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
Female entrepreneurs seek solutions to Egypt's traffic woes Female entrepreneurs in Egypt have launched carpooling apps to help ease the daily burden of traffic. Egypt
Is a bromance brewing between Sudan, the Saudis? Egypt gets the cold shoulder while Saudi Arabia helps get some US sanctions lifted from Sudan, and Khartoum remains committed to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Questions surround Egypt's plan to scrap subsidies for cash transfers Egyptian officials hope direct cash payments to the poor will be more efficient than current subsidies, but an economist wonders whether the nation has the necessary database for such a project to work. Egypt
Trump’s Middle East fans get caught up in global blowback Political leaders from Israel to Saudi Arabia are quickly finding out that siding with Trump comes at a price. Saudi Arabia
Sinai families demand probe following killings A new conflict between north Sinai residents and the Interior Ministry erupted when the latter announced the death of 10 people allegedly affiliated with Wilayat Sinai, which the residents dispute. Egypt
Who will dictate religious discourse in Egypt? Tensions are building as the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments and Al-Azhar Mosque are competing over who gets to determine the topics imams discuss in mosques. Egypt
Can Hamas' Haniyeh accept Egyptian demands? During their trip to Cairo, Hamas officials heard a long list of Egyptian security demands in exchange for mending ties, and now incoming leader Ismail Haniyeh must sell the deal or be left to rule the Gaza Strip without Egypt's help. Palestine
Sinai women turn to embroidery to preserve Bedouin culture Despite the worsening security situation, an Egyptian woman from the Sinai Peninsula launched a project to modernize traditional female attire and promote Sinai's rich Bedouin heritage for tourism. Egypt
How will Trump’s anti-Muslim Brotherhood inner circle view Qatar? While Qatar’s support for groups such as Hamas has caused tense ties with the United States in the past, Donald Trump’s presidency could create even more challenges for Qatar. Saudi Arabia
Egypt's contraceptive crisis worsened by illegal stockpiling As contraceptive pills disappear from pharmacies in Egypt, allegations arise of illegal stockpiling by pharmaceutical companies in anticipation of a government-mandated price increase on the medication. Egypt
Are security passes solution to ending terrorism in Sinai? An Egyptian official suggested the issuance of security passes to northern Sinai residents, who have been complaining about Egyptian security forces' measures. Egypt
Sisi’s church donation stirs religious controversy When Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi donated 100,000 Egyptian pounds to build a mosque and a church in the new administrative capital, he stirred a wave of criticism and a religious controversy over Muslims donating to church building. Egypt
