Located in the isolated Farafra Oasis, just a few hours from the busy streets of Cairo, lies the magical landscape of Egypt’s White Desert. It is one of the most unique sites one could set eyes on, with its fascinating calcium rock formations that resemble great abstract and alien statues. It represents an open museum of geology, paleontology and natural history, formed by centuries of erosion and sandstorms. As you sit at a camp at night, seeing the stars of the White Desert will be an experience never forgotten. …
Nubian Activists Receive Conditional Fines Up to LE50,000
The State Security Emergency Court in Aswan on Sunday handed 25 Nubians conditional fines of up to EGP 50,000 over charges for organizing illegal protests in 2017, and acquitted seven Nubians, Al Masry Al Youm reports. The conditional fines ” would only be enforced if the defendants commit future crimes.” The case, which involves 32 defendants, dates back to September 2017 when Nubians held peaceful demonstrations in Aswan demanding their right to return to ancestral lands. Dubbed “The Day of Nubian Assembly,” the march was organized to demand the return of Nubians to their ancestral lands, as mandated by Article 236 of the Egyptian Constitution, which states, “The state shall work on developing and implementing projects to return the residents of Nubia to their native areas and develop them within 10 years.” Aswan’s prosecution ordered the arrest of the protesters for four days pending investigations on charges of inciting violence, illegally protesting and disrupting public security. Nubians in southern Egypt were displaced a number of times in the 20th century. The first wave was with the building of the Aswan Low Dam by the British in 1902, and again with the…
‘Vote Yes’: Banners and Posters Flood Egypt’s Streets Before Parliament Vote
Big banners and posters supporting the constitutional amendments have been put up across Egypt before the parliament takes its official vote on April 14 and the national referendum that is yet to be announced. The amendments include extending the presidential term from four to six years in Article 140 of the constitution, which could allow President Sisi to stay in power until 2034, and a quota specifying at least 25 percent female representation in parliament as well as an “appropriate representation” of the youth, farmers, workers and Copts. The amendments also give the president new authorities over appointing members of the judiciary and increase the army’s role in “safeguarding the constitution and the ideals of democracy, and maintaining a civil state.” There is suspicion regarding the funding of these posters, yet it is most likely by members of the House of Representatives in the parliament who support the amendments and pro-state political parties, such as the Nation’s Future Party (NFP). Around 485 members of the parliament who support the amendments have already held hundreds of seminars in various governorates in Egypt, in which they explained the need to participate and…
Egypt’s Economic Growth Rate Soars to 5.5%, the Highest Rate in a Decade
Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Hala El-Saeed, announced on Saturday that the economic reform programme helped the country accomplish the growth rate of 5.5 percent, the highest rate in the past 10 years. During the 44th annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) that took place in Morocco over the weekend, the minister highlighted the developments achieved by the reform programme to Adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Ishrat Hussain. The monthly inflation rate to dropped to 11.1 percent in December 2018, the lowest rate since 2016. In addition, the average inflation rate in the first half of 2018/2019 is noted to be 14.2 percent in comparison to 30.2 percent, the rate of the previous period 2017/18. The minister shed light on the legislative and institutional reforms implemented by the government, which aim to regain the trust of investors as well as become an attractive candidate once again through “reducing the restrictions on the exchange rate, boosting foreign currency reserves and bringing down both the deficit of state budget and public debt.” The government also reform program included social protection for Egypt’s most underprivileged segment of society…
Discovery Channel to Open Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus LIVE on TV
In what seems to be an unusual and exciting occasion, the Discovery Channel will broadcast a 2-hour live show in which it will open an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus on Monday, April 8. The show titled “Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live” will follow U.S TV presenter Josh Gates and former Minister of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass as they trek through a Late Period site in Minya in search for adventure and knowledge regarding the identity of area’s tomb owners. The iconic presenters will be accompanied by the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, Mostafa Waziri and American TV commentator Chris Jacobs. The episode, which promises to be one of its kind as it involves the opening of a 3,000 year old sarcophagus for the first time live on TV, will also be aired on the Travel and Science channels. The site in which the sarcophagus lays was discovered February 2018 at the hands of an Egyptian archeological mission. This Expedition Unknown episode, taking place in a site that mass audiences are generally not well-aware of, was orchestrated through a close collaboration between the Discovery Channel and Egypt’s antiquities ministry. “We…
Mohammed Ramadan Stirs Controversy, Sued for Appearing Shirtless On Stage
Egyptian lawyers Samir Sabry and Ayman Mahfouz sent a legal notice to the head of Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate Hany Shaker in response to Mohamed Ramadan’s first live concert in which he was seen with minimal clothing and ‘inappropriate’ dancing. “We have waited for the reaction of the Musicians Syndicate, but it did not raise a finger, which led us to submit a legal notice in accordance with the law,” Mahfouz said. The lawyer added that Ramadan’s ‘erotic’ dance moves while wearing little clothing represent criminal and disciplinary crimes, and that it is not clear whether he had obtained a permit from the union to sing or perform in such a manner in the concert. Mahfouz noted that Ramadan’s acts are punishable by disciplinary or criminal courts in accordance with the Egyptian Penal Code, which stipulates that anyone who has publicly committed a blatant act of indecency shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year with a fine not exceeding LE300. Sabry said that Ramadan’s behavior also negatively influences his young audience who are supposed to be the ‘nation’s future’, and that this is not the first…
Arab States’ Water Resources Set to Fall by 50% by 2050: UN
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) told a meeting of Arab states in Cairo on Thursday that Arab states are facing a water supply emergency they need to coordinate an urgent response to, with per capita resources expected to fall by 50 percent by 2050. “The Middle East and North Africa have suffered more than any other region from water scarcity and desertification, problems being complicated by climate change” FAO director-general Jose Graziano da Silva said. Modernizing irrigation techniques and coordinating water management strategies are necessary in combating the crisis, the director-general added. Egypt was also criticized for its failure in tackling the water crisis effectively. “It’s unbelievable that this region does not have good governance on water management and land management,” Graziano da Silva told Reuters. “In Egypt, they have 32 ministers. Most probably of those 32 ministers, 30 ministers deal with water — water is a problem for them. And they don’t have ways to coordinate very efficiently.” Graziano da Silva added that he visited agricultural areas in Egypt’s Nile Delta where farmers were still employing techniques used for centuries to irrigate their land. “This is a waste…
Police Officer Sentenced to Death for Killing Coptic Father and Son
According to Egyptian local media outlet Daily News Egypt, a police officer was given the death sentence for killing a Coptic father and son near a Minya church. The verdict, given by the Minya Criminal Court on Tuesday, followed the defendant’s admission to committing the crime. Rabea Mustafa Khalifa, the perpetrator, was a church guard who shot live ammunition against Emad Kamal Sadeq aged 49 and David, his son, aged 21, killing them both following a dispute. The victims, described as construction workers in some outlets, were removing the ruins of a demolished house near the al-Nahda Evangelical church prior to the argument with the police officer, according to the Diocese of Minya and Abu Qurqas. The crime occurred mid-December 2018, with hundreds of Copts attending the mass funeral service of the victims, lead by Bishop of Minya, Anba Macarius, despite the reigning anger regarding the lack of protection allocated to Copts in Egypt. “We demand that the armed police individuals guarding the churches undergo a reviewal process; this is also to assess their qualification to carry live weapons, so that they do not become a source of danger, not…
Memaar Al Morshedy Group Dicusses Innovation in the Real Estate Market Arab Conference at Harvard
Skyline is Egypt’s latest mixed-use development consisting of residential, commercial, and administrative buildings. Constructed on 200,000 meters of land by Egyptian real estate giant Memaar Al Morshedy Group, this development is currently the holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest residential building in the world. Skyline has 13,500 apartments that are separated into districts, and each district has its own privacy. The establishment also has the largest rooftop pool located close to Sky Garden along with an art district, kids’ area, and IMAX cinemas. In an interview with Egyptian Streets, Hassan Al Morshedy, CEO of Memaar Al Morshedy Group, reveals, “the aim of all our projects is to create a living space that our clients can be proud of and that they can be living happily in with their families. A space that they can showcase to their friends while giving them a happy, healthy life environment.” Located in the affluent Katameya district, the structure is very central to all the major districts of Greater Cairo such as Maadi and New Cairo. Skyline brings innovation to the real estate market through the sheer scale, allowing the designers to…