouraged US officials to speak in a similar fashion. Clearly Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, takes a lead from President Trump.

At AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an emboldened Haley says: “I wear heels. It’s not for a fashion statement. It's because if I see something wrong, we're going to kick them every single time.” Ahead of the vote on Jerusalem, she threatened that the US is taking down names. Also, in a letter to dozens of UN states, she warned the countries that publicly dared to criticise the US. In an ordinary setting, this would be considered blackmail.

In The American Interest, James Willick says that civilisation rests on a certain set of social norms, more powerful than laws in shaping behaviour. “If everyone made all of their private opinions public, many of our institutions would work less well.” I agree. It is a given that people don’t like to be offended or ridiculed.

The consequences are confirmed by Pew Research Centre studies. In an examination of public opinion in 37 foreign nations, only “a median of just 22 percent has confidence in the American president’s handling of international affairs, down from 64 percent at the end of Barack Obama’s tenure.” We cannot deny that not only his decisions but also his rhetoric created this rift.

Obviously, the US’s global standing is at stake here. If nations and leaders perceive President Trump with doubt, and if they find his rhetoric alarming, will they go other ways and shirk the US altogether?

In 1960 at the UN, when Nikita Khrushchev’s lost his temper and pounded his shoe on the table, the world stood still. Today, when childish bullying spews between presidents, no one blinks.

The brawl between President Trump and Korean President Kim Jong Un sunk to unthinkable levels as bizarre insults ensued; not only did it demolish political correctness but almost headed the world to nuclear war. Will this become the way presidents speak to one another?

Besides, some may find Trump entertaining even if outrageous. Will leaders aim to be similarly outrageous if amusing?

When the White House asked the Guggenheim Museum to borrow a Van Gogh painting, it refused but offered to send a golden toilet, which according to Jen Kirby of Vox, “screams Trump.” And as cartoons, jokes, and satire continue on Saturday Night Live and other media venues, will the notion of respect towards presidents disappear?

President Trump flaunts words such as stupid, loser, moron, zero, weak, crooked and “**shole”; these are the less repugnant words — the examples we can repost here. While Katherine Martin, a lexicographer at the Oxford English Dictionary, worries that, “It’s not merely that we’re adopting his words, we’re adopting his manner of communication …”

And yet Trump admires his own lexis. “I know words,” he said. “I have the best words, but there is no better word than stupid. Right?”

The world has endured over a year of President Trump; we will have to endure a few more years. Will we return to normalcy then? I doubt it.

The writer is an academic, political analyst, and author of Cairo Rewind: The First Two Years of Egypt's Revolution, 2011-2013.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Meet the Egyptian Entrepreneurs Behind The New Online Service Eliminating Queues

Cairoscene, by Ahmed Ikram

With thorough backing from both the World Bank and the Ministry of Industry, these Egyptian entrepreneurs are eliminating the need to wait in line.

If there’s something that Egypt almost never runs out of, it’s queues; queues at the bank, queues at any of your standard governmental functions, university admission queues and so on. It’s safe to say that Egyptians spend about a quarter of their lives just waiting in line to get things done, valuable time that could have been spent productively elsewhere. One man had wasted enough time in queues his entire life, and thought to use his skillset along with those of his friends to abolish the pointless waiting game once and for all, and after leaps, bounds, rises and falls, Dor-e came into existence.

The idea came to me when I was waiting in line at my bank, and after hours passed by, I managed to get to the front and realized I had missing paperwork

Dor-e, a one-of-a-kind Egyptian queuing service, is the first startup to sign a long-term contract with the Egyptian government as a client, an extremely rare sight to say the least, but the reason for which is pretty easy to see; Dor-e gives the Egyptian citizen the invaluable (and frankly too good to believe) option to keep their place in whatever line they need to be, without physically having to be there. With backing from the government itself, and financing from the World Bank, Dor-e aims to streamline the process of queuing from the ground up in all possible fields; banking, education, healthcare, automotive services and telecommunications. All you’d have to do is download the app, book your place in whatever line you need to be in, track your progress in real time as you go about your life and the app will notify you when your turn is about to come up. Currently, their service is web-based and client specific, with the app coming out of development later this year.

“The idea came to me when I was waiting in line at my bank, and after hours passed by, I managed to get to the front and realised I had missing paperwork, and now I’m back to square zero.” Mostafa Balbaa, CEO and Co-founder of Dor-e, told us in an interview, “I decided to use my skillset along with those of my friends to help end this nuisance for everybody out there, we pooled our resources together and here we are.” Currently, Dor-e operates with the AUC as well as the Al-Sagheer group, their work with the former has dramatically decreased wait times in admission and advising lines, to the point where students are in disbelief of how quick and painless the queuing process is as opposed to what it was. They’ve already signed deals to work with educational facilities and governmental authorities, making waiting in never-ending queues for the myriad governmental functions us Egyptian citizens a thing of the past. And for the 37 percent of citizens without access to modern phones, Dor-e will be available on publicly accessible tablets at relevant establishments, and will notify number holders via SMS, facilitating the process for all classes and demographics.

We’ve been faced with a tonne of roadblocks and obstacles along the way, same as with any endeavour, but we believed in what we were doing

The service is a testament to the massive potential for ingenuity that Egyptian startups are capable of, and they’re an example for perseverance in an environment that isn’t too susceptible to change, “We’ve been faced with a tonne of roadblocks and obstacles along the way, same as with any endeavour, but we believed in what we were doing, and despite months of constant struggle, we managed to sway the government itself, and with any luck, we’ll hopefully branch out internationally.” Hussein El Said, COO and Co-founder of Dor-e, told us with regards to the journey from concept to reality, who gave us a thorough demonstration of the web-based service along with CTO Majid Hassan and CXO Shehab Elnoury. With one of the entrepreneurs being an AUC alumnus and the rest having braved the tribulations of the GUC, 

they plan to be in the upcoming GUC Employment Fair to recruit valuable personnel for Dor-e, a chance not to pass up.

For more information about the game-changing app and the folks behind it, head over to their website as well as their Facebook page, and zip on over here to try their services at the AUC. If you feel like giving people back their lives and helping Dor-e reach newer heights, send them an email on [email protected] for a chance to work with some of the country’s most promising minds.

via www.cairoscene.com

A strong Egypt is a strong Arab world

Gulfnews.com

Omani Foreign Minister Yousuf Bin Alawi wasn’t exaggerating when he referred to Egypt as “the pillar of the Arab nation, and ... the platform that brings the Arab nation together”. Since the evolution of the Arab nation state, Egypt has held a special place in the region. For generations, it has been its cultural capital. Its uniqueness, and centrality, in the Arab family of nations has never been disputed. A stable and strong Egypt is the bedrock of broader Arab stability and strength.

After the disruption and instability wrought by events associated with the so-called Arab Spring, Egypt found its bearings under the leadership of President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi.

The instability that plagued the country reduced significantly and Egypt saw steady improvement in the economic situation. Importantly, the Egyptian armed forces have shown that they are up to the challenge posed by the extremist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula.

At a time when some Arab republics are experiencing unprecedented upheaval, Al Sissi’s government must be credited with bringing a level of stability to the largest Arab republic. As Al Sissi stands for re-election next month, this fact must be kept in mind. An unstable Egypt is in nobody’s interest — except of those who harbour ill-will for the Arab region.

During their meeting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, expressed their pride in the deep bonds between the UAE and Egypt, as well as the close cooperation that serves the interests of the people of both nations. They also discussed means to combat extremism, violence and terrorism, and drying up their sources of funding.

Under Al Sissi, Egypt’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in particular, have reached new heights. Underlying these close ties are the common values and shared understanding of the dangers this region faces, and identifying where the threat comes from. The UAE-Egypt relationship is also based on a remarkable consensus on regional and international issues.

The Gulf region is the most stable and well-administered corner of the Arab world. And the fact that its ties with the most populous country in the Arab world has continued to strengthen is good news for all Arabs.

 

 

via gulfnews.com

IMF expects no additional taxes in Egypt in 2018

Egypt Independent

IMF Director for the Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azour predicts that no additional taxes will be implemented in Egypt in 2018.

He said that the monetary policy that the Central Bank of Egypt is pursuing is sound and is based on keeping inflation levels in check.

Azour pointed out that economic reforms in Egypt have contributed to raising confidence in the economy and attracting foreign capital. He added that some sectors have been able to resume their activities including the country’s tourism and export sectors.

The IMF official stressed that Egypt’s focus is on moving forward with structural reforms, solving investment problems and strengthening partnerships with the private sector.

“We support the monetary policy adopted by the Central Bank of Egypt to control the inflation levels, which led to a decline in inflation rates from 30 percent last year to 22 percent,” he said.

The inflation level is expected to reach between 10 and 12 percent in 2018, he said.

Egypt’s total tax revenues increased by 62 percent during the first half of the current fiscal year 2017-2018, reaching LE249 billion.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

via www.egyptindependent.com