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
Independent Egyptian film reaps awards but not box office profits The box office failure of "Withered Green," one of the most-decorated Egyptian films internationally, came as no surprise to some critics. Egypt
Egypt ups political steps to counter Ethiopia over water crisis Egypt is holding on to political escalation in the coming phase to face the Renaissance Dam crisis after the failure of negotiations with Ethiopia. Egypt
Doha's overtures unlikely to lure Cairo from Gulf bloc Recent statements by Qatari officials reflect a shift in Doha’s stance toward Egypt, but Cairo is unlikely to take any steps toward reconciliation without approval from the Gulf countries blockading Qatar. Qatar
Can Hamas agree to prisoner swap with Israel? Egypt pushes Hamas to send Israel some signs, signaling that it is ready for a prisoner-exchange deal. Palestine
Should Egypt arm Sinai tribes to confront extremists? The November attack on Al-Rawdah Mosque in the Sinai Peninsula has led to mounting calls for the arming of tribes, but not all tribes think that would be a good move. Egypt
How Egyptian public workers will stay warm this winter An initiative to allow Egyptian public sector employees to buy winter clothes and pay in installments amid soaring prices could revive the stagnating garment sector. Egypt
Cairo Opera House embraces change with world artists, new music Cairo's venerable opera house is working to restore its past glory and lost audiences by expanding its program. Egypt
Israel 'will not blink' on Iranian missiles The Israel Defense Forces set new red lines for Iran; Erdogan still waiting for Russian dividend on Kurds; Russia expands use of private military companies in Syria; the Islamic State and al-Qaeda at war in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt
Why Egypt is now getting involved in South Sudan Egypt oversaw the successful signing of a deal to unify the Sudan People's Liberation Movement after it achieved similar foreign policy successes in neighboring countries such as Palestine and Libya. Palestine
Culture Alert: Fashion, books and photography in December The Middle Eastern cultural calendar for the end of the year includes a book fair in Beirut, a modest-dress fashion event in Dubai and a cartoon biennial in Tehran. Egypt
Is Trump's Mideast initiative one-sided? Palestinians worry that US President Donald Trump is pressuring the pragmatic Sunni leadership to accept an American plan that would be closer to the Israeli position than to the Palestinian one. Saudi Arabia
Inside Egypt’s first nuclear school Dozens of students are set to start their training at Egypt’s new technical school for peaceful nuclear technology in El Dabaa, which some see as useless given the high number of technical schools spread across the country. Egypt
