Newsletter: FutureVerse LEAP’s comeback The fifth edition of the gathering offers a temperature check for the Gulf’s AI ambitions amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Xi makes first Egypt visit in decade as Cairo gets caught in US-China AI row China's Huawei last month submitted a bid to build advanced AI data centers and supply more than 2,000 AI chips for Egyptian government systems. Egypt
Analysis How Ethiopia’s new dams test Egypt’s ability to defend its Nile red lines Ethiopia’s water minister has emphasized the country’s plans to move forward with new Blue Nile dam construction, leaving Egypt to contend with the potential fallout. By Eli Siegel-Bernstein
Newsletter: Business & Tech Iran keeps Hormuz reopening on hold Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remained low, with only five commodity vessels transiting the waterway on Tuesday, according to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Trump administration pushes last-minute arms deals to Middle East The move to go forward with a proposed $290 million sale of precision-guided bombs for Saudi Arabia comes just weeks before the Biden administration arrives. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt agree to sell Nile waters? Wall Street has started trading in water futures contracts, just like gold, oil and basic commodities, coinciding with the stalled negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which raises the question of whether Egypt will agree to sell the Nile waters. Egypt
Egyptian cinema industry declares war on streaming services The crisis has intensified between the makers of "Saheb Al Maqam," an Egyptian film first made available on digital platforms, and the Chamber of Cinema Industry, which has blocked it from being screened in movie theaters. Egypt
Sudan joins forces with Egypt to crack down on Muslim Brotherhood Since former President Omar al-Bashir's overthrow, Sudan and Egypt are boosting cooperation to confront extremist ideas and groups. Egypt
Israeli, American submarine activity suggests show of force against Iran Israel reportedly dispatched a submarine to the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in what has been taken as a clear warning to Iran not to escalate tensions at this sensitive time of transition. Egypt
Egypt denies plans to join states opening Western Sahara consulates Cairo has denied Moroccan reports that Egypt plans to inaugurate a consulate in Western Sahara, which has been disputed for decades between Morocco and the Polisario Front backed by Algeria. Egypt
Egypt looks to protect investments at risk by Ethiopian civil war Egypt is seeking to appoint an international law firm to protect investments in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Egypt
Acquittal in assault of Christian woman casts pall over Christmas for Egypt's Coptic community The acquittal by a Minya court of three defendants who in May 2016 stripped an elderly Christian woman naked and dragged her through the streets of her village has provoked outrage among Christians and rights groups. Egypt
Egypt records highest single-day coronavirus count in months The surge in cases led the government to impose a ban on New Year's Eve celebrations across the North African country. Egypt
Egypt backs Sudan against Ethiopia amid Nile dam impasse Egypt reiterated its support for Sudan following an attack by Ethiopian forces on Sudanese military troops near the border, at a time of deadlock between the three countries over the controversial dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile. Egypt
Egypt offers fertile environment for fintech industry As Egyptians do more online, the government is seeking to harness the fintech industry for solutions to the challenges in the Egyptian economy. Egypt
Video of fox hunt disturbs Egyptian animal lovers When an Egyptian TV show sent its host out on a fox hunt, the graphic footage spurred viewers to action. Egypt
