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
The real story behind secret Aqaba summit on Mideast peace According to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated a year ago in a secret meeting in Aqaba with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Palestine
Egypt's Sisi turns to soccer to score political goal Though a cynical view holds that Cairo was using the national soccer team as a way to distract the people from their country's challenges, its support for Egypt's team at the Africa Cup of Nations has helped rally Egyptians together. Egypt
An ancient Egyptian mystery draws tourists to King Ramses II statue Tourists flock each year to Egypt's Aswan governorate to witness a rare solar alignment phenomenon at the Abu Simbel temple, where the sun's rays strike the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II. Egypt
Why are sections disappearing from Egypt's textbooks? Lawyers used textbooks in a case against the Egyptian government; now the books have changed. Saudi Arabia
Cairo continues to mediate Libya conflict despite failures Assuming a mediator role between conflicting Libyan parties, Egypt has recently met with both sides over finding a political solution but has yet to make substantial progress. Egypt
Mutual interests break ice between Egypt, Saudi Arabia Although tension has been high between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the past few months, signs of cooperation are emerging over the development of Sinai and other common interests. Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s first-ever female governor marches to a different drummer In a move that broke with a long-standing tradition of appointing retired military or police officers as governors, Nadia Abdu was named governor of Egypt's Beheira governorate. Egypt
Online platforms help sick Egyptians find drugs A medicine shortage produced by a currency valuation has Egyptians turning to the internet to locate donors and other sources for their medications. Egypt
Why was only one Palestinian publishing house at Cairo book fair? The Cairo International Book Fair, the most prominent in the Arab world, saw the attendance of only one Palestinian publishing house, among dozens of other Arab and international publishers. Palestine
Sisi’s call to annul verbal divorce sparks controversy Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for new legislation to limit verbal divorce, raising the ire of Egyptians who believe the president should prioritize economic issues. Egypt
Egyptian court contradicts church over Jerusalem pilgrimage ban An Egyptian court issued a ruling whereby Christian employees are allowed a one-month paid vacation to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem, which some see as normalizing relations with Israel. Palestine
Pint-sized tour guides take lead in Egyptian museums Egypt's new Young Guide program educates and trains children to guide tours at several archaeological locations, leaving them with an enhanced sense of respect, appreciation and responsibility for their nation's treasures. Egypt
