Category: Egypt

Saudi Arabia’s Sela, a Public Investment Fund company, and Egypt’s Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) have launched a strategic consortium to create and manage an integrated entertainment ecosystem and live events in Egypt.

The agreement was launched in the presence of Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA).

Under the partnership, Sela will lead the development and operation of live experiences and events, including venue operations, festivals, concerts, and on-ground execution. TMG will act as the destination and community partner, leveraging its real estate assets, hospitality platforms, and large-scale communities across Egypt.

The consortium plans to deliver a range of entertainment and cultural offerings, including concerts, festivals, seasonal events, family experiences, theatre and comedy shows, and sports events. A flagship initiative under the agreement is “The Corridor,” a cross-border entertainment platform connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt through a curated lineup of cultural and entertainment events.

Sela Managing Director Dr. Rakan Alharthy said the consortium marks a new milestone in the company’s international presence.

“Our entry into Egypt through a strategic consortium of this scale reflects a natural progression in Sela’s regional expansion, building on Saudi expertise that has proven its strength in leading global markets and can now contribute to the wider region’s entertainment landscape,” Alharthy said.

“At Sela, we are driven by a clear vision to redefine experiences by developing destinations, events, and content that leave a lasting impact extending beyond the moment,” he added.

Hisham Talaat Moustafa, Group CEO and Managing Director of Talaat Moustafa Holding Group, said the collaboration aims to drive a qualitative shift across entertainment, culture, arts, and sports in Egypt.

Moustafa said the consortium supports the group’s vision of developing vibrant communities that offer a sustainable quality of life, create added economic value, contribute to recurring revenue growth, and position its urban communities as attractive destinations on the regional and global entertainment tourism map.

The consortium combines Sela’s background in experience design, event management, and content creation with TMG’s capabilities in residential, commercial, and hospitality development.

Founded in 1997 as the first Saudi company accredited by FIFA for athlete representation, Sela has since expanded into sports marketing, live experiences, destination development, and event management. The company has developed and operated destinations including Boulevard City, Boulevard World, Via Riyadh, Jeddah Superdome, and the Jeddah Yacht Club, while expanding into major global cities, including London and Las Vegas.

Talaat Moustafa Group, operating for nearly 55 years, has developed fully integrated cities across Egypt, including Madinaty, Al Rehab, and Noor in East Cairo, and is currently developing SouthMED on Egypt’s North West Coast. The group also holds international projects in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Its hospitality portfolio comprises 16 hotels operated under brands including Four Seasons, Kempinski, Marriott, and Mandarin Oriental, totalling nearly 5,000 rooms and suites and accommodating approximately 1.5m visitors annually.

Ever noticed how some Egyptian movies closely resemble some of Hollywood’s popular ones? With so many stories getting executed over the years, it’s pretty hard to create an original plot nowadays when there’s that lingering feeling that everything’s been adapted already. Even when a movie does a fresh take to its own story, yet there’s that “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this before” feeling that goes around in your thoughts. 

But even if it’s purely coincidental, there’s still that assurance when you’re watching an Egyptian film and you’re more than certain you’ve seen this story played out before in a different project! The events are happening the same way, even in their chronological order. And even if the story feels altered quite a bit, there’s something odd about the characters’ mannerism, personalities, and goals that pretty much resemble their Hollywood counterparts.

Keda Reda — Matchstick Men

Fasel W Naood — Memento

Amir El Zalam — Scent Of A Woman

El Hasa El Sabea — What Women Want

1000 Mabrook — Groundhog Day

El Harb El Alameya El Talta — Night At The Museum

El Hob Keda — Are We There Yet?

Egypt, on Thursday, 21 May, condemned what it described as the inauguration of an alleged “embassy” for the “Republic of Somaliland” in occupied East Jerusalem, asserting that the move is illegal, rejected, and incompatible with international law. 

In its statement, Egypt stated the move violates the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem and reaffirmed its refusal to recognize any unilateral steps that aim to legitimize an “illegal reality” there.

The Egyptian government emphasized that East Jerusalem has been occupied Palestinian territory since 1967 and stressed that any attempts to alter its legal and historical status produce no legal effect. 

Egypt also underlined that East Jerusalem’s status as occupied Palestinian territory is reflected in relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242, 252, and 2334, which state that measures taken by Israel to change the city’s status have no legal validity and amount to a violation of international law. 

Alongside its position on Jerusalem, Egypt reiterated its “full support” for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, while rejecting any unilateral measures that undermine Somali unity or sovereignty. 

The condemnation was issued amid escalating diplomatic tensions following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in late 2025 and subsequent efforts to deepen political and security ties with the breakaway region. 

Egypt’s remarks also pointed to earlier moves in which Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland and held talks with officials in Hargeisa aimed at expanding cooperation in areas including trade and maritime security.

Egypt noted that Somaliland declared secession from Somalia in 1991, but that it remains unrecognized by the United Nations, the African Union, and the international community at large, while Mogadishu continues to regard the region as an integral part of Somali territory. 

Egypt’s government said it has increasingly strengthened ties with Somalia in parallel with rising regional tensions, including disputes involving Ethiopia and Somaliland that began after a memorandum of understanding signed in January 2024, which Somalia opposed as undermining its sovereignty.

In its statement, Egypt portrayed the condemnation of the Somaliland mission in occupied Jerusalem as consistent with its longstanding stance on both issues: rejecting Israeli actions that it says contradict international law regarding Jerusalem, and defending Somalia’s territorial integrity.

LIXIL Corporation reported a 22.9% increase in core earnings to ¥38.5 billion for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2026, driven by improved profitability across both its domestic Japanese and international operations despite a challenging global business environment.

Consolidated revenue for the water and housing products manufacturer rose 0.4% year-on-year to ¥1,510.7 billion. Net profit attributable to owners of the parent reached ¥8.1 billion, an improvement of ¥6.1 billion, supported by the core earnings growth and lower corporate income tax expenses, which offset increased finance costs and other expenses. EBITDA (core earnings plus depreciation and amortisation) increased by ¥7.1 billion to ¥121.6 billion.

“In the fiscal year ending March 2026, we achieved year-on-year growth in both revenue and profit despite the business environment remaining more challenging than anticipated,” LIXIL Chief Executive Officer Kinya Seto said. “Core earnings exceeded our initial forecast. In Japan, the decline in new housing demand was offset by growth in renovation sales, which has been a continuous area of focus, and resulted in higher profits across all segments.”

Seto added: “In our international business, we achieved a significant improvement in core earnings, particularly in Europe and IMEA. Our strategic initiatives, including structural reforms and our shift to high-value-added products, are progressing and steadily yielding results.”

The company’s overall core earnings margin improved by 0.5 percentage points to 2.5%. Total revenue for the Japan business increased by 0.5% to ¥1,023.4 billion, as renovation demand for water products and price optimisation offset the negative impact of declining new housing starts. International business revenue rose 0.3% to ¥520.9 billion, achieving growth through increased sales of fittings and faucets in Europe and expanding markets like the Middle East and India, despite continued weak demand in the U.S. and China.

Segment Performance

Within the company’s business segments, LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) Japan saw revenue increase 2.1% to ¥318.6 billion and core earnings rise 16.8% to ¥23.6 billion. The proportion of revenue from renovation-related sales grew by 1.8 percentage points to 57%.

LWT’s international revenue remained flat year-on-year at ¥492.5 billion, but core earnings jumped 31.2% to ¥21.8 billion due to an improved product mix and sales growth in Europe and the IMEA (India, Middle East, and Africa) region.

By region, European revenue grew 4% and core earnings 15%, driven by robust sales volumes of faucets and flushing systems in key markets including Germany. The IMEA region recorded a 15% revenue increase and a 4.3 times surge in core earnings, led by the GROHE brand’s strong performance, sustained Indian revenue growth, and strong Middle Eastern demand. Asia-Pacific revenue was flat. Americas revenue declined 4% due to a sluggish renovation market, although retail sales recovered and the region achieved core earnings profitability in the single month of March following structural reforms. Chinese revenue dropped 10% amid a continued real estate downturn.

LIXIL Housing Technology (LHT) recorded a marginal 0.3% revenue decrease to ¥525.7 billion, while core earnings increased 2.6% to ¥26.7 billion. Robust renovation sales and price optimisation secured the earnings increase despite lower new housing sales and a surge in aluminium prices.

The Living business, which handles kitchens, vanities, and interior materials, posted a 1.0% revenue increase to ¥207.6 billion and an 8.5% rise in core earnings to ¥7.8 billion.

Strategic Initiatives and Outlook

The company noted the steady adoption of its low-carbon aluminium “PremiAL” and the expansion of the product lineup for “revia,” a circular plastic waste material. LIXIL is also expanding initiatives to build a proprietary ecosystem for recycling aluminium scrap in collaboration with business partners.

“Based on the LIXIL Playbook, which outlines our management direction, we have been building a business foundation resilient to external changes,” Seto stated. “To address geopolitical risks such as the current situation in the Middle East, we are enhancing our agility to respond proactively to changes through the optimization of our supply chain. Furthermore, we have been strategically advancing the development and sales expansion of environmentally friendly and circular products that contribute to improved profitability and mitigate some supply chain risks. These include ‘PremiAL’, a low-carbon aluminum made primarily from scrap aluminum, and ‘revia’, which is made primarily from waste plastic. While the future outlook remains uncertain, we will continue our transformation to strengthen our profitability and achieve sustainable growth.”

For the fiscal year ending March 2027, LIXIL forecasts revenue of ¥1,600 billion, core earnings of ¥45 billion, and net profit of ¥12 billion. The company cautioned that this forecast relies on currently available information and does not incorporate potential financial impacts from heightened Middle East geopolitical risks, supply chain disruptions, soaring crude oil prices, and rising petroleum-based raw material costs, as they are currently difficult to reasonably calculate.

The company maintained its FYE2026 year-end dividend forecast at ¥45 per share. The annual dividend for FYE2027 is expected to remain steady at the previous year’s level of ¥90 per share.

Many popular novels have been adapted for the big screen and started spawning sequels thanks to their massive success. Some of Egypt’s most iconic films are based on famous literary works, including those written by Naguib Mahfouz, Ihsan Abdel Qudoos, and Tawfiq El Hakim among others. 

But what about the small screen? Many beloved dramas and comedies which have become staples of Egyptian culture are also based on literary works. Over the years, Egyptian drama has quietly built its own rich relationship with literature, turning novels and short stories into Ramadan classics, long-running family favorites, and socially driven dramas that continue to resonate with us over the years.

These series show how Egyptian novels and short stories continue to live beyond their covers, turning written works into familiar stories that we revisit year after year.

Swipe left to see your favorite series based on popular books:

Two Egyptians living in Italy, Osama Shalaby and his 20-year-old son Mohamed, have been widely praised after they helped stop the suspect behind the violent car-ramming attack in the Italian city of Modena on Saturday, 16 May.

The incident occurred when a man driving at high speed suddenly mounted the pavement in the busy city center of Modena in northern Italy. The driver hit several pedestrians, bicycles, and storefronts, leaving eight people injured, including victims who suffered very serious injuries.

According to Italian authorities, the attacker, identified as 31-year-old Salim El Koudri, continued driving through crowded streets before crashing into a shop window. Witnesses described scenes of panic as people ran to escape the speeding vehicle.

After the crash, the suspect reportedly got out of the car carrying a knife and tried to flee the area. At that moment, Shalaby and Mohamed chased after him together with several bystanders. Mohamed managed to confront the suspect and disarm him, while his father and others helped hold him until police officers arrived.

Italian media strongly praised the bravery of the Egyptian father and son. Reports described them as “heroes” who acted quickly despite the danger. Several newspapers and television channels highlighted how their actions may have prevented more injuries.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally visited Modena after the attack and thanked the citizens who intervened to stop the suspect. Italian President Sergio Mattarella also visited victims in the hospital and praised the courage shown by ordinary residents during the emergency.

Egypt’s ambassador to Italy, Bassam Radi, later honored Osama and his son for their courage and positive image of Egyptians abroad. The recognition received significant attention in both Egyptian and Italian media.

Italian reports also noted that the attack sparked a wider debate in Italy about immigration, social integration, and mental health. While some politicians tried to connect the attack to migration issues, Modena’s mayor emphasized that migrants themselves had helped stop the attacker, pointing specifically to the role played by the Egyptian father and son.

Speaking to the media, the father said, “We were not afraid. We are Egyptians and fear no one but God.”

Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, discussed expanding healthcare cooperation and exchanging expertise with his counterparts from Burkina Faso and Lebanon on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

In a statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Health said Abdel Ghaffar met with Robert Lucien to discuss cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine and drug production, and biotechnology.

The talks also covered capacity building for healthcare personnel through training and professional education, in addition to cooperation on disease prevention, epidemic surveillance, and emergency health response mechanisms.

The two sides further explored opportunities to exchange expertise in digital health systems and healthcare data management as part of broader African cooperation efforts in the health sector.

In a separate meeting, Abdel Ghaffar discussed bilateral cooperation with Rakan Nassereldine in areas including hospital management, medical training, and combating communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The Egyptian minister reaffirmed Cairo’s support for Lebanon in addressing ongoing health and humanitarian challenges and stressed Egypt’s readiness to provide medical and technical assistance in line with Lebanon’s needs.

According to the ministry, both sides agreed to organise a visit for a Lebanese health delegation to Egypt to review the country’s universal health insurance system and exchange technical and administrative expertise.

The meeting also reviewed Egypt’s previous support for Lebanon, including shipments of medicines, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid following recent crises, notably the Beirut port explosion.

The statement added that discussions covered the outcomes of an emergency meeting of Arab health ministers held in March 2026, which approved urgent support worth $200,000 for Lebanon’s health sector.

Both sides stressed the importance of continued coordination to strengthen regional health security and improve preparedness for emergencies and crises.

2006 was a crucial year in the Egyptian film industry, playing a pivotal role when it came to laying the foundation for the movies that followed. Not only that, but it also had a crucial role in shaping our identity and taste for those cozy aesthetics we’re still emotionally attached to until today. Whether they were lighthearted comedies, emotional dramas, or action-packed thrillers, 2006 was jam-packed with many great movies that still stick with us after all these years.

Now that it’s 2026, we decided to come up with a list of these movies not only to celebrate their impact, but also to address the elephant in the room: These movies are twenty years old! But just because they’re a relic of their time doesn’t mean we can stop watching them. We barely notice that two decades have passed since their release, reinforcing how timeless they are and why they’re always worth a rewatch. 

Wahed Men El Nas

Awqat Faragh

El Ghawas

Akher El Donya

Fi Mahatet Masr

1/8 Dastest Ashrar

Awdet El Nadla

Gaalatny Mogreman

Egypt has declared Saturday 25 April an official paid public holiday to mark Sinai Liberation Day, according to a statement issued by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Sunday 20 April.

The decision applies to employees across ministries, government entities, public authorities, local administration units, as well as public sector and state-owned companies.

Sinai Liberation Day is observed annually on 25 April, commemorating the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 and the restoration of Egyptian sovereignty over the territory under the Egypt–Israel peace treaty. 

The day remains one of Egypt’s key national occasions, symbolising the end of years of occupation following the 1967 war and the culmination of diplomatic and military efforts to regain the peninsula.

Egypt and the United Nations peacebuilding office have committed to expanding partnerships to combat illicit financial flows and transnational crime, citing the need for intensified international collaborative measures amid current global geopolitical tensions.

The commitment was outlined during a Sunday meeting between the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit and a delegation from the UN Office of Peacebuilding and Peace Support (PBPSO) headed by Assistant Secretary-General Elizabeth Spehar.

Discussions focused on the links between organised crime, corruption, and money laundering. The parties stressed the necessity of capacity building and enhancing the expertise of practitioners in the field, while placing a strategic priority on empowering women within the framework of combating corruption and other crimes.

Judge Ahmed Said Khalil, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian unit, said Egypt remains committed to strengthening its systems against money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. This commitment, he noted, is demonstrated through adherence to international standards issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in response to the challenges illicit financial flows pose to the integrity of the economic system.

Khalil highlighted the PBPSO’s efforts in promoting peacebuilding, consolidating stability in member states, and supporting the development of criminal justice systems. Stating that joint and collective action is the cornerstone of combating transnational crime, he emphasised Egypt’s role in promoting regional and international cooperation through its membership in specialised organisations.

During the visit, the Egyptian unit presented a video outlining its mandate and core competencies in accordance with Anti-Money Laundering Law No. 80 of 2002 and its subsequent amendments. The presentation detailed the unit’s contributions to professional development, institutional capacity building, and key milestones in its activities, alongside what it described as a successful track record in regional and international cooperation.

Both parties concluded the talks by assuring to intensify efforts to strengthen relevant institutional frameworks. They affirmed the importance of cross-border coordination to support the global movement against financial crimes, aiming to build institutional resilience against current challenges and encourage a more secure and stable environment at both regional and international levels.