Egypttoday Magazine Issue May/June

IN FULL BLOOM A Day at the Spring Flowers Exhibition

FEATURES

24

Generations

To mark what would have been his 61st birthday in June, Egypt

Today looks back at the suspense author’s career and his acclaimed legacy of science fiction and horror thrillers.

By Angy Essam

32 Celebrating the Holy Family's Journey

To commemorate the arrival of the Holy Family in Egypt in June, we revisit destinations recognized as official Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites.

By Hanan Fayed

38

38 May Flowers

The 90th edition of Spring Flowers Exhibition opens its doors.

66 Farewell, Egypt’s Butterfly Egypt says goodbye to its first ever prima ballerina Magda Saleh, who passed away in June at the age of 79.

Ahmed Khaled Tawfik: The Mentor of

Cover design by : Heba Mekky

Cover Photography by : Deena Romia

THE GUIDE

TV

10 The Real Winners of Ramadan 2023

While two series stole the hearts of critics and audiences alike last Ramadan, other contenders fell far behind.

By Raya Al-Jadir

Film

14 A Cut Above

Egypt’s Ahmed Hafez takes Cannes Film Festival by storm with Inshallah a Boy.

Art

16 Rooted in Egypt

Omar Abdel Zaher’s latest work constitutes a sincere, impassioned exploration and meditation on the modest and downto-earth sanctities of Egypt’s rural communities.

Culture

20 Bringing History to Life

A new project allows audiences all over the world to access archival programmes aired on Voice of America’s Egypt branch.

By Angy Essam

Books

22 Books Making a Comeback

TikTok and Caffe Nero launch their firstever Book Awards

By Raya Al-Jadir

TRAVEL TODAY

46 Unearthing the Secrets of Saqqara

Egypt announces the discovery of the two largest mummification workshops ever found, two tombs as well as a number of artifacts in Saqqara.

By Angy Essam

50 Springtime in Somabay

Somabay hosts the Soma Spring Festival, with a week of fun and fashion.

ET LIVING

54 Weddings Along the Nile Wedding season is in full swing, and these hotels offer lavish venues with majestic Nile views right in the heart of Cairo.

56 Egypt Fashion Week

2023: Bridging the Past, Present, and Future of Fashion

The newly renovated Egyptian Agricultural Museum welcomes the first edition of Egypt Fashion Week, with global fashion icons and dignitaries in attendance.

58 Holistic Solutions for Individual Design Needs

Giving consumers a chance to become creators when it comes to bathroom design, the versatile GROHE portfolio supports different design visions brought to life by professionals.

62 Around Town

66 Parting Shot

Madinet Masr Initiates its Nationwide Expansion Strategy with “Zahw” in West Assiut

Madinet Masr (stock code MNHD.CA), one of Egypt’s leading urban community developers known previously as Madinet Nasr for Housing and Development, has announced the launch of “Zahw”, its first project in Assiut Governorate. “Zahw” signals the company’s first project outside East Cairo, aligning with its expansion strategy and growth vision for all of Egypt and future regional expansion to introduce new projects and diversify its geographical presence while growing its land bank.

With a total area of 104 acres, “Zahw” is located in the western part of Assiut, encompassing more than 1,250 residential units. The first phase of the project includes 297 units of varying sizes and types on a total built-up area of 63,000 sqm, ranging from standalone villas, twin villas, townhouses, and family villas to Z-villas. The project is uniquely designed to cater to the various needs and demands of customers and is scheduled for delivery within three years.

“Zahw” represents Madinet Masr’s expansion strategy, which aims to launch multiple projects in diverse geographical areas across the local, starting with Assiut, and regional markets as an affirmation of its leadership in the Egyptian real estate market.

Commenting on the launch of “Zahw”, Eng. Abdallah Sallam, President and CEO of Madinet Masr, said, “We are thrilled to introduce “Zahw”, our first mixed-use develop ment outside Cairo and the latest addition to Madinet Masr’s growing portfolio of projects. This project reaffirms our com mitment to our expansion strategy, reflects our growth vision and ambitions for the Egyptian market, and represents our first step to activating Madinet Masr’s expansion strategy in new areas beyond Cairo and developing our land bank. Through “Zahw”, we aspire to provide exceptional real estate offer ings to satisfy the needs of our customers in Upper Egypt by building sustainably integrated communities capitalizing on our legacy and +64 years of expertise in the Egyptian real estate market.”

Strategically located in West Assiut, “Zahw” is a mixed-use development with a prime location in front of Badr Universi ty within close proximity to Assiut International Airport and 15 minutes away from the city center. The project features a commercial area that stretches along the main road spanning nearly 15,000 sqm. The project also features a 20,000 sqm sports club promising its residents an inclusive modern life

“Zahw” is a mixed-use development that marks the start of the company’s growth strategy outside East Cairo to launch real estate projects across Egypt.

In Full Bloom: A Day at the Spring Flower Exhibition

Spring has most definitely sprung, bringing with it the delightful colors of flowers in full bloom. If you're looking for a chance to enjoy the breeze and take in the beauty of the capital's foliage, head to the Orman Garden in Giza where the 90th edition of the Spring Flowers Exhibition is in full swing. Held this year under the slogan “100 Million Trees,” the show is a haven for all the flower lovers out there and features a myriad of local, foreign and even exotic plants; ranging from flowers and houseplants to gorgeous if pricey miniature palm trees. All kinds of tree seedlings, including wooden, ornamental and fruitful, can be picked up at cost at the Agricultural Museum. The Spring Flowers Exhibition is the largest and oldest flower show in the Arab region, and also features agricultural production tools and equipment, as well as food outlets.

This month marks the journey of the Holy Family to Egypt and for her feature story Senior Writer Hanan Fayed follows in their footsteps and revisits the destinations they passed by. Fleeing the persecution of King Herod, the Holy Family found refuge in Egypt for nearly four years, taking shelter in Upper Egypt and Sinai. In 2018 Egypt was announced as an official Roman Catholic Church pilgrimage destination following the endorsement by Pope Francis of Egypt’s addition to the Vatican Pilgrimage Program during a visit by an Egyptian delegation, headed by then-Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed, to the Vatican.

The pilgrimage includes 22 stops that begin in Rafah, North Sinai at the northeastern border and end in Asyut, Upper Egypt, where the Family is thought to have taken a boat journey on the River Nile. Many of these locations have been turned into monasteries and churches.

Speaking of ancient sites and buildings, this month Deputy Editor Angy Essam follows the big news coming out of Saqqara where an Egyptian mission has announced the discovery of the two largest mummification workshops ever found, two tombs as well as a number of artifacts. Read all about the exciting finds in "Unearthing the Secrets of Saqqara."

And to commemorate what would have been his 61st birthday in June, Essam looks back at suspense author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik's career and his acclaimed legacy of science fiction and horror thrillers.

We hope you enjoy the issue.

Find us online at egypttoday.com. For more information email editor@egypttoday.com

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Mohamed Abdel Baky

Managing Editor

Noha Mohammed

Deputy Editor

Angy Essam

Senior Writers

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Hanan Fayed

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Rana Hamdy

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THE GUIDE

Rooted in Egypt

Omar Abdel Zaher’s latest work constitutes a sincere, impassioned exploration and meditation on the modest and down-to-earth sanctities of Egypt’s rural communities.

TELEVISION

The Real Winners of Ramadan 2023

While two series stole the hearts of critics and audiences alike last Ramadan, other contenders fell far behind.

FILMS

A Cut Above

Egypt’s Ahmed Hafez takes Cannes Film Festival by storm with Inshallah a Boy.

The Real Winners of

2023 Ramadan

While two series stole the hearts of critics and audiences alike last Ramadan, other contenders fell far behind.

By Raya Al-Jadir

There are two ways to judge the success of any TV series: the critics’ review and the opinion of ordinary people on the street, and this Ramadan two series have met these criteria—Jaffar ElOmda and Taht El Wessayia.

If we’re being honest and if we have to rank the series, then Jaffar ElOmda would have to be placed at the top— number one—in all its elements; casting, director, in its simple yet gripping plot and the whole atmosphere it had created amongst people from celebrities like Mo Salah who throughout the month of Ramadan was posting clips of the series on his Instagram story, and even called the fabulous Hala Sedki to congratulate her on the role of SafSaf.

Similarly at an event Amr Diab called out ‘Wedad and SafSaf’ Hala Sedki and Jory Bakr and praised their exceptional acting and even sang to ‘SafSaf’; he did not do the same for the other stars who were present at the event. And even

though he did congratulate Yousra, he didn’t mention her character’s name or the series she was in, which indicated that he might not have watched it and was just being polite.

Amr Salama and Hala Sarhan were other celebrities who also praised Jaffar ElOmda and its director Mohamed Sami. As for the ordinary people—the viewers, who matter the most in judging how well a series is doing—then we can safely say that across the world Arab viewers and especially Egyptians took the series into their hearts with many celebrating any happy occasion that occurred in the series with videos and celebratory drinks being distributed amongst people.

Jaffar ElOmda brought different segments of society together: the working, middle and upper class, which rarely happens.

According to Media Hub, the series gained more than 296.7 million viewers over the month of Ramadan while Taht El Wessayia managed just over 61 million viewers.

The latter dealt with social issues impacting single mothers and the legal custody they have over their children, and gained a lot of positive feedback from celebrities like Asala, Sherihan, Mohamed Mamdouh, Riham AbdelGhaffour and many others who all praised the exceptional performance of Mona Zaki.

But it didn’t have the same impact as Jaffar ElOmda across the Arab world. There are many reasons for a series to be less successful than others, sometimes it’s luck or timing, but with Taht El Wessayia it lacked the mix of stars that Jaffar ElOmda boasted: even though Mona Zaki is a phenomenal star in her own right, she needed another star alongside her to make the series stronger. Another reason could be the fact that last Ramadan Nelly Karim starred in a series that raised similar issues of guardianship and women’s rights.

Ahmed Saad has proven once again that he is the most sought-after singer for any big project and Ramadan se ries will not be the same without his voice and choice of songs. This was another successful factor in Jaffar ElOmda series, the presence of Ahmed Saad who has collaborated with Mohamed Sami many times before.

The best of the rest

Souk ElKanto created an atmosphere of nostalgia for a beautiful period but sadly failed to meet the high expecta tions that many had for it; though it had exceptional stars, the weak storyline and dialogue limited its success. The few that stood out were Amir Karara, Maha Nassar and Ahmed Salah Hosny, who were all very convincing and played their parts to perfection.

this series did not meet by any means. In fact it’s puzzling as to why he accepted such a role at all. The opposite can be said for Mai Omar and Dalia Mostafa, who both came out of their shells with totally different characters to what they have become known for.

Ghada Abdel Razek is an actress who has far more potential than what we have witnessed in the past few years, and this year’s series Telt El Talata has to be one of the worst TV dramas that has graced our screen. The plot was a disastrous attempt at creating suspense or some kind of thriller, the acting was very weak and the casting was quite puzzling, in the sense that why would Laila Ahmed Zaher accept such a minor and unmemorable role after the huge success she en joyed on her other projects, such as El Fitewa and Fi Bayetna Robot. This brings us to Mai Salem—when will she opt for a role other than the lover of a married man? Isn’t it about time that she shows her real talent and potential rather than rely on her looks and the director’s typecasting?

You might be surprised to learn that Suhair Ramzy had a series shown during Ramadan, but it was so badly adver tised that very few knew about it and even fewer followed it.

Layal Um ElBanat is a hackneyed tale that has been narrated a hundred times before, with poor casting and even poorer acting. It is sad to see someone of Suhair Ramzy’s caliber and rich history of acting in some of the best Egyptian films of our time reduced to this series.

Yasmeen AbdelAziz, you are loved by so many, but you must branch out. You were a success with Ahmed El Awady but you are repeating yourself, and the same goes for El Awady. AbdelAziz is one of the best actresses of our time and deserves a much better TV series.

And last but not least, El Adl group; please aim for varia tion next year. People are bored of the usual trio that is Nelly Karim, Riham Hagag and Yousra with the same tired plot lines.

A Cut Above

Egypt’s Ahmed Hafez takes Cannes Film Festival by storm with Inshallah a Boy.

Prolific Egyptian editor Ahmed Hafez has been making the rounds in the 76th session of the Cannes Film Festival, where his Jordanian feature film Inshallah a Boy won the Gan Foundation Award and the Rail d’Or Award for feature film during the closing ceremony of Cannes’ Critics Week, which ran alongside the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Inshallah a Boy was the only Arab film competing in the 62nd edition of the parallel section, which showcased 11 features—seven in competition and four as special screenings. It is Hafez’s third film to officially feature in Cannes after Mohamed Diab’s highly-acclaimed movie Clash, which participated in the 69th session of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, in addition to the movie 18 Days, which held its world premiere at the 64th edition.

The film garnered immediate widespread acclaim across its three screenings, receiving a standing ovation at its premiere before a lively Q&A with the crew. The first Jordanian film to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival, Inshallah

a Boy enjoyed a full house screening, with public dignitaries, A-list celebrities, critics, and media figures from foreign media outlets flocking to see it.

Moreover, it garnered immediate widespread acclaim, with Ankit Jhunjhunwala from the International Cinephile Society writing: “Based on this gripping new film, anticipation for subsequent films from this region should be high.”

Meanwhile, David Katz from View of the Arts rated the film five out of five and described it as “a powerful film that brings to light the complex interplay between tradition, gender, and inheritance.”

Amber Wilkinson from Eye for Film also gave the film a perfect rating and praised the director’s efforts, writing that “Amjad Al Rasheed—who collaborated on the script with Rula Nasser and Delphine Agut—shows strong control of the mood in his first film,” and Deed’s Shahram Ashraf Abyaneh described it as “a breathtaking marathon about a woman ensnared in the spider web of a male-dominant society held together by tradition and religion.”

The film follows the recently widowed Nawal, who has to save her daughter and home following her husband’s death in a society where having a son is a game changer. Directed by Al-Rasheed and co-written alongside Delphine Augte and Rula Nasser, the film stars Mouna Hawa, Haitham Omari, Salwa Nakkara, Yumna Marwan, Mohammad AlJizawi, Eslam Al-Awadi, and Celina Rabab’a.

The film went on to receive several international awards, including the Jury Award for Best Short Film at the Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival in the US and the Malmö Arab Film Festival. The film also held its world premiere at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival and is available for streaming on OSN.

Egypt’s Hafez is a film editor who has garnered over 25 local and international awards and was accepted into the American Cinema Editors Society, making him the only Arab in the society. His exceptional editing skills also qualified him to edit episodes three and four of Marvel’s new series Moon Knight, which Egyptian director Mohamed Diab directed. His recent work includes the 2023 Ramadan season 15-episode drama hit Taht El Wesaya starring Mona Zaki.

Hafez also attended the invite-only MENA 360 conference, held in collaboration with Neom Media Industries, Arab Cinema Center (ACC), and Marché du Film’s Cannes Next Program. The event brought together executives and filmmakers from the region to explore the best ways to procure finance, partners, locations, and talent for international filmmakers, producers, and enterprises to deliver a holistic overview of this marketplace of voracious entertainment consumers, nearly half of which are under the age of 24.

Colin Brown from the ACC served as the emcee for the three-session conference, which saw remarkable success, featuring an impressive lineup of key industry players and speakers, including Wayne Borg, NEOM’s Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture; Rula Nasser, CEO of The Imaginarium Films; CEO and Chairperson of Telfaz11 Alaa Fadan; and CEO of MAD Solutions Alaa Karkouti, among others.

Currently, Hafez has several projects in his pipeline including Amr Salama’s film Shamarekh starring Asser Yassin and Amina Khalil; Omar Helal’s Voy! Voy! Voy!; Shahid’s debut musical series Sugar; and the Shahid original The Serial Killer.

Rooted in Egypt

Omar Abdel Zaher’s latest work constitutes a sincere, impassioned exploration and meditation on the modest and down-to-earth sanctities of Egypt’s rural communities.

Artwork courtesy Safarkhan Art Gallery

After his enchanting Safarkhan debut last season, Omar Abdel Zaher returns with another spirited collection of works conceived in his heartfelt brand of expressionism. Abdel Zaher’s latest work constitutes a sincere, impassioned exploration and meditation on the modest and down-to-earth sanctities of

Egypt’s rural communities, specifically the roots of Egyptian civilization, the Upper Egyptian terrain from where he hails, and will be exhibiting this May.

Abdel Zaher is a self-proclaimed ahl-ul-balad, the closest interpretation of which would be man of his own people or humble patriot. He proudly counts himself amongst

those inhabitants of Egypt’s sweltering south, where noble Nubian traditions still hold strong and dear amongst the hundreds of rural villages as well as to the city-dwellers of Luxor and Aswan, the latter of which the artist calls home.

Abdel Zaher again delivers a moving collection of works that study the typical happenings, scenery, characters and aspects of daily rural life, which oftentimes seem worlds away from the Cairene existence that we are beholden to ourselves.

Abdel Zaher’s brand of art is as much a refreshing escapism as it is the most honest reflection of life’s simple pleasures, and the humble joie de vivre of the inhabitants of these settings. A jubilance emanates from their surroundings, steeped in the unceasing promise of nature’s bounty, the mystifying and persevering presence of the ancients, and an eternal air of tranquility and abundance that permeates these far-flung communities.

The artist has made convincing strides in his compositional process, where there is more noticeable movement in figures, whether animal or human, and also a more demonstrable influence in his most recent works drawn from a natural palette that adheres to a thoroughly realistic in-

terpretation of earthy tones and texture. Relying less on bold colors to dominate his canvases, Abdel Zaher has now sought to advance an even more considerate blend of neutrals that provide the perfect backdrop for when such striking tones, like his beloved scarlet, yellow and green are judiciously applied. Often these hues are in the form of garbs that cloak the protagonists of his art, the meek yet regally poised countryside folk either tending to the day’s work or engaged in the prototypical festivities of the rural south.

As always there is a constant conversation in his art between land, man and animal, the inseparable co-inhabitants of these idyllic villages without which the townsfolk could not subsist. Abdel Zaher’s animals are subtly and poignantly presented almost as equals to the people under whose dominion they reside. They are key protagonists and companions, rather than reduced to mere meat for food or muscle for labor, Abdel Zaher conceives of them with a noble quality of their own that cannot be understated.

In his own words, Abdel Zaher’s art offers more than anything that came before him its intimate reflective capacity on rural life inside the home, as opposed to just outside it. Overall, he has again shown his faithful adeptness is one

that is ever progressing in its ability to capture the essence of Egyptian rural life. It is a heritage he has never shorn despite living in Cairo for so long, and one that always seems to him so close yet far-removed from it. Perhaps even more significantly, however, it is his appreciation, veneration and spiritual association with these basic yet essential elements of rural life that we seem to have discarded in the modern world in favor of technology, expediency and false preconceptions of luxury and extravagance. In doing so, we shed our connection to the most simple of life’s pleasures, the trinitarian bounty of land, water and sky, which we are all blessed with before anything else. It is humanity’s great

equalizer, and Abdel Zaher’s art at its core seeks to reignite and then preserve that broken connection both with nature and with roots, the two inextricable from one another, that man is threatening to sever indefinitely.

—Courtesy Safarkhan Art Gallery

Bringing History to Life

By Angy Essam

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo is partnering with the American University in Cairo on a new fruitful project launching an online archive that contains thousands of reel-to-reel Arabic-language audio tapes highlighting the programming of Voice of America’s (VOA) Egypt branch.

The archive includes interviews with prominent Egyptian historical figures, musical programs featuring famed Egyptian and Arab singers, and news items focusing on Egypt.

“Until now, these reel-to-reel tapes were not accessible to the public, as the equipment was not available at AUC and even if it were, playback would serve only one user at a time. This U.S. Embassy grant has unlocked this rich resource to make it accessible online, serving not only Egyp-

tian listeners but a global audience interested in Egyptian arts and culture,” U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Desrocher said at a recent reception with a group of movie, art, music, and cultural figures. Since 2012, the archive of Voice of America was at the American University, but at that time it was not easy to circulate it,” Acting spokesman for the US embassy Khaled Wulfsberg told Egypt Today.

Wulfsberg further explained that the main aim behind this project is to make these valuable recordings accessible online for anyone who wants to listen to them from any country worldwide. “The work began on this project two years ago, specifically after the spread of Covid-19,” he noted. Wulfsberg expects there will be great interest in this archive from audiences, especially those who feel nostalgic. “The archive is accessible for all,” he added.

A new project allows audiences all over the world to access archival programmes aired on Voice of America’s Egypt branch.

Dating from the late 1970s through the early 2010s, the VOA archive includes thousands of interviews with prominent individuals in Egypt and the Arab world such as Nobel Laureate for Literature Naguib Mahfouz, famed film director Salah Abou Seif, and iconic comedian Adel Imam.

Special programs include spoken versions of works such as Abbas El-Akkad’s Sara, and documentary programs about legendary singer Umm Kulthum. Other content includes musical performances by Egyptian and Arab artists.

Public interest in Egypt’s history, society, and culture continues to grow, as demonstrated by history and arts programming in Egyptian and international media, and “nostalgia”-oriented social media sites.

While most online sources are visual or text-oriented, research requests received by AUC library staff indicates a

thirst for audio resources as well. The US Embassy grant to AUC to digitize this resource allows users all around the world to have access and learn more about Egypt and the contributions of VOA in Egypt.

The project was carried out by AUC’s Rare Books and Special Collections Library, which houses the VOA collection, and the library’s Digitization Center.

For over 50 years, the US Embassy in Cairo has supported Egyptian arts and culture through the Cairo Film Festival, Film My Design, in addition to many other cultural events. In the past five decades or so, the United States has contributed funding of more than $100 million to preserve Egypt’s cultural heritage, including projects to protect sites such as the Sphinx as well as Kom Ombo Temple in Aswan, among many others.

Comeback Making a Books

TikTok and Cafe Nero launch their first-ever Book Awards

By Raya Al-Jadir

TikTok has announced its first-ever Book Awards for 2023, celebrating all things literature that has captivated the social media platform. With the rise of the BookTok hashtag and a spate of authors, readers and fans making the rounds on the app, they thought it was time to celebrate the things that bring people together. The social media app revealed the news in May, in partnership with the 36th annual Hay Festival of Literature and Arts. They revealed that over the past year, the BookTokhashtag has grown by more than 160 percent to over 138 billion views. TikTok announced nine awards categories they will be handing accolades out for, including BookTok Book Of The Year, BookTok Author Of The Year, and Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For the First Time. The list of nominees will be compiled based on BookTok data as well as publisher contributions.

The nominees will then be reviewed by a judging panel of experts, including TikTok creators Coco (@cultofbooks) and Ben (@bcemercer) industry experts such Trâm-Anh Doan, Head of Social Media, Bloomsbury, authors like Candice Brathwaite and special guest judges including Annie Macmanus and Elizabeth Day. And after all that is done, the final winners will be chosen by the TikTok community from across the UK and Ireland via an in-app vote, which will be launched in July.

Overall winners will be announced later this summer, in August. Candice Brathwaite, award-winning author and

TikTok Book Awards Judge, said: “As an author, there’s nothing better than to see people discussing and debating your book. I love going to TikTok to find unfiltered reviews and recommendations, so it’s great to be giving this community the chance to have their say through the TikTok Book Awards for UK and Ireland.

James Stafford, General Manager, Operations & Marketing, TikTok UK & Nordics says: “Every day, billions of people come to TikTok to share recommendations, discover new reads and connect through their love of literature. We have seen the #BookTok community impact book sales and even bring new customers to local book shops, so we thought it was about time they got a vote too!”

“The TikTok Book Awards is not just about the ‘best new books’, but also celebrating the unapologetic love of reading that we see shared on TikTok; from the content makers to the rediscovered classics,” he adds.

THE CAFFE NERO AWARDS

A year after the Costa book awards ended, high-street coffee rival Caffè Nero is launching a set of awards celebrating children’s books, debut fiction, fiction and nonfiction. Unlike the Costa Awards, there will be no poetry prize at the inaugural edition of Caffè Nero Awards. All books by writers based in the UK and Ireland will be eligible for the awards, which are in partnership with the Booksellers Association, Brunel University London and Right to Dream, the latter a

TIKTOK BOOK AWARDS

- BookTok Creator Of The Year

- BookTok Book Of The Year

- BookTok Author Of The Year

- Best BookTok Revival

- Indie Book Shop Of The Year

- Best Book to End A Reading Slump

- Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

- BookTok Cover of The Year

- BookTok Livestreamer of The Year

charity whose aim is “expanding people’s understanding of excellence through football.”

The Nero Book Awards will highlight outstanding books from across multiple genres and celebrate the best writing and books from across the UK and Ireland. The awards prize fund totals £50,000, with the four category award winners receiving £5,000 each and the winner of the book of the year receiving an additional £30,000. The not-for-profit Nero book awards will choose winners in various categories. The inaugural awards will open for entries on June 19.

Gerry Ford, founder and chief executive of Caffe Nero, said the new awards were “a natural fit” for the company. “Caffe Nero was founded in 1997 on the principle of being a warm and welcoming neighbourhood gathering spot, a place to bring people together,” he said.

“Our venues were intended as and have come to be gathering spots where people come to talk, read and discuss issues of the day. Most of our stores are filled with books.”

Caffe Nero has also supported the arts in a variety of ways in past decades, including partnerships with Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the V&A and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Addressing the fact there was no poetry category, a spokesperson for the awards said: “These are a brand-new set of awards, developed in partnership with Caffè Nero and the Booksellers Association. The chosen categories reflect the main genres readers are most likely to find/see when they

visit a bookshop or online retailer. As the awards become established over time, it’s possible additional categories could be added in the future.”

The awards will be judged by industry professionals, including booksellers, authors, media commentators and influencers. Each award will have a shortlist of four titles. The shortlists for the first year of the awards will be announced in November, with the category winners revealed in January and the overall winner named in February.

The Costa book awards were scrapped suddenly in 2022, in what the company’s CEO Jill McDonald described as a “difficult decision.” The awards began in 1971, and were known as the Whitbread book awards until 2005, when Costa took over the running and financing.

The last Costa book of the year winner, in 2022, was former teacher Hannah Lowe, for her book of sonnets, The Kids, drawing on her experiences teaching in an inner-city sixth form and which won the poetry prize. The overall winner will be revealed in February at an awards ceremony.

Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers Association, said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for the world of books. “The Nero Book Awards do that rare thing of celebrating books across multiple genres, with an emphasis on commercial books with wide appeal. “With its brand values centered around quality, craft and community, plus its strong existing connection to the arts, Caffe Nero is a perfect partner with whom to establish these brand-new awards.”

Tawfik

Ahmed Khaled The Mentor of Generations

To commemorate what would have been his 61st birthday in June, Egypt Today looks back at the suspense author’s career and his acclaimed legacy of science fiction and horror thrillers.

By Angy Essam

Well-known Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik passed away in Garbiya on Monday April 2, 2018 at 55 years old, leaving behind a legacy of science fiction and horror masterpieces.

June marks what would have been the 61st birthday of the author who has rightfully earned the moniker “the mentor of generations,” and as a tribute we look back at the impact Tawfik made on the minds of his fans and readers.

A pioneer of horror and science fiction writing in Egypt and the Arab world, Tawfik specialized in fantasy, and his works included illustrated books, short stories and novels. He was a prolific author, penning more than 500 titles—up to 22 books a year—all the while holding down a full-time job at Tanta University.

His unique writing style garnered a wide and diverse readership; many young Egyptians grew up reading his books, often finishing his novels in one sitting.

His dedicated readers—myself being one of them—are steeped in deep pain, feeling the bitterness of losing not only their favorite writer, but a father and a mentor who influenced unforgettable years of their childhood.

Perhaps one of his greatest achievements was ingraining fiction into the minds of many young Egyptians; an immortal guide who still lives inside us with his thoughts and words with an ingenuity that will never die. Although most Egyptians have never met Tawfik in person, they all mourned their loyal “childhood friend” when he passed away five years ago.

The beginning of the journey

Tawfik was born in Tanta in 1962. He was a physician before he turned to writing but he never left medicine. He considered writing as a hobby; complementary to his role as a professor of tropical diseases at Egypt’s Tanta University.

His path into the genre of horror was not easy, as publishing houses at the time did not believe that the horror genre had a readership in Egypt. When Tawfik presented the draft of his first book, “The Legend of the Vampire,” in 1992 to a publishing house, it was rejected, and he was told to write an action and police fiction novel instead. Tawfik kept fighting until the publishing house formed another committee to review his work, and finally it was approved for print.

Tawfik knew that the horror genre wasn’t favored by Arab readers at that time, but he decided to follow his passion regardless of how much it could cost him. “The Arab readers, in general, don’t like horror. They prefer social commentary, romance, drama, politics and books that combine romance, drama and politics,” Tawfik previously stated.

Following on from Tawfik’s point of view, novels that depend on science or technology are not seen as texts or information books in the Arab world, as they don’t provide

“I’m writing for the child inside me; he’s my main reader.”

the desired escapism. The Arab readers’ imagination was not yet ready to accept science fiction, horror, fantasy, or a plot that is weighted in gloom.

One of the reasons, as recounted by Tawfik, that older readers tend to prefer facts or truths rather than imagination is because this is part of the Arab culture.

But on the other hand, Tawfik believed that the Arab youth were ready for these types of books, so he targeted them and devoted his imagination and creativity solely to young people. They never rejected him, and from this moment he began to take a place in their minds and enter their hearts.

“The older generation is too concerned with their own problems; they want to read books that mirror their economic and historical problems. Young people, however, appreciate the connections between art, imagination and technology. They can grasp a sci-fi theme,” recounted Tawfik in an interview with The National.

But times were changing, and many Arab adults started to be interested in science-fiction novels, particularly as they came to see how strongly their children became attached to them.

The influence of his books and the character, Refaat Ismail

Tawfik was best known for his pocket series, “Ma Wara Al-Tabia” (Supernatural), which gathered Egypt’s youth and became an essential part of their life. Through “Ma Wara Al-Tabia,” young Arab people got to know the protagonist, Dr. Refaat Ismail. Refaat Ismail became a star, and many young people looked forward to reading his adventures every month. Many began to refer to Tawfik as “Refaat Ismail,” in honor of the great character he created.

In 2008, he released his acclaimed dystopian novel “Utopia”. The book was a huge hit, and a continuation of the booming success of his “Ma Wara Al-Tabia” series. Set in Egypt in 2023, “Utopia” presents the two sides of the world: one where the rich live in compounds, and the other where the poor are overwhelmed by their poverty.

He wrote other series such as “Fantasia” and “Safari.” Tawfik wrote many novels beside “Utopia,” such as “Like Icarus,” and “In the Rat Path.” Tawfik was the Arab world’s best-selling author of horror and fantasy genres.

He wrote to satisfy himself first, and that is why he managed to satisfy his readers. “I’m writing for the child inside me; he’s my main reader,” he was known to often say.

His books have inspired a younger generation of writers to follow his footsteps, such as acclaimed Egyptian writer, Ahmed Mourad among others.

Remembering Ahmed Khaled Tawfik

Egypt Today revisits a series of tributes published at the time of Tawfik’s passing that capture the long-lasting impact the author had on the minds of his readers.

How Ahmed Khaled Tawfik Enlightened Me As An Adult

Many people will tell you that as teenagers they grew up reading and being inspired by Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik’s pocketbook series “Ma Wara Al-Tabia” (Supernatural). I wasn’t one of them. I grew up reading “Ragol Al Mostaheel” (The Man of the Impossible) by Nabil Farouk; it was my favorite then, but later on, I wished I had read Tawfik’s too.

In my early twenties, one of my friends expressed his regret as we were talking about our reading tastes as teens, and I explained how I didn’t get the chance to read “Ma Wara Al-Tabia.”

“How could you not have read it,” he scoffed, incredulous that I had missed out on the books. He tried to send me the series to read online, but again, I felt too old to read the pocketbook series!

But as the saying goes, you are never too old to read anything, and this is true when it comes to Tawfik’s works in particular. It is something I know now, and I regret missing the early introduction and inspiration everyone talked about.

“Utopia” is how I met Tawfik. This masterpiece talks about two different communities living at the same time, a time when life became too cruel, as economic and social gaps widened and swallowed everything, between excessive wealth and bleak poverty. The two worlds lost all sense of morality and humanity.

The first city, the wealthy one, was surrounded and protected by a high fence to keep the rich away from the savage poor. Meanwhile, out of boredom, groups of wealthy youth occasionally sought adventure and a rush of adrenaline by sneaking out and mingling with the people they treated like animals in order to hunt. Living on the edge, they would leave and return with a young woman or man and brag about it later among friends.

Tawfik’s thoughts shocked me at the beginning and overwhelmed me with questions about human nature and the extent of barbarism it can reach. Human nature, as complicated as it is, doesn’t need to make sense all the time. I believe now that revolutions are ideas and their ends are not definite; however, revolutions are our salvation.

Tawfik unleashed his words to be chilling and too real. He made it clear that anyone could find himself the protagonist

of the story—a story based on real history, analysis, data and statistics. He didn’t make anything up. I now realize that you may be a far worse version of yourself, you may believe that you are a hero, but at any moment in time, there is always the possibility that you may be the prey.

The novel creates a beautiful mixture of fiction and reality, beginning with a simple story that culminates in a mindblowing tragedy. With a lot of details that make you wonder when and where it happened, the novel starts and escalates as each of the rich hunters decides to start one of his usual adventures, but for some reason loses his way back home and meets someone from the poor city who decides to help him go back to the rich community again.

The poor man made a wise choice despite the risks and consequences he might face from his own community as a result of his action, and here you think to yourself: this will change everything. This won’t just change the man’s life, but the whole community’s mindset. For a minute you believe that this will be the beginning of an intellectual revolution, or maybe not.

I won’t reveal any spoilers for those who have not read the book, but what I can say is that the ending will force you to rethink many decisions you might have made, all the other sides of people you don’t see and all the assumptions you believe are naturally inherited by human beings. It doesn’t mean we are born evil; it means we have a choice based on our beliefs. Furthermore, neglecting social indicators does not make you smarter in any way, because eventually, nothing is controllable.

Engrossed in all the twists and turns, I finished the book in 24 hours, but Tawfik left me with thousands of sobering thoughts in my mind. While it was a fiction novel, the scary part was that it was based on true and accurate statistics about rates of poverty in societies and human nature. I realized this could be anyone’s reality at any point or any time. It was his way of ringing the alarm bell, and surely everyone who read the novel understood it.

Since then, I have become a loyal fan of Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, who stands out because he understood and wrote our worst thoughts and fears. He spoke our minds.

—Aya Samir

Goodbye Stranger

Goodbye Stranger

Your stay was short, but it was fantastic May you find your garden, which you’ve searched for a lot

Goodbye Stranger

Your visit was a dance of the shadow dances Drop of the dew drops before sunrise

A rhythm that we’ve listened to for seconds

Then we shook our heads ignoring it

Goodbye Stranger

Unfortunately, everything ends!

Although this was a part of “The Legend of Prophecy” novel by late prominent Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, his readers and fans now dedicate these words to him following his death at the age of 55.

“The scenes of my funeral will be beautiful and moving, but I will not see it unfortunately, although I will definitely attend it,” Tawfik once said, predicting his own death. The author was much loved for his works, which tackled diverse themes including love, freedom, oppression, friendships, relationships, optimism and pessimism, amongst others.

As a trained physician, medicine was a powerful inspiration throughout his writing career. For Tawfik, studying medicine was a significant experience which allowed him to see how people from different classes deal with death and become gradually afraid of dying. His medical background inspired him to study human beings at their weakest points, and psychology was a prominent aspect of his writings.

The way he viewed death was intensely reflected in his writings, like when he once said, “Do not stop learning; dead people are the ones who stop learning and gaining experience, so you see how we are surrounded by the living dead all the time.”

To those who claim that one shouldn’t fear death Tawfik famously said: “I fear death so much, and I am not one of those who chant in pride that they don’t fear it out of heroism. How can I not call upon death while I am not ready to

face my Creator; those who do not fear death are foolish.”

“When you smell the fire without warning people surrounding you, you somehow contribute to the ignition of the fire,” Tawfik writes in his first novel, Utopia, where he superbly drew an imaginary land that presented Egyptian society living in bubble-like capital where there are no morals or rules.

Aside from ways of dealing with death, Tawfik’s training as a physician also taught him how to recognize depression in his patients and their families. “Depression is a curse, and most importantly, depressed patients are always intelligent and sensitive,” the acclaimed author would say.

Shedding light on depression’s dangerous consequences, he once wrote, “I thought to kill myself but then changed my mind, buying two sandwiches and drinking a cup of mint tea, expecting that in the morning I’ll forget everything. That’s what actually happened!”

Many of his thoughts were grounded in human needs, and his statement “One of the most important ways of helping others is just listening to someone revealing what hurts him,” depicted this so very well.

Tawfik was known for his regular political opinion pieces, and often frequently addressed political issues directly in his literary work, such as the common misconception of leadership in Egyptian society, about which he wrote, “We are all weak: like a rabbit with those who are stronger than him, while he is cruel, rude, strict with those who are weaker than him. The real nobility is being merciful with those you can harm and destroy!” Criticizing Arab dictators, he said, “The end of tyrants is something beautiful, but sadly we do not often live to see it.”

Portraying how valuable love should be for us, Tawfik saw that empowerment is about loving what others can’t bear loving. He also believed that the more dramatic relationships are, the more they become romantic.

As a legendary writer and author, Tawfik was definitely adept at sarcasm. “To be a sarcastic author you need to be able to make fun of yourself before making fun of others.”

—et Staff

Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, You Don’t Need to Be Super to Be a Hero

The day he died I had that burning feeling of losing a friend without saying goodbye. Once I learned that Dr. Ahmed Khaled Tawfik passed away, I felt that I’d lost an old friend that I hadn’t heard from in a long time, but still have a deep appreciation for in my heart.

I was introduced to Tawfik’s writings through my friends. I was fascinated by his simple language and pure imagination that touched the mind of a 9-year-old child —most of my generation started reading Tawfik’s books at this age— and I got hooked. His books never left me alone during my family trips, summer vacations and before closing my eyes to sleep.

Every month I eagerly awaited the new installment of the pocket-sized epic series “Ma Wara Al-Tabia” (Supernatural Phenomenon) to follow up on the new adventure of his protagonist, Dr. Refaat Ismail, an old doctor with nondescript physical characteristics and average IQ. Dr. Refaat was not wealthy, lucky or masculine, and for sure wasn’t handsome, but he was a deep thinker and realistic man with a big heart and loved one woman deeply and eternally—Maggie. He convinced an entire generation that one can be a hero without a superpower.

Tawfik was an honest man, but he used to write about the supernatural, penning tens of sci-fi classics and horror stories that you can always learn something from.

After experiencing a life-changing heart attack in 2011,

Tawfik talked more about death and predicted his end; he even predicted the date of his funeral—April 3 —in one of his articles. In another article, Tawfik expressed his will to have the words “He made the youth read” written on his own tombstone, a wish that was fulfilled by one of his faithful readers.

He even predicted the sorrow and pain in his funeral, saying, “My funeral will be beautiful and moving; unfortunately I will not see it, although I will certainly be there.”

It was only to be expected that Tawfik would share in the revolution of the generation he wrote for, so he penned “Senja” (Knife) in 2012, a sad, pessimistic novel about a girl who commits suicide and a failed novelist who tries to decode the mystery of her death by approaching the reality she lived in. The ugly, painful society Tawfik described was an extreme depiction of pre-revolution Egypt, an attempt to portray the tribulations of youth who rose from the ashes to lead the great uprising.

With lots of tears and loud prayers, the youth gathered before a tomb in Tanta on April 3, 2018 to say goodbye to a man their parents never heard of. Despite dying at the age of 55, Tawfik was never an old man; he was young at heart, calm, always smiling and never lacking for words.

Goodbye Dr. Ahmed Khaled Tawfik; goodbye our superhero; you will never be forgotten.

—et Staff

Holy Family’s

Celebrating the Journey

To commemorate the arrival of the Holy Family in Egypt in June, we revisit destinations recognized as official Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites.

By Hanan Fayed

Fleeing the persecution of King Herod, the Holy Family found refuge in Egypt for nearly four years, taking shelter in Upper Egypt and Sinai. In 2018 Egypt was announced as an official Roman Catholic Church pilgrimage destination following the endorsement by Pope Francis of Egypt’s addition to the Vatican Pilgrimage Program during a visit by an Egyptian delegation, headed by then-Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed, to the Vatican.

This month we walk in the footsteps of the Holy Family, revisiting some of the monasteries and churches and mapping the sites where the Family sought refuge.

The 22 stops begin at Rafah, North Sinai at the northeastern border and end in Asyut, Upper Egypt, where the Family is thought to have taken a boat journey on the River Nile. Many of these locations have been turned into monasteries and churches.

One of the most stunning landscapes on the trail is that surrounding monasteries located in Wadi El-Natrun, a valley lying between Cairo and Alexandria.

It is unconfirmed whether or not the Holy Family were actually in the area, but those who believe they were claim that branches of the Nile River crossed through the valley at the time, hence their arrival therein. Others from within the Orthodox Church believe there isn’t enough evidence to prove reports of a Holy Family visit, reasoning that the natron salt-saturated valley is too rough for a child, a young mother and an old man.

The valley’s oldest recorded name is the Hieroglyphic Sekhet Hemat (The Salt Field) and the Ancient Egyptians

extracted its salt for mummification. Regardless of the controversy, historians agree this is where monasticism was first founded, back in the fourth century. It hosts four beautiful monasteries; the fourth-century monasteries of Saint Bishoy, Paromeos, and Saint Macarius and the sixth-century Surian Monastery.

The Monastery of Saint Macarius, however, is not included in the route acknowledged by the Vatican, but remains an option for tourists who visit the nearby monasteries. It encompasses 11.3 square meters, including churches, a fort and beautiful forestlike fields that make the monks selfsufficient in terms of food.

This particular monastery is famous as a home for highly educated and deeply spiritual monks. The vast land of the monastery, endless green fields, its relative remoteness, and the friendliness as well as tolerance of its monks add to the serene atmosphere visitors feel upon entering the long, tree-lined road leading to its gate.

Wadi El-Natroun Monastery

Virgin Mary Church, Maadi

“Wadi El-Natrun tells the history of monasticism, where people have prayed for centuries. It is also an archeological site and older than Mount Athos in Greece.”

Father Cyril, El-Paramoesi Monastery

As we drove in at sunset, we saw two monks dressed in their official black attire, walking side-by-side, happily welcoming us to pick some dates from nearby palm trees.

Ankh, the ancient Egyptians hieroglyphic ideograph referring to “life,” was carved on one of the monastery’s buildings along with other Christian symbols, such as the two fishes and the five loaves of bread.

Russians, Romanians, Greeks and Ethiopians visit the area for religious reasons. Father Cyril at El-Paramoesi Monastery told us he hopes more tourists will visit to learn how Coptic culture and art evolved over time. He also referred to Hamra (red) Lake, a nature reserve where visitors may take a therapeutic dip after visiting the monasteries complex.

Father Cyril elaborated that Wadi El-Natrun “tells the history of monasticism, where people have prayed for centuries. It is also an archeological site and older than Mount Athos in Greece.” In every monastery Egypt To-

day visited, Egyptian Christians looked for blessings as hungrily listened to monks’ explanation of the rich history.

The door to Virgin Mary church in Paramoes Monastery is designed in Fatimid Islamic style, according to Father Cyril. The door dates back to the tenth century. After all, many influences will occur in more than 1,700 years, and the mix of Pharaonic, Coptic, Byzantine and Islamic art reflect the melting pot characteristic of Egyptian culture.

Egyptian Christians who migrated from Egypt always bring their children back to monasteries to learn of their roots and the stories of saints, Father Cyril said.

In addition to the three Wadi elNatrun monasteries, the Vatican has endorsed Abu Serga and Virgin Mary churches in Cairo, Gabal el-Teir (the mountain of birds) Monastery in Minya, Muharraq and Dronka monasteries in Asyut.

However, Nader Gerges, the coordinator of the Tourism Ministry’s Com-

Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Gabal El-Teir, Minya

Holy Family’s Journey -Wadi El-Natroun Monastery

El-Muharraq Monastery, Assiut

“Egypt is a land where Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus, as well as many prophets lived; a land that has been blessed with the precious blood of martyrs spilled throughout the centuries”

Pope Francis, during his 2018 General Audience in St. Peter’s Square where he gave his blessing for a Roman Catholic pilgrimage program to Egypt.

mittee on the Holy Family’s Route, said five of those will be included in the anticipated trips; those of Wadi El-Natrun and Cairo. The other monasteries can still be visited by tourist groups, but will require coordination with the authorities.

The three remaining monasteries in Upper Egypt have yet to be readied for such visits. Monks in Upper Egypt said that the roads to their monasteries need lighting, greenery, and need to be paved all the way, not only as one approaches the monastery. The monasteries are currently being renovated under the supervision of the Antiquities Ministry.

Located mostly in rural areas, with surroundings that include farmers on donkeys and men and traditionallydressed women, the route to the monasteries gives religious tourists an authentic experience. Many of these sites are under renovation as per the Ministry of Antiquities’ supervision.

In Minya, Gabal El-Teir (Mountain of the Birds) village is home to a Chris-

tian population of 10,000, the majority of whom work in quarries. The monastery is nestled in the mountain, named after the migration of birds above its skies.

There is no monastic life in the place, but a large festival known as Moulid El-Adra (Festival of the Great) that celebrates Virgin Mary is held there every year. Much like every “moulid” in Egypt, as Muslims similarly hold such festivals in honor of Islamic figures, streets are decorated with lighting, people wear their newest clothing, eat sweetened peanuts and chickpeas, and children play on swings.

There is a cave in the monastery where the Holy Family is believed to have stayed for three days. Visitors take a ferry to cross the wide Nile River to the mountain; the refreshing breeze and smell of the river build up the anticipation before setting foot on the other bank.

In Asyut, Muharraq Monastery is where the Holy Family stayed the longest, a stay that lasted six

“This is human heritage of 2,000 years … it is about the life of Jesus. This is the place where he and his mother lived during their flight into Egypt.”

Father Philoxenus al-Muharraqi, Deir El-Muharraq

months and five days.

Monk Barnabas received us there, while two men who seemed to be farmers entered the room to ask for help because of a mysterious fire keeps that breaking out in their home. They said they believed evil spirits or other supernatural causes to be the reason. Once they left, Father Barnabas noted that the culture of magic in Ancient Egypt still has its impact on modernday Egyptians.

Egyptian monasteries were destroyed during Berber attacks in the fifth century to seize the goods available, especially those in Wadi El-Natrun; hence, forts were built to surround them at a later time. However, Muharraq Monastery’s fort has never been used for protection, according to monk Philoxenus.

“This is human heritage of 2,000 years … it is about the life of Jesus. This is the place where he and his mother lived during their flight into Egypt. This can attract anyone, even if not religious. These are important figures

in human history,” Father Philoxenus al-Muharraqi told Egypt Today.

When Father Philoxenus opened the altar for us, some women outside gasped in bedazzlement, whispering that the decorations inside were made of gold. They seemed disappointed when Father Philoxenus denied.

It is claimed that Egypt’s oldest church, dating back to the late first century, lies in Muharraq Monastery, which was built later in the fourth century. It was the Holy Family’s home during their long stay and later became a church. It is the only church in Egypt where prayers are held entirely in Coptic, where no Arabic is involved, according to Father Philoxenus.

An 1881 iconostasis in the monastery’s St. George Church is Byzantine art, and carved above it is articulate Arabic calligraphy.

“Coptic architecture and art has been influenced by the eras that preceded and followed it, such as the Pharaonic and Islamic styles,” Father Philoxenus added.

The Sacred Well Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Gabal El-Teir, Minya

Farma city

“Coptic architecture and art has been influenced by the eras that preceded and followed it, such as the Pharaonic and Islamic styles.”

Father Philoxenus al-Muharraqi, Deir El-Muharraq

M a y Flowers

Photography By Deena Romia

The 90th edition of the Spring Flowers Exhibition has been launched under the slogan “100 Million Trees.” A haven for all the flower lovers out there, the annual flower show is on again at Orman Garden in Giza. The exhibition holds a myriad of local, foreign and even exotic plants; ranging from flowers and houseplants to expensive miniature palm trees. All kinds of tree seedlings, including “wooden, ornamental and fruitful” will be provided at cost at the Agricultural Museum.

Photography by Deena Romia

The Spring Flowers Exhibition is the largest and oldest flower show in the Arab region, and has been held annually by the Ministry of Agriculture for the past 90 years.

The idea of the Spring Flowers Exhibition began during the reign of Sultan Hussein in 1914 under the supervision of the Basateen Peasant Association.

Egyptian producers and vendors of flowers and ornamental plants, nursery owners, landscape companies and modern irrigation systems are expected to participate in the exhibition, which also features agricultural production tools and equipment, as well as food outlets. It’s also a good occasion to visit the ancient garden, full of botanical riches and rare species.

The flower show runs for one month will close this year at the end of June.

TRAVEL TODAY

Secrets of Saqqara

Inside the two largest mummification workshops ever found in Saqqara.

Unearthing the

Saqqara Secrets of

Egypt announces the discovery of the two largest mummification workshops ever found, two tombs as well as a number of artifacts in Saqqara.

By Angy Essam

Saqqara is the land of secrets and great discoveries that have amazed the world and attracted travellers from all over the globe to visit Egypt and experience its unique heritage. Egypt recently unveiled one of those secrets, announcing the discovery of two large embalming workshops for humans and animals as well as two ancient Egyptian tombs and other artifacts unearthed at the site.

The Egyptian archaeological mission, headed by Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, successfully uncovered two of the largest-ever discovered embalming workshops, one tailor made for the mummification of humans and the other for animals. The spectacular find also unearthed two tombs and a number of artifacts at the cemetery of sacred animals (Boubasiton) in Saqqara.

The findings come as the mission continues its excavations for the sixth year in a row, with Waziri announcing that the two discovered workshops date back to the end of the 30th Dynasty and the beginning of the Ptolemaic era, adding that the mission was also able to uncover two tombs that date back to the Old and New Kingdoms in addition to a number of artifacts.

A press conference was held to announce the finds, where H.E. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa shared his excitement to be addressing the world from Saqqara, one of the largest royal necropolises in Egypt and home to the oldest stone building in history, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, as well as many other pyramids of kings and queens as part of the Memphis necropolis featured on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Saqqara is also a unique tourist destination that offers visitors an incredible experience of rich ancient Egyptian treasures. The Supreme Council of Antiquities has worked hard in recent years to improve services provided to visitors in partnership with the private sector.

The efforts fall within the framework of Egypt’s National Tourism Strategy aiming at a rapid increase in the number

of inbound tourism of between 25 to 30 percent a year. This would achieve a threefold increase in seat capacity on flights, which would in turn see an increase in the number of international tourist arrivals.

The strategy also aims at incentivizing the nation’s investment environment by designing master plans for destinations, launching new investment opportunities and enhancing tourist experiences.

Speaking at the press conference, Waziry expressed his appreciation to the members of the excavation mission as well the Supreme Council of Antiquities for the efforts they continue to exert in excavating important finds and in preserving Egypt’s heritage. “I witnessed their hard work during my recent visit to the necropolis of the sacred animals [Bubastian] to check on the work being achieved and met the working members of the mission who revealed this new discovery,” Waziry said, adding that the mission is also responsible for discovering so much more, continuing to make headlines in local and international news during the past years. “This has helped in promoting Egypt and one of its incredible tourist destinations.”

Issa also shared his expectations that there would be more

discoveries to come. “I assure you that Egypt, especially the archaeological site of Saqqara, has not yet revealed all of its secrets and there are many more to come.”

Waziry explained that the workshop dedicated to human embalming is rectangular in shape and was designed to be divided into several rooms equipped with stone beds where the deceased were laid down for mummification. Each bed is two meters long, 50 centimeters wide and covered with plaster. Gutters were found at the end of the beds.

Inside each room, the mission unearthed a collection of clay pots among which were those used in mummification as well as a collection of mummification instruments and ritual vessels.

The workshop where animals were embalmed is also rectangular, made of mud with stone floors. The structure also consists of a group of rooms in which the mission found a collection of clay pots along with bronze tools used in the mummification process. This workshop houses five beds made of a different stone than those found inside the first workshop. Early studies reveal that this workshop was used in the mummification of the sacred animals.

Sabri Farag, general director of the Saqqara archaeological site, confirmed that the first uncovered tomb belongs to a prominent official from the Fifth Dynasty named Ne Hesut Ba (2400 BC) who was the head of scribes and the priest of

Horus and Maat. The second tomb belonged to a Qadish priest named Men Kheber from the 18th Dynasty (1400 BC).

Mohamed Youssef, director of the Saqqara site, added that the Old Kingdom tomb consists of a mastaba with a stone painted façade with the names of the deceased and his wife. Above it is a lintel bearing hieroglyphic text showing the different titles of the deceased and his wife as well as a painting of the offering holders. Daily life, cultivating and hunting scenes are also shown inside the tomb.

The New Kingdom tomb is carved in rock with a door and lintel decorated with the names of the deceased and his wife. The tomb is decorated with scenes showing the deceased in different positions before offering tables. Inside it a niche was found with a one-meter-long alabaster statue of the tomb’s owner. He is shown wearing a long dress, a wig and holding a lotus flower in one hand. The statue is decorated with hieroglyphic text carved in blue.

Among other statues found was a wooden statue of a man named Nesu Henu and his wife from the fifth Dynasty, and an anthropoid painted coffin from the third intermediate period. A collection of ushabti figurines was also unearthed.

Photography By Somabay Team

Springtime in Soma

Somabay hosts the Soma Spring Festival, with a week of fun and fashion.

Idyllically situated on the Red Sea coast and just a 20-minute drive from Hurghada International Airport, Somabay is a prime touristic destination in Egypt, nestled on 10 million square meters of landmass. The self-contained community of Somabay is surrounded by sea on three sides and the resort site boasts some of the most beautiful sandy beaches of the Red Sea and panoramic views of desert mountains.

Life at Somabay is where fantasy-scapes follow you wherever you go, and sun-drenched activities take infinite elevating forms. Home to 5 luxury resort hotels and a signature portfolio of residential properties, Somabay’s one-of-a-kind settings with its full complement of premium amenities are the stage for incomparable experiences alongside friends and family. Somabay successfully developed a wide array of residential services, catering different market needs and a range of target segments.

To usher in Spring, Abu Soma Touristic Development Company (ASDC), Egypt’s leading tourism investment company and real estate developer, recently hosted various exciting activities and events at the ultimate Red Sea destination, in which the company was keen on catering to the whole family’s preferences by planning a week full of fun, fashion and fitness activities.

The week witnessed an array of events that took place across Somabay’s Sobar Rooftop, Mazeej Soma Beach Platform and Kokomo at S.Cape, where a host of wellknown celebrities and influencers including Heidi Karam, Mai Yaccoubi, Razan Maghrabi, Seba el Refai, Ahmed El

Ruby, Karim El Emary, Sherif Hafez, Marwa Mehanna, Nouran Khalifa, Emma Abdelaziz, Layla Hayla, Nada Hossam, and Nayla Garana attended.

Spirited beach parties featured the best DJs in town, belly dancing performances, live entertainment like Hassan Shakoush and musical shows. In addition to a two-day retreat held by NAFAS Journey at Mazeej Soma Beach, there was an opening of two new restaurants “Kokomo” at Marina and S. Cape Beach.

In an inspiring fashion bazaar at Somabay’s scenic marina, fashion lovers enjoyed a variety of trending styles and attended a signature fashion show at Kokomo, where premium Egyptian brands such as Temraza, Ahmed Hamdy, Fatale by Angie, atelier de Lile, and Nina the brand displayed their latest collections.

Select food trucks found a new home at the marina, serving up fresh and tasty spring selections for every palate. Fitness lovers were able to stay fit and healthy with Bayfit’s x Gold’s Gym adrenaline–pumping classes of yoga, Zumba, hip-hop, flexibility, and more at the marina fitness studio and the beach.

Kids had a blast with fantastic activities at the Wild Guanabana Camp by Muricata at Mesca shorelines. They also enjoyed Soma Raceway tournaments, and footgolf competitions, in addition to the Paintball game and Hoppa trampoline, which were recently opened at Playpark.

A special series of activities took place around the week at the stunning Mazeej Soma Beach Platform, in partnership with ByGanz Extraordinaire, where residents shared unforgettable memories.

H.E. The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities witnessed the signing ceremony of the first lifestyle art hotel in Egypt

H.E. Mr. Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and General Ahmed Rashid, Governor of Giza, witnessed the signing ceremony of the first Lifestyle Art Hotel in Egypt Hyatt Centric Cairo West located in the Pyramids Heights Business Park, between ALDAU Development, member of Sami Saad Holding and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

The contract was signed by Eng. Bassel Sami Saad, Chairman of ALDAU Development, and Mr. Peter Norman, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development at Hyatt Hotels Corporation with the presence of H.E Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Governor of Giza, journalists, writers and media representatives.

Mr. Issa, began his speech by expressing his sincere happiness for this generous invitation, which he witnessed today, recognizing what has been achieved on the ground, with Hyatt Regency Cairo West, which contributes to increasing hotel capacity in Egypt. He also stressed the ministry’s keenness to encourage hospitality investment opportunities and to increase the capacity of hotel rooms to meet the ministry’s goals and objectives on developing the inbound tourism movement and increasing demand to reach the ambitious targets set by the country for tourists arriving from various global markets. He pointed out that the signing of this contract will be the beginning of success of this new type of hotel facilities and a strong addition to the hotel capacity and availability in West of Cairo.

During his speech, the Minister spoke about the national strategy for tourism development in Egypt, which aims to achieve rapid growth ranging from 25% to 30% annually in the tourism industry in Egypt. He pointed out that one of its most prominent axes is to improve the tourism investment climate in Egypt through uniting the state with investors, because of their important role in the private sector whether Egyptian or foreign, to develop and improve the tourism experience in Egypt by developing the quality of services provided to tourists and increasing the number of hotel rooms during the coming period. The axes also include providing access to the Egyptian tourist destination

Fun Summer Escape at Sheraton Cairo Hotel

Enjoy a perfect summer getaway at the heart of the city. Whether it’s a family getaway, a fun day with friends or a personal escape at Sheraton Cairo Hotel you can relish in the sun and soak in the pool from 8:00 am to sunset. For an elevated day use experience, release your stress with a strong workout at Sheraton Fitness using the high end equipment and facilities and end your day with a relaxing experience at the wellness. Your summer escape is a memorable memory at the world’s gathering place.

For more information visit www.marriott.com/caisi

and doubling the number of upcoming airline seats Egypt, in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as well as working to develop and improve the tourism experience in Egypt by developing the quality of services provided to tourists.

He explained that Egypt as a tourist destination deserves to have a greater share of the global tourism movement, pointing out that the tourism sector in Egypt is a promising sector and that the strategies of the private sector and the ministry act as a sergeant, regulator and licensee for the tourism industry in Egypt. He confirmed that we are on the right track to achieve the Egyptian state’s goals for the tourism industry in Egypt and it is expected to reach 30 million tourists by 2028.

Moreover, Eng. Bassel Sami Saad said that the Hyatt Centric Cairo West Hotel, which will be opened in early 2024, is the first lifestyle art hotel facility in Egypt with a capacity of 283 hotel rooms that provide all hotel services, on an area of up to 27,000 square meters with investments of one billion pounds. He added that the signing of this contract is a continuation of cooperation with Hyatt Hotels after the opening of the Hyatt Regency Cairo West Hotel in February 2022 to be the second hotel in Cairo under the Group’s management.

Dale MacPhee Named General Manager of Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis

Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis, Egypt’s most anticipated luxury hotel opening, has appointed Dale MacPhee as its General Manager. Upon its opening this summer, the hotel will mark Waldorf Astoria’s brand debut in Egypt and the African continent, offering one-of-a-kind luxury experiences and seamless elegant service to residents and travelers staying in the Egyptian capital.

With her extensive expertise in hospitality, MacPhee will lead a highly skilled team of luxury hospitality professionals in all aspects of hotel operations - from guest service, food and drink, spa and wellness, to marketing and hotel administration. MacPhee began her journey with Hilton 30 years ago and was most recently General Manager of Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, one of the leading luxury hotels in the Scottish capital.

“I am delighted that Dale is leading the opening of Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis as General Manager, bringing significant luxury experience as we anticipate the debut of the brand in Egypt with this iconic new hotel,” said Ahmed El Hady, Country Manager & Senior Director, Operations, Egypt, Hilton. “Dale is a seasoned hotelier and I look forward to the energy and passion she will bring to the team, as she establishes the hotel as a market leader for luxury in Cairo.” A most recent testament to her accomplishments, MacPhee was named ‘Manager of the Year’ for 2022 at the acclaimed Cateys Awards.

Discover the Wonders of Egypt with a Lavish Stay at Holiday Inn and Suites Cairo Maadi

Holiday Inn and Suites Cairo Maadi is committed to providing its guests with the highest level of comfort and luxury. The hotel has deservedly won a Luxury Lifestyle Awards in 2023 for the Best Luxury Residential Suites in Cairo.

The spacious 63 residential suites at Holiday Inn and Suites Cairo Maadi provide a peaceful ambiance for your stay in Cairo. The suites have a separate living room and a fully equipped kitchen and laundry. They are perfectly crafted with state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate your short or long-term staying needs whether for business or leisure.

Guests can indulge in a variety of culinary experiences at the hotel’s F&B offerings. The View Restaurant offers an all-day dining experience with a panoramic Nile view and a lavish breakfast buffet, as well as an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Solis restaurant offers unique delicacies combining the signature atmosphere of the Nile view with exquisite flavors of Mediterranean cuisine dishes. Zen Cafe & Lounge is the perfect place for light bites, traditional afternoon tea, and refreshing coffee in a modern setting. Scores Bar and Lounge is a great place to cheer on your favorite team while enjoying food, drinks, and more by the Nile.

Holiday Inn and Suites Cairo Maadi also features banquet rooms equipped with the latest technology, daylight, and magnificent Nile views, allowing guests to plan successful meetings and events. The hotel’s Fitness Center, overlooking the swimming pool and the Nile, is fully equipped with cardio and strength machines, making it

the perfect place to stay active during your stay.

“We are honored to receive this award from Luxury Lifestyle Awards,” said the hotel’s general manager. “It is a testament to our commitment to providing our guests with an exceptional stay that combines luxury, comfort, and convenience. We look forward to continuing to exceed our guests’ expectations and providing them with unforgettable experiences.”

To book your stay today, visit https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/cairo/crohi/hoteldetail

Weddings Along the Nile

Wedding season is in full swing, and these hotels offer lavish venues with majestic Nile views right in the heart of Cairo.

Perfect Moments on your Special Day at Sheraton Cairo Hotel

Dreaming of a perfect day to start your forever? Look no more. Sheraton Cairo hotel is the place where every moment of your special day will be cherished. From the moment you get ready till the second you set foot in your venue, Sheraton Cairo hotel’s team of experts will make sure that your dream wedding comes true. At Salah El Din Ballroom, you’ll be right in the heart of the city and experiencing the beauty, elegance and history of the landmark ballroom, guaranteeing a celebration to remember.

The hotel believes that every couple has their own unique vision for their wedding, that’s why the Sheraton Cairo Hotel provides a variety of menus to suit everyone’s taste. Couples can choose from a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts, and can customize their menus to fit their specific needs.

Sheraton Cairo will make sure that your day is perfect, and will help you create a wedding that reflects your unique style and personality.

For inquiries and reservations visit www.marriott.com/caisi

Turn Your Dream Wedding into Reality at Holiday Inn Cairo Maadi

Your wedding day is a memory you’ll want to cherish forever. Whatever you have in mind, the team at Holiday Inn Cairo Maadi will help you turn your dream wedding into reality. From decorations and setup to the banquet, every little detail will be well taken care of.

For inquiries and reservations contact 01129044649.

Egypt Fashion Week 2023: Bridging the Past, Present, and Future of Fashion

The newly renovated Egyptian Agricultural Museum welcomes the first edition of Egypt Fashion Week, with global fashion icons and dignitaries in attendance.

In a historic week, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir witnessed the opening of Egypt’s most significant fashion event yet. The inaugural and official Egypt Fashion Week (EFW) kicked off in May with a remarkable showcase attended by VIP guests in the fashion industry from Egypt and countries all over the globe.

Held under the auspices of Ministries of Planning and Economic Development, Agriculture and Tourism, Egypt Fashion Week took the theme “Past, Present & Future,” and encompassed three crucial timelines: The past inspires our designers to draw from the rich cultural heritage and materials that Egyptians have utilized for millennia. The present, which keeps us attuned to global developments and contemporary trends. And the future, which guides us towards aspirations to elevate Egypt Fashion Week to the same level as other leading international fashion events in the years to come.

The second and third days of the event were hosted at the Egyptian Agriculturural Museum, with the participation of more than 100 Egyptian designers and fashion industry leaders, which aim to showcase Egypt’s pool of creative talents and the local cotton textile industry, as well as to position Egypt’s fashion industry and designers on the international fashion map through the quality of the high insights that speakers and designers presented on various topics related to their areas of expertise.

“The development of EFW has been a four-year journey and it represents more than just a fashion show. The time and effort invested in this event were crucial to ensure that it meets the same high standards as other established global fashion weeks,” said Paul Antaki, Co-founder of Egypt Fashion Week and Design Council which aims to develop excellence and growth in the Egyptian fashion and textile industry by nurturing, supporting, and promoting local designers, artisans, and manufacturers to meet international standards and showcase in the local and international fashion arena. Through close ties with international fashion councils, industry leaders, and global media outlets, the EFDC raises awareness of the Egyptian fashion

“The development of EFW has been a fouryear journey and it represents more than just a fashion show. The time and effort invested in this event were crucial to ensure that it meets the same high standards as other established global fashion weeks.”

— Paul Antaki, Co-founder of Egypt Fashion Week and Design Council

and design industry.

“The event has garnered the support of distinguished speakers, significant worldwide media partners and a large audience, which will undoubtedly draw the spotlight toward Egyptian fashion and position it on the world map. Egypt Fashion Week in its first official edition wouldn’t have reached this success without co-production company Creative Headz and official communication partner Hype who documented EFW’s special moments through their eyes.”

Commenting on the launch of this im portant event, Sasha El Jurdi, Head of Con tent Programming at TikTok for the Middle East and North Africa, said, “TikTok’s par ticipation in Egypt Fashion Week aims to support the fashion industry, which attracts the attention of many content creators and followers. In addition to highlighting the lo cal designers to support them to share their ideas,” she also added that TikTok has always been a supportive platform for fashion and its fans of all ages and opinions, as the platform provides distinguished ideas through creative content creators and advice related to fashion, so we launched #TikTokFashion, which has garnered 46 billion views globally and #WhatToWear, which has more than 4.9 billion views globally, proves the followers’ interest of in this type of content.”

In addition to the runway shows and exhibitions, the event included thought-provoking panel discussions featuring experts from the local, regional and international fashion industries. The panel discussions covered a broad range of topics, such as design, education, production, retail, sustainability, women’s empowerment and finance.

Egypt Fashion Week ended with “Shop the Runway” and more panel discussions at the Mall of Arabia, where the

public were invited to shop their favorite items witnessed during the fashion shows.

EFW’s official sponsors include BMW, Banque Misr, Mall of Arabia, Premium Card, Concrete, the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, the African Export Development Bank, Filmar Network, and the Egyptian Cotton Association. Creative Metrics supported the event as logistic partner, TikTok as the official entertainment partner, HYPE as the official communication partner and Creative Headz as co-production company. Partners also included UMS, LANCOME, ARIIKA, Daghash, Max Premium BURGER, Avec Karim, Leopelle, KAHHAL Looms, Three Brothers, Don Tanani, SEKEM, Semiramis InterContinental Hotel, and Face to Face Agency.

Holistic Solutions for Individual Design Needs

Giving consumers a chance to become creators when it comes to bathroom design, the versatile GROHE portfolio supports different design visions brought to life by professionals.

Individuality has become increasingly important in the field of interior design in recent years. Consumers love to search for inspiration on their own to find the perfect solutions for their home. So it is not surprising that in the bathroom, as elsewhere in the home, more and more emphasis is placed on design. The oncefunctional room should now correspond more closely to individual self-care needs and reflect one’s personality. But when it comes to bathroom design, consumers need support from professionals to realize their plans.

Aiming to fill this niche, GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings,

has established GROHE Professional, which is based on a broad portfolio of holistic bathroom solutions that enable consumers to represent their interiors taste and life circumstances–implemented hassle-free by professionals. GROHE Professional is also a comprehensive service and training program to ensure that experts are always up to date in terms of the latest technologies and products in order to offer the best consultations to consumers.

Affordable design for individual needs

Comfort and design requirements are as individual as consumers themselves. To make every bathroom a home,

the GROHE Eurosmart line offers affordable, contemporary design, which is durable and supports a more sustainable lifestyle, while being dedicated to matching any living situation. The versatile all-rounder can meet highly individual needs: The range boasts four different sizes from S to XL, pull-out as well as alternate lever variants, and even a touchless or hybrid version. The single-lever basin mixer for bathrooms features GROHE SilkMove ES (Energy Saving) technology in many product variants. Thanks to cold start technology, the faucet delivers cold water when the lever is in the middle position, limiting unnecessary consumption of hot water.

GROHE EcoJoy technology reduces the water flow while enriching the water with air, thereby ensuring a perfectly voluminous flow. Both innovations make it easy to save water and energy without compromising performance. For holistic interior concepts, consumers can choose matching GROHE BauEdge ceramics from the GROHE portfolio. With its soft edges, the collection is a perfect match in terms of design and function with the GROHE Eurosmart faucet. The complete bathroom solution can be complemented by the new Grohtherm 500, which adds an entrylevel variant to the Grohtherm family for everyone on a budget who want to enjoy the benefits of a thermostat, as well as accessories.

Customized bathroom upgrades provided by professionals

The GROHE Eurosmart Cosmopolitan line is designed to express individual style and effortless amenity in one of the most loved part of everyone’s home. It enables a customized bathroom upgrade which sustainably creates an urban, chic environment. Finished in sparkling GROHE StarLight chrome, the Eurosmart Cosmopolitan range also comes with GROHE SilkMove ES (Energy Saving) and GROHE EcoJoy technology. The faucet line can be perfectly combined with the GROHE Tempesta shower portfolio, which offers sleek design, a choice of different spray patterns and water-saving features.

High-end PVD technology brings new colors to life

With its gently organic forms, slender profiles and natural lines, GROHE Essence is perfect for those who understand the bathroom as a place of relaxation and contemplation. In addition, the iconic design is available in a broad color spectrum to demonstrate individual taste and personality. New color Phantom Black expands the already wide range of 9 different color and finish options.

For colors like Warm Sunset, Cool Sunrise or Hard Graphite, GROHE uses PVD (physical vapor deposition) technology which is applied in their in-house production plants. Used in the aerospace industry, the technology has set a new standard for the quality of finishes.

The process ensures a broader range of colors while at the same time delivering finishes that are three times harder and ten times more scratch-resistant than galvanized finishes, allowing the faucets to withstand the toughest demands of everyday use.

No matter what the design and functionality requirements of your everyday life are, GROHE offers the perfectly matching solution for your bathroom vision–brought to you and installed by professionals.

TECH TODAY

The Emirates Group invites tech experts to crack IT careers in Dubai

IT professionals in Egypt with the right skills need to look no further than the Emirates Group to ramp up their careers. The Group includes Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, and dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider.

The Group has kick-started its recruitment drive in Cairo with invite-only info sessions and in the next few months, the Group is looking to recruit more than 300 IT experts for a range of roles in software engineering, DevOps, hybrid cloud, Agile delivery, technical product management, digital workplace, cybersecurity, IT architecture, innovation, and service management.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said: “Dubai ranks among the world’s top 10 cities where tech experts aspire to work on initiatives and the development of future applications. As a global airline, we’re looking for continuous product improvements and efficiency across our operations, and are investing in tomorrow to take advantage of technological evolution and to upskill our employees. We are keen to attract talent to be part of our IT workforce.”

Al Redha also spoke of exciting upcoming projects in the pipeline. “We have an array of exciting and challenging tech and innovation projects in the pipeline, some of which will shape many of our day-to-day processes and activities,” the COO said. “We know these will form the bedrock of dream careers for tech professionals.”

Projects

Typically, the Group’s IT team works on cutting-edge projects across B2C, B2B, support functions and operations for more than 40 brands and businesses in Dubai and globally.

The team architects builds and efficiently maintains software and systems that make real contributions to help manage operations, ramp up revenue, streamline costs, maximise business and people efficiencies, and enable internal engagement.

Some of the recent projects the IT team has delivered include their work around launching Emirates’ premium economy product for sale, optimizing catering using AI models, incorporating biometrics for check-in and enabling self-service bag-drop, and dnata’s cargo and resource management systems.

Tech employees have massive opportunities to introduce advanced technologies and the latest applications to airline operations, embark on developing flexible, user-friendly customer interfaces, using in-depth data analysis, and implementing machine learning and robotics in partnership with industry leaders.

Tools and Technologies

Some of the advanced tools, technologies, and patterns available to the IT team include cloud services, microservices, API management, event streaming, robotics, DevO-

ps, biometrics including facial recognition, web and native mobile development, in addition to modern programming languages including ReactJS, full stack Java, .NET and Python.

Training & Development

Training includes in-depth courses on a range of tools, technologies, technical subjects and Agile delivery that help upskill and cross-skill. It also includes e-learning and supports women in tech.

These are complemented by knowledge-sharing sessions, tech talks, hackathons, code fests, and bootcamps.

Tech employees can also be a part of an active and robust community of coders, an IT engagement hub, a tech academy, a cybersecurity forum, even one on data science practice.

The Emirates Group

The Emirates Group has a formidable reputation for spearheading innovation in its products and services. The Group is invested in Intelak and Aviation X-Lab – industryleading programmes for start-ups – and in developing software and hardware for critical operational areas, robotics, establishing its presence in the Metaverse and other Web 3.0 technologies.

Emirates offers a competitive salary and allowances, eligibility for profit share, excellent medical and life insurance, concessional cargo, annual leave and tickets for immediate family, and deeply discounted flight tickets for dependents, wider family and friends to travel to all the 130 destinations around the Emirates network.

The Emirates Platinum card offers employees a range of privileges and discounts across thousands of outlets, including clubs, clinics, education, and retail and hospitality outlets in the UAE and globally.

Majid Al Futtaim partners with Sympl to provide its visitors with a unique instant interest-free pay later solution for added convenience and choice

Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, announced its partnership with Sympl, Egypt’s first ‘Save Now, Pay Later’ services, serving more than 30 million bank card holders. This partnership provides mall visitors a unique instant interest-free pay later solution for added convenience, enabling them to split their purchases cost using their debit or credit card with zero interest and no pre-registration required using Sympl across all of Majid Al Futtaim’s malls in Egypt, namely Mall of Egypt, City Centre Almaza, City Centre Maadi and City Centre Alexandria, starting from May 7, 2023.

Using their debit or credit card, customers can choose to split the cost of their purchases across three, four or five payments on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. In less than 10 seconds, mall visitors will be able to purchase products with zero interest without any registration or account activation needed.

“We are very optimistic about the partnership with Majid Al Futtaim’s malls to provide Sympl’s interest-free pay-later service without any registration to the mall’s customers using their debit or credit cards. This partnership will help shoppers live the lifestyle they want without any stress or hassle,” said Mohamed El-Shabrawy ElFeky, CEO & Co-Founder of Sympl.

Rasha Azab, Managing Director of West Region Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim – Properties, added: “At Majid Al Futtaim, we are dedicated to identifying new and innovative ways to provide added convenience and choice to our customers. This valued partnership with Sympl allows us to do just that as we continue to offer an array of seamless and flexible payment options, especially with Sympl’s latest technology, to ensure an enjoyable experience for all. We remain committed to introducing new ways to enhance our consumer journey, across all of our properties in Egypt.”

The tremendous success of HUAWEI AppGallery in the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Abu Dhabi extends to the Tunisia Game Show

Following the impressive engagement and success that HUAWEI AppGallery garnered at its fan booth at the Middle East Film & Comic Con held in Abu Dhabi, its triumphs have now extended to the Tunisia Game Show. Attendees at the gaming event indulged in a range of engaging activities and on-site gaming competitions, all offered at the HUAWEI AppGallery’s fan booth. The 1st edition of Tunisia Game Show was held at the Sousse International Exhibition Center, offering the gamers’ community an immersive experience.

HUAWEI AppGallery’s booth has demonstrated a great engagement among attendees with its commitment to providing VIP users and gamers with the latest trends and best experiences in mobile gaming at TGS. Our booth also offered an opportunity to learn more about AppGallery, and offered an immersive experience for visitors to explore and discover a wide selection of the newest and most exciting local and global apps and games available on AppGallery. Fans also enjoyed thrilling and rewarding Mobile Gaming competitions, where they could experience the Huawei suite of products, and preview exclusive game content.

HUAWEI AppGallery also presented the DCB functions to gamers. This service enabled Tunisian gamers the possibility to purchase their favourite upgrades and in-app purchases using Tunisian Dinars seamlessly by means of Direct Carrier Billing (DCB), a secure payment method. DCB enables prepaid and postpaid consumers to purchase their requirements using mobile balance.

“AppGallery is pleased to have participated in Tunisia Game Show, the largest gaming event in Tunisia, after the outsatnding success we have whitnessed in the Middle East Film & Comic Con held in Abu Dhabi, with the aim of providing gamers with a remarkable experience and offering an impressive range of innovative attractions. We are proud to witness the popularity and positive feedback from our users towards the AppGallery offerings, as it validates our dedication to fostering innovative collaborations and delivering exceptional experiences. This further motivates us to continue our efforts towards providing the best possible services to our users.’’ said Mr. William Hu, Managing Director of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa Eco Development and Operation.

HUAWEI AppGallery is the official Huawei app and game distribution platform, and comes pre-installed on all Huawei smartphones.

SNA and ANA Launch a New Warranty Program to Guarantee Mercedes-Benz Used Cars

Star National Automotive Company (SNA) and Alexandria National Automotive Company (ANA) announced the launch of “Star Back Warranty” program, designed to provide customers with an unparalleled opportunity of regaining a new warranty for used car models starting from 2017 to 2023. The program will span a period of two years.

The launch of this program serves as a substantial part of SNA and ANA’s robust strategy that prioritizes its customer experience, and places it at the top of its objectives, given that the company is keen on often enhancing it, through providing the best programs and services with the latest technological solutions to meet their expectations and needs. In light of the global economic challenge, the company strives to protect its customers’ investments in their Mercedes-Benz cars.

When it comes to the applied conditions to benefit from the “Star Back Warranty” program, the most important of which is that the car should not exceed the age of 7 years, from the starting date of the original warranty. Additionally, the car’s mileage should not exceed 150,000 km, so the car owners can get a two-year warranty period like the manufacturer’s warranty.

In this context, Mr. Yasser Saleh, CEO of National Automotive Company, stated: “For more than 35 years, since the beginning of our establishment, we have been pursuing an ambitious strategy that ultimately focuses on providing everything new to our customers in the Egyptian market, and that is through offering worldclass luxurious cars, coupled with periodic maintenance services of high quality. We also seek to maintain our leadership in providing advanced services, to improve and generate beneficial customer experience.”

Yasser added that National Automotive Company has granted an extended warranty of 5 years, since 2022, to any Mercedes-Benz car sold by the group “SNA & ANA”. It is a two-year manufacturing warranty and a three-year Extended Star Warranty to meet the needs of our customers and provide the support needed.

Eng. Fabio Ramos, After Sales Director at SNA and Alexandria National Automotive, confirmed: “We are always working and keen on pioneering the automotive sector, for that reason, we constantly dedicate special attention to introduce distinguished services, the latest technologies, devices, and advanced equipment that are present across our 7 service centers, located all over Egypt.

Auc’s Cairo International Model United Nations Sweeps New York Conference With Highest Number Of Awards

The Cairo International Model United Nations (CIMUN) team of The American University in Cairo (AUC) won the highest number of awards at the National Model United Nations in New York (NMUN) held in April. Representing Nigeria and Montenegro, the 37-person team took home an impressive 14 awards, making AUC the most-awarded university at the conference.Within those achievements, the team won two Outstanding Delegation Awards — the highest award a university can achieve— for their group representation of Nigeria and Montenegro, making AUC the only university to receive not just one but two Outstanding Delegation Awards at the conference. In addition, the AUC delegates won 12 individual awards across multiple councils, including the Human Rights Council, General Assembly, UN Environment Assembly, UN Economic Commission for Africa, International Atomic Energy Agency, Commission on the Status of Women, and Commission Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

Walid Kazziha, political science professor at AUC and CIMUN’s faculty adviser, commended the hard work put in by all those involved. “My sincere thanks goes to all colleagues and staff members who helped prepare CIMUN for its great success,” he said. “Above all, we owe our students and their High Board a word of gratitude and true recognition for the relentless efforts they have made to maintain the high standards we always demand of them.”

Getting ready for this conference took more than six months of practice and a rigorous selection process that included interviews as well as mock conferences and position paper writing. The preparation phase comprised general training sessions for the delegation overall as well as more specific training and strategies for the different councils, in addition to researching foreign policy and identifying key international agreements to support the team’s stance.

“This year, the majority of our delegates were freshmen and had never experienced a conference of this scale before. This made the preparation process longer and more challenging, which made the victory at the end even more rewarding. That was what was most special about the CIMUN victory this year,” said Ali Hussein, economics major and CIMUN organization committee head.

Farid Hani, economics major with a minor in international relations and CIMUN undergraduate academic adviser, said: “It was our target to truly make an impact and prepare the next generation of leaders to partake in this rigorous and prestigious conference. What really made a difference despite our delegation’s young age was their spirit, dedication and eagerness to learn.”

Ramses Hilton Contributes to the Egyptian Clothing Bank

As part of Ramses Hilton commitment towards believing in the importance of social and governmental impact to serve the community. The Blue Energy committee led by Kevin Brett - Hotel General Manager - motivated the

employees to participate by donating their unneeded clothes, to the Egyptian Clothing Bank, to share the happiness of Eid spirit with the families and children who are in need.

Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation and Mercedes-Benz Egypt Join Forces to Establish the New Global Heart Centre in 6th of October

The Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation announced its latest cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Egypt to establish the new global heart centre in 6th of October. The aim of this cooperation is to increase the number of patients receiving healthcare services with the help of the new facility. Led by Ingenuity, Mercedes-Benz Egypt is committed to making a difference in communities where it operates, positively impacting future generations, and achieving a transformative impact on the lives of Egyptians. The luxury brand’s cooperation with MYF will support the Foundation’s ambitious humanitarian efforts including improving the lives of the many people affected by heart disease, including children, and delivering free-of-charge healthcare services and providing advanced medical training to healthcare staff. The foundation also offers the most innovative treatments to thousands of Egyptians who live with heart diseases, and this cooperation is meant to help develop the healthcare system in Egypt.

The announcement of the cooperation protocol came during Mercedes-Benz Egypt’s visit to The Aswan Heart Centre. The purpose of the visit was to gain firsthand experience of the healthcare services offered by the center to heart and cardiovascular patients, and to learn more about the scientific and medical research performed by the center’s most prominent cardiologists to increase the cure rates of heart diseases in Egypt. These studies are published in some of the most prestigious medical periodicals around the world. During the visit, representatives from Mercedes-Benz Egypt also met with Doctor Sir Magdi Yacoub and acclaimed his exemplary role in improving healthcare services in the country.

Nader Nassif, the Development Consultant at the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, stated that the foundation strives to increase the number of heart patients who benefit from their services. He added that the foundation offers its services free-of-charge to as many Egyptians as possible, in addition to training doctors and medical staff on the latest treatment protocols of heart diseases, to help elevate the standard of

healthcare services. Nassif also emphasized the importance of the role played by the private sector in supporting humanitarian, charity, medical foundations and NGOs, in order to expand their charitable causes and magnify the impact of their efforts.

Dina El Gazzar, the Vice President for Development and Fundraising at The Magdi Yacoub Foundation, added that Mercedes-Benz Egypt will contribute to accelerating the construction pace of the new Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in 6th of October. She noted that phase I of the center will be completed by Q1 of 2024, aiming to eradicate the waiting list of patients who need to receive urgent medical attention. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Mercedes-Benz Egypt for their valuable role, which will help them to treat thousands of patients every year.

The Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation currently offers freeof-charge healthcare services to more than 40,000 people suffering from heart and cardiovascular diseases every year. With the help of the new hospital, they aim to triple this number. The new hospital is projected to serve more than 120,000 patients and perform 12,000 operations, 60% of which will be on children. In addition, it will provide medical hand-on training to more than 1500 cardiologists and surgeons.

City Edge Developments Unveils V40: A Landmark Project Redefining New Cairo with EGP10 Billion Investments

City Edge Developments announced the launch of its highly anticipated project, V40 in New Cairo, representing a strategic expansion policy aimed at encompassing diverse regions across the country and capitalizing on the burgeoning demand for real estate in Egypt as a secure investment opportunity. The project’s units consist of panoramic villas, perfectly positioned to overlook expansive green spaces, natural landscapes, serene water bodies, and crystalline lakes, evoking an enchanting ambiance.

Spanning an impressive 40 acres, V40 dedicates 20 acres to residential villas, encompassing 72 meticulously crafted homes occupying a built-up area of 10,000 square meters, accounting for 12.5% of the total land area. The remaining 87.5% is devoted to verdant gardens, captivating natural surroundings, pristine water features, and shimmering lakes that gracefully envelop the project from every angle. The remaining 20 acres will be transformed into a magnificent commercial, administrative, and recreational haven, offering a contemporary lifestyle experience.

Strategically positioned in New Cairo, at the intersection of North 90th and South 90th Streets, V40 enjoys unrivaled proximity to esteemed educational institutions, such as the American University and Future University, as well as conveniently located monorail station, ensuring seamless connectivity within the city. Collaborating with globally renowned and locally esteemed consultancy firms, including Design International and Mimar Architects, City Edge Developments has spared no effort in ensuring the project’s realization, with villa deliveries expected after a meticulous construction period of 3.5 years.

Mohamed El-Dahan, CEO of City Edge Developments, expressed his excitement about the project, stating, “V40 marks our momentous entry into New Cairo. With a planned investment of EGP 10 billion, City Edge Developments is poised to make a substantial contribution. The remarkable sales achievements in the first quarter of 2023, reaching an impressive EGP 5 billion, have propelled us to embark on this remarkable endeavor. This forms a crucial part of our ambitious plans to achieve contractual sales throughout the current year, with a projected total of EGP 25 billion by year-end.” He further highlighted the Egyptian real estate market’s irresistible allure as an investment destination, driven by a steadfast and unwavering demand. City Edge Developments, boasting an extensive and diverse portfolio of exceptional residential, administrative, and commercial projects, has emerged as the coveted choice for those seeking unparalleled living experiences.

Celebrates the 15th Anniversary of its Partnership with the Egyptian Red Crescent

Carrefour

Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Egypt, is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its partnership with the Egyptian Red Crescent. The ongoing collaboration has supported over 900,000 beneficiaries in Egypt, with Carrefour’s contributions totalling EGP 10 million.

On occasion of the anniversary, Philippe Peguilhan, Country Manager of Majid Al Futtaim Retail in Egypt, affirmed: “We are immensely grateful for the 15-year partnership we have established with the Egyptian Red Crescent. This enduring collaboration has enabled us to empower and provide essential humanitarian aid to communities in Egypt and across the region. As we renew our commitment, we will continue driving positive change within the communities we operate in.”

The partnership has accomplished notable achievements over the years. It provided crucial support to Egyptian communities during the COVID-19 global health emergency, earning Carrefour recognition from the Ministry of Social Solidarity as the most active retail brand in assisting the Egyptian Red Crescent’s activities during the pandemic.

In addition, the partnership provided humanitarian aid to victims of the 2020 Beirut disaster and contributed to

relief efforts for the 2023 Syria-Turkey earthquake victims – demonstrating the leading retailer’s fast and effective role in effecting change. Other initiatives have been launched by Carrefour in direct response to the needs of the local community – from providing free medical care and food donations, to improving employability skills.

Ramy El Nazer, Chief Executive Officer of the Egyptian Red Crescent, added: “Today we celebrate 15 years of cooperation with Carrefour Egypt. This collaboration has served thousands of vulnerable people nationally and internationally. Together, we maintain hope and dignity in the midst of despair to people in vulnerable situations without distinction or thought of personal gain. Everything we do comes from the heart, and our only purpose is serving humanity.”

The milestones achieved throughout the 15-year partnership are a testament to Carrefour’s unwavering commitment to the communities in which it operates. Together, Carrefour and the Egyptian Red Crescent pledge to continue their journey in driving positive change, providing critical support and launching powerful awareness campaigns for vulnerable communities.

Egytrans Board approves NOSCO acquisition deal

Egytrans, a leading provider of logistics and transportation solutions, announced that the board of directors, during its meeting, voted unanimously to approve a deal to acquire 99.9% of the share capital of National Transport and Overseas Services Company (NOSCO), a leading company in land transport and specialized transport for mega-projects.

“The Board of Directors of Egytrans approved the acquisition deal and unanimously decided to proceed with the required legal steps starting with holding the Extraordinary General Assembly meeting of the company’s shareholders on May 14th to discuss the terms of the deal and obtain final approval on the deal implementation mechanism,” stated Mohamed Gamal Moharam, Chairman of Egytrans. “We believe this transaction will be completed smoothly as all parties believe in the potential of this deal and its benefit for the ambitious growth and expansion strategies of both companies, creating sustainable value for our shareholders and increasing long-term profitability,” added Moharam.

Moharam added that upon the approval of Egytrans shareholders, the deal will be executed through exchanging one share of Egytrans’ capital for 0.0447 shares of NOSCO capital, while increasing Egytrans’ capital to around 224.9 million pounds, noting that the Board of Directors approved the acquisition at the fair value per share in accordance with an independent valuation by Archer Financial Advisors of EGP 58.033 EGP per share for NOSCO, and EGP 2.594 per share for Egytrans.

“We are in the process of completing a landmark deal that serves Egytrans’ expansion and growth strategy, through integration of the expertise and capabilities of the two companies, especially in the field of project logistics and land transport,” said Abir Leheta, CEO of Egytrans. “Through this step, we aim to maintain the leadership position of both companies within the transport and logistics sector and build on it, all while strengthening the executive and operational capabilities of the group. We strive to leverage NOSCO’s capabilities, especially its extensive fleet and technical experience to achieve maximum operational growth and target larger logistics opportunities and projects, in addition to expanding geographically and operationally across local, regional and global markets,” added Leheta.

Leheta further highlighted the importance for NOSCO of entering into the Egytrans group of companies, which is listed and traded on the Egyptian Stock Exchange and enjoys wide geographical presence in the Egyptian market, in addition to a diverse service mix within an industry set to grow considerably within the coming decade, driven by the increasing demand on logistics and transport.

On the evident operational synergies resulting from the integration of the two businesses, Major General Mazen Nadim, Chairman of NOSCO stated: “We are looking forward to the developments that such a deal will bring about, in addition to its role in accelerating the expansion and growth plans for both parties. We operate in a rapidly growing industry driven by economies of scale as well as increasing demand. Therefore, NOSCO’s entry into this deal, as one of the largest land

transport and specialized mega-project transport providers will support Egytrans in capitalizing on large-scale logistics opportunities.”

Mohamed Nadim, Managing Director of NOSCO, also commented: “We look forward to completing this strategic deal and beginning to merge our activities with Egytrans, one of the leading companies in project logistics and freight forwarding, benefiting from its diversified capabilities and the operational synergies between the two companies. NOSCO’s extensive fleet and accumulated expertise will add to the overall strength of the group, especially in the field of heavy transport operations for mega projects. Since our aim is to make this a strong beginning on many levels, both teams are working together to formulate our joint business development plans in order to begin implementation as soon as the transitional period is completed.”

Transaction Overview

This transaction would see Egytrans acquiring 2,999,971 shares, representing 99.9% of NOSCO’s share capital, noting that the execution of the transaction will be performed through a share swap of 67,112,933 shares of Egytrans capital by increasing Egytrans’ issued capital at fair value of EGP 2.594 per share. The transaction allocates 67,112,933 shares to NOSCO shareholders.

The transaction is conditional on the approval of the shareholders of Egytrans during an extraordinary general assembly meeting set to approve the fair value of each party’s shares, in accordance with the independent valuation by Archer Financial Advisor (Archer Finance) and associated Auditor’s reports. Additionally, the meeting is set to approve Egytrans’ capital increase at fair value, as well as authorizing Egytrans’ Board of Directors to amend articles 7 & 8 according to the subscription results.

The board authorized Chief Executive Officer Abir Leheta in signing the share swap agreement, and Chairman Mohamed Gamal Moharam in calling for the Extraordinary General Assembly meeting including taking all necessary legal measures to determine the date and place and the meeting agenda following the approval of the Egyptian Stock Exchange to publish the disclosure report on its trading screens and proceed with the capital increase procedures.

The board also authorized CEO Abir Leheta to take all necessary measures to implement any amendments to the disclosure report that may be required by the Stock Exchange (EGX) or the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA). Leheta may also delegate authority to others to carry out the mentioned procedures and handle requests from EGX or FRA in submitting and receiving all documents related to the disclosure report.

Important Additional Information

The transaction is conditional on the approval of the shareholders of Egytrans and NOSCO. The transaction is also conditional on receipt of the relevant regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Further details on the impact of the acquisition will be communicated subject to the outcome of the above.

Farewell, Egypt’s Butterfly

Egytian first ever prima ballerina Magda Saleh passed away in June at the age of 79. Born to an Egyptian father and Scottish mother, Saleh was fascinated with ballet at an early age and enrolled in the ballet section of the Alexandria Conservatory before receiving a scholarship to study at the Arts Educational School, Tring, Hertfordshire, UK in 1956. She graduated from the Bolshoi Academy of Ballet in Moscow, and was well known for her partnership with late director and dancer Abdel Moneim Kamel at the Cairo Ballet Company in Egypt.

She participated in several international ballet competitions and received numerous national and international awards and scholarships. The 1977 documentary “Egypt Dances” narrated by Saleh and famously presenting the various significant stages in the prima ballerina’s life features Saleh’s journey in Egypt through which she created numerous dancing techniques and skills. The film also chronicles traditional folk dances that were well established at the time in Aswan, Upper Egypt and the oases.