Egyptian-Emirati company to manufacture a dual-fuel pickup, called EM

Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains how the latest cooperation agreement between the UAE and Egypt is a boon to Egypt. The Ministry of Military Production plans to establish an Egyptian/Emirati company to produce and manufacture cars that run on natural gas as well as gasoline with Egyptian labourers, Engineer Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, Minister of State for Mil...
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Understanding postmodern geopolitics

Ahmad Abdul-Rahman looks at how postmodern geopolitics differs from earlier days. The current geopolitical visions and strategies must be appropriate to the digital age. But although we can learn from these strategies and be guided by them, we need to innovate to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution- that is, the meeting of physical...
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Does privilege allow you to forget about other issues in the world?

By Lucia Dore Is it not time that those who live in a so-called developed country- those who are privileged - take time to celebrate the simple things in life rather than always striving to become ever more successful? - however that success is measured. I ask that question because I have been listening to many podcasts and reading articles over th...
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Egypt launches Fintech Hub; follows on from launch of Fintech Fund

The Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt announced the launch of the Financial Technology Center in the first quarter of 2022, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. The Central Bank of Egypt will launch the FinTech Hub in the first quarter of 2022. It will be called the new Financial Technology Center, and will be based in downtown Cairo. Its aim is to suppo...
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Egypt's strategic power has evolved by walking a tightrope of considerations

In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains how Egypt's international policies reveal how its strategic power has strengthened over the years. Foreign policy is the art of building and protecting interests and maintaining a balance of power. This balance means that each side realises that the major parties have the ability to deter the other. For t...
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China and Iran: what is the relationship about?

In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman asks about the extent to which China's relationship with Iran serves its geopolitical and economic interests. The latest agreement between China and Iran reinforces a strategic relationship whose dimensions go beyond economic goals. China is focusing its attention on geopolitics, pursuing policies that serve its i...
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Voters do not see Palestinian women in election campaign

Women covering their faces is an issue that many Western women find abhorrent. I am asked about this frequently having lived and worked in the Middle East for nearly a decade. Western women do not understand that a face covering is not always a symbol of oppression. Some of the strongest and outspoken women I have met wear the hijab and do not have...
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Israel returns looted archaeological artifacts to Egypt

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The relationship has gone from strength to strength especially recently with Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Israel has returned 95 looted archaeological artifacts to Egypt. This story explains what is happening. By Mohamed Sabry for Al Monitor December 15, 2021 Egypt receiv...
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Is the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine dead?

Israel plans projects in Jerusalem that will change the regional geopolitical map. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. The Israeli government plans to advance a plan to build thousands of housing units in Jerusalem as part of a broader plan aimed at bringing about a comprehensive and major change in the geopolitical map of the Middle East. This plan precl...
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Egyptian banks make big inroads in digital technology

Egyptian banks use financial technology to innovate. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman writes from Cairo. Egyptian banks have enhanced their digital services, especially since the corona pandemic. According to a statement by the Central Bank of Egypt, the National Bank of Egypt has implemented 13 programmes to enhance financial inclusion. These financing programm...
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Clashes between Iranian and Afghan forces. What is the reason?

There were clashes between Iranian and Afghan forces near the Iranian-Afghanistan border on Wednesday (1 December 2021), according to news reports. These clashes have not led to any casualties and have been described as a "misunderstanding". Iran is one of the few countries that has retained a diplomatic presence in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, de...
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Will Iran revive the nuclear deal with the US ?

In recent years, the West's relationship with Iran has not been easy, especially as regards to Iran's intentions to refine uranium. The West thought that Iran was "controlled" when the US and the EU came to a "nuclear' agreement with it. But it all went bad when the US unilaterally pulled out of the deal three years ago and imposed sanctions on the...
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UNDP: Recovery in Yemen possible despite fast-deteriorating situation

A report by the UNDP says that it is still possible for Yemen to recover even though it has been in a civil war for seven years. If the war were to stop now Yemen could eradicate extreme poverty within a generation. The findings of the report are outlined below. The report projects that in the last six years the crisis has caused Yemen to miss out ...
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Impact Investing in MENA

Impact investing is growing in popularity as more people seek good returns while investing ethically.  Lucia Dore summarises the results of a survey conducted between 2016 and 2021. According to Investopedia: "Impact investing is a general investment strategy that seeks to generate financial returns while also creating a positive social or env...
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Why the president of Tanzania visited Egypt

Many gains were achieved by the visit of the president of Tanzania to Egypt, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan's visit to Egypt on November 10 has affirmed the strength and importance of Egyptian-Tanzanian relations. Experts and diplomats stressed that the relations between Egypt and Tanzania have been very strong fo...
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How the Middle East contributes to the world

Ahmed Abdul-Rahman talks about the various cultures that are in the Middle East and the contribution it has made to the world. Most of the time, analysts and foreign and international policymakers lose sight of the fact that the Middle East has been very important in the development of human civilization. The ancient and diverse cultures and monoth...
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Will pragmatism by the Gulf countries mean relations with Syria are "normalised"?

I read this article with intrigue, interest and no surprise. The Arab Gulf countries are pragmatic. In 2013, a conference was held in Dubai at the Madinat Jumeriah – which I attended- hailing the end of the Assad regime. How would the country rebuild in the post-Assad era? Investors from across the Gulf were invited to attend the event. How the tid...
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The current approach to the Middle East explained

There needs to be a more realistic geopolitical approach to the Middle East, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. He explains how different approaches in the region have affected the Arab world and what should be done to ensure a better outcome. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Arab world was dominated by the "politics of axes". The Middle East region and its...
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Major trade agreements link Egypt to the African continent

Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains how Egypt's link to the African continent will benefit Egypt and the African continent. Egypt is always trying to create more cooperation and trade interdependence with the countries of the African continent. To achieve this goal, it has signed a number of economic and trade agreements, such as COMESA (Common Market for ...
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Lebanon's woes keep getting worse

While I was reading about Middle East air travel- which is down 67 per cent on pre-Covid levels- I was prompted to read about Lebanon. On top of its many disasters- a continuously falling Lebanese pound, a recession, an only recently formed government, and on-going corruption across the country, the Covid-19 pandemic, now it has a spat with Saudi A...
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