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
Are Turkey, Saudi Arabia working together against Iran? Analysts fear that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being dragged into Saudi Arabia's anti-Iran Sunni bloc. Saudi Arabia
Enas Hamed on why she writes Al-Monitor contributor Enas Hamed shares her thoughts on journalism. Egypt
10 Middle East artists to watch Many female artists in the Middle East and North Africa are redefining their mediums. Bahrain
Egypt closes 27,000 places of worship The Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowment has shuttered 27,000 local places of worship under the pretext of fighting terrorism, while awarding 400 preaching permits to Salafists. Egypt
Egypt’s terrorism law whittles down opposition Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a new decision regarding Egypt’s anti-terrorism law, running the risk of labeling most opposition groups and human rights organizations as terrorist entities. Egypt
Egypt's Faten Hamama was more than movie star Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, who died Jan. 17, was behind the amendment of the Egyptian Personal Status Law, allowing women to file for divorces. Egypt
Qatar rejects Egypt’s war on terrorism The Egyptian request to carry out, under international cover, airstrikes against Islamic State strongholds in Libya was rejected by Qatar, which reveals the emergence of new alliances in the Middle East. Qatar
Are Egypt's women really better off under Sisi? Life for women in Egypt has improved significantly under the reign of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi compared to the era of the Muslim Brotherhood, although some female activists say that women still have a long way to go toward emancipation. Egypt
Sinai residents feel betrayed by Egyptian media The Egyptian media has been accused of trivializing the situation in Sinai, which either castigates or ignores residents while they are being beheaded by Islamic extremists for cooperating with the army in its anti-terrorism campaign against them. Egypt
Is Congress backing Sisi's battle against Islamists? Lawmakers declined to grill Secretary of State John Kerry on military assistance to Egypt. Egypt
Female genital mutilation persists in rural Egypt Although the practice of female genital mutilation in Egypt has decreased, the phenomenon is still omnipresent in villages, prompting civil society and the government to initiate a campaign to raise awareness. Egypt
Congress starts to question UN arms embargo on Libya The shift follows a heavy push by Egypt and Jordan after the Islamic State beheading of Coptic Christians. Egypt
