Egypt’s Al-Azhar retreats from fatwa on beating women

Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb ruled that women cannot leave the house without their husbands’ permission and may be beaten as long as no bones are broken, sparking an uproar in Egypt.

Egypt

Egyptian ministers’ statements on public budget raise controversy

The ministers of education and health have criticized the Egyptian Ministry of Finance for failing to provide the required budget, which prompted the government to ban public statements by some ministers.

Egypt

Israel campaigns against Abbas ahead of Bahrain conference

Even before the Bahrain conference started, Israel is busy explaining why Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is no partner for a peace process.

Bahrain

Central Bank offers mortgages to help Egypt's middle class

The Central Bank of Egypt has an ambitious plan to provide Egypt's middle class with funding to buy properties.

Egypt

Egypt's parliament considering banking system draft law

Egypt’s new Central Bank of Egypt draft law could raise the minimum capital requirement for banks tenfold.

Egypt

Despite US pressure, expect regional players to phone in Manama meeting

Several regional states will show up for the US-led conference in Bahrain, but none of them really believes it will promote Middle East peace.

Saudi Arabia

Egyptian-Turkish trade: A love-hate relationship

Egypt's free trade agreement with Turkey ends in 2020, but it is unclear whether it will be renewed in light of the political antipathy between the two countries' leaders.

Egypt

Who will benefit from Qatar’s asylum law?

Although Qatari-Egyptian ties have been strained since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, Qatar’s asylum law was followed with a ministerial decision that would not only protect Egyptian fugitives, but also ease their financial burden.

Qatar

Female entrepreneurs fight crisis by reviving heritage

Female entrepreneurs from Iraq, Palestine and Egypt show that hardship does not always impede creativity, particularly when you build on your country's artistic heritage.

Palestine

Egypt’s electricity deal with Cyprus, Greece brightens energy outlook

Egypt has signed an agreement with Cyprus and Greece to build undersea electrical cables allowing it to export electricity to Europe.

Egypt

As Iran stirs worries, Sisi sets vision for Arab security

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offers a plan to achieve Arab security and counter threats to the Arab region, to avoid war with Iran.

Saudi Arabia

Egypt's hand appears in play behind scenes in Sudan

The head of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, raising questions about Cairo’s role in Sudanese affairs.

Saudi Arabia