Newsletter: Gulf MBS visits Egypt as Houthi attacks escalate Squeezed by Houthi advances in the south and attacks on its main pipeline from the north, Riyadh is combining military pressure, regional coordination and diplomacy. By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Saudi Arabia’s MBS visits Egypt as Red Sea crisis with Houthis escalates Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Egypt at a time the kingdom faces repeated Houthi attacks, while the Iranian-backed rebels close in on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening maritime security. Egypt
Turkey’s defense giants court Egypt at Alamein Airshow: What to know Three leading Turkish defense companies are participating in the El Alamein Airshow as Ankara seeks new sales and closer military-industrial cooperation with Egypt. Turkey
Newsletter: FutureVerse China holds its ground in Middle East AI race Last Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Egypt for the first time in a decade, with the trip coinciding with efforts by Beijing to expand its AI footprint in the country. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse LEAP’s comeback By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis How Ethiopia’s new dams test Egypt’s ability to defend its Nile red lines By Eli Siegel-Bernstein
Is anyone happy with Egypt's new medicine prices? Egypt has agreed to raise price caps on some of the cheapest locally produced medications rather than lose access to the drugs altogether, but the move has come at a political cost. Egypt
Egypt's Education Ministry rocked by high school cheating scandal As national high school exams in Egypt are canceled and others are disqualified, a freshman high school student boasted that he would continue leaking exams and answer sheets until the educational system is reformed. Egypt
Who’s really benefiting from Sinai’s state of emergency? Terrorists are turning the tables and making the most of curfews and restrictions in North Sinai. Egypt
Can Saudis ease Egypt-Qatar tension after Al Jazeera death sentences? Saudis want to bridge the divide between Qatar and Egypt so that its Sunni coalition can focus on Iran. Saudi Arabia
Why Turkey is striking out on the diplomatic field Despite some diplomatic gestures by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his new prime minister, it appears Turkey's isolation and desperation in foreign policy will continue. Egypt
Egypt condemns Orlando attack, yet continues crackdown on LGBT citizens Egypt's LGBT activists, who once had high hopes that the January 25 Revolution would bring about a greater openness for gays in Egypt, have been sorely disappointed by the actions against them under the Sisi administration. Egypt
How Egypt plans to address its growing water crisis As Egypt faces its worst water crisis in 100 years, farmers are stuck between their need to cultivate cash-generating crops that require a lot of water and the Egyptian state's ban on water-thirsty crops. Egypt
Former Egypt FM says US election outcome won't dictate US-Arab ties In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy says that "the future of Arab-American affairs is 70% controlled by the Arab world and 30% in the hands of the United States," and hence does not depend on the next US president. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt stop listing religion on official IDs? The draft bill to remove the religion field from national IDs and official documents sparked a debate among Egyptians, with some supporting the decision as it would eliminate discrimination and others arguing that it would further entrench sectarian tension. Egypt
Egypt launches new initiative to control goods prices during Ramadan In light of the difficult economic situation in Egypt, the Ministry of Supply announced May 20 the implementation of the initiative known as “Ahlan Ramadan,” offering goods at low prices. Egypt
Will this mobile library drive Egyptian kids to read? An Egyptian teacher has been roaming the villages of Egypt in his vehicle, distributing books and telling stories, in a bid to bridge the cultural gap between the villages and cities. Egypt
Will Arab-American voters rally around Clinton? Arab-Americans tend to vote Democratic in presidential elections, but will the community coalesce around Hillary Clinton despite the attraction of Bernie Sanders’ views on the Middle East? Palestine
