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
Young designer aims to promote Egyptians' African roots A young Egyptian fashion designer strives to launch the Afropunk Festival in Egypt to promote African identity and fashion. Egypt
'Water war' escalates between Egypt, Sudan Amid ongoing disputes over Nile water supply, tensions between Cairo and Khartoum escalated after the latter hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and handed Ankara control of a Red Sea island. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt tightens leash on TV dramas A new committee in Egypt designed to monitor TV series to make sure they abide by customs and traditions has been met with mixed reactions. Egypt
Child poverty increases in Egypt as critical support languishes As independent organizations work to alleviate poverty and ensure access to education for Egypt’s children, the government’s NGO law is backfiring, hindering such attempts. Egypt
Trump’s peace deal: A Gaza-centered Palestine The Trump administration is elaborating on a Mideast peace plan of trilateral or even quadruple land swaps, involving Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt and, possibly, Jordan. Saudi Arabia
Israel seeks to revive long abandoned railway to Gulf Israel is currently discussing a project to reopen the old Hejaz railway to connect it with Saudi Arabia, though many Egyptians are concerned about its impact on trade through the Suez Canal. Egypt
Cinema bloggers of the Middle East boast free, unbiased voice Middle Eastern cinema bloggers gain popularity on social media, critiquing films on numerous Arabic-language blogs. Saudi Arabia
Egypt eyes extensive role in Syria reconstruction efforts Egyptian companies are seeking to participate in the reconstruction of Syria and communicating with the concerned Syrian parties to discuss their involvement. Egypt
Culture Alert: Art mingles with diplomacy, feminism and sport The Middle East's cultural scene at the start of 2018 is almost as lively as its political landscape, as art flirts with feminism, diplomacy and sport. Egypt
Is Sisi's security reshuffle actually election strategy? People are scrutinizing moves by the Egyptian government and military for possible connections to the upcoming presidential elections. Egypt
Egypt's top felines take to catwalk As they were in ancient times, Egypt's cats today are still being worshipped — this time in organized beauty contests. Egypt
In rural Egypt, women seek fertility help from the dead Desperate women in Upper Egypt turn to ancient superstitions to boost their fertility with practices that can be both grisly and dangerous. Egypt
