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CAIRO – 12 December 2019: Attending the World Youth Forum last year was the first time Nigerian business strategist Rilwan Akeyewaleis ever visited Egypt. He said the event provided an opportunity to connect with great minds, business partners and experts from all over the world.

This year, Akeyewaleis is preparing to participate in the third edition of the forum set to kick off on Dec.14 in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Akeyewaleis is a financial analyst and the CEO of TechPlan Africa (techplan.africa), a thriving consulting firm that helps African tech startups write professional business plans and financial models.


Nigerian business strategist Rilwan Akeyewaleis - Photo courtesy of Rilwan Akeyewaleis

“I am attending the WYF as one of the delegates for the African Presidential Leadership Program (APLP), cohort 3. The WYF 2019 is the official opening program for the cohort 3 APLP,” he said in an interview with Egypt Today.

In 2018, Akeyewaleis was a panelist in the workshop titled "The Role of Entrepreneurs and Startups in Global Economic Growth".

“Egypt has an important role to play in the realization of Africa's Agenda 2063. The country is not only beautiful and peaceful; it is also blessed with beautiful and hospitable people. From my discussion with my Egyptian friends, I also discovered that the country is very easy to do business in,” he commented.

Akeyewaleis believe programs like the WYF have shown the rest of Africa, and indeed the entire world that the leadership of Egypt is a good listener to the voice of the young people. “It also convinces foreign investors that the new Africa, under the leadership of President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, is open to, and ready for, investments and partnerships.”


Nigerian business strategist Rilwan Akeyewaleis - Photo courtesy of Rilwan Akeyewaleis

He explained that, this year, he looks forward to more solution-oriented discussions on issues around economy and trade in Africa, bearing in mind the recent updates in the various economic blocks.

Regarding the themes he is interested in during this edition of the forum, he mentioned Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence, Block Chain, Women Empowerment and Startup Lab.

Akeyewaleis is a former KPMG associate, a World Economic Forum contributor on AfCFTA, and a Tony Elumelu Foundation alumnus.

About TechPlan, he said “we help African tech startups make better informed decisions, based on tailored, well-researched data. Our team of vastly-experienced professionals have helped tech and tech-enabled African startups raise over $5,000,000 in the last year.”

He further added that part of their plan at TechPlan Africa is to open an office in Cairo to work with startups in the Egyptian ecosystem.

CAIRO – 12 December 2019: Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria said the World Youth Forum (WYF) held annually in Egypt reflects the president’s care about youth.

The third edition of the World Youth Forum is set to be held in South Sinai’s Sharm el-Sheikh from Dec. 14-17, under the auspices of the Egyptian Presidency.

In an interview with Egypt Today published on Thursday, Pope Tawadros II hailed the forum’s management of theatrical shows set to be presented starting December 13 with the opening, to bring together promising artists from all over the world to present their talents and represent their cultures through a variety of cultural and artistic activities.

He also praised the plans to host Sophia, the most advanced robot and first artificially intelligent (AI) robot to be granted a citizenship, saying that such thoughts all keep up with the times.

The World Youth Theater activities begin on Dec. 13 with a number of shows for Rola Zaki from Egypt, the Mozar team from Morocco, robot Sophia, the Horse Band from Egypt, Fatmir Mura from Albania, Kuana Adebisi from USA, and Marisa Hamamoto and Piort Iwanicki from Poland and USA. This is in addition to a theatrical performance which witnesses the participation of 16 different nationalities.

On December 15, shows of the Brass Band Sound from Egypt, Pou from New Zealand, Wazih from Cameroon, Ashra Kunwar from Nepal, and Iheb and Dana oud duo from Tunisia and Jordan will take place at the theatre.

On the same day, the Horse Band from Egypt, Kuana Adebisi from the United States of America, and Veroniq from Russia will perform.

The World Youth Theater concludes its shows on December 16 with the performances of Mazeek Band from Egypt, Maritta Hallsni from Lebanon, Ghalia Benali from Tunisia and Kateryna Olkhovyk from Ukraine.

Additional reporting by Mustafa Marie

CAIRO – 12 December 2019: Al-Ahly continued the impressive run at the Egyptian League as the team defeated Wadi Degla 3-0 on Wednesday night to achieve 15 points after five games.

This victory equaled the club’s best run at the league's history with five victories at the first five weeks.

The two teams had many chances to score at the first half but all attempts were broken by the two defensive lines and the amazing performance from the two goalkeepers.

At the second half, Al-Ahly dominated the game and Ramadan Sobhy granted his team an early lead after he followed Hussein El Shahat’s shot and dribbled two defenders and his shot found the target to make the score 1-0.

El Shahat was the unknown soldier behind the team’s second goal as he provided a wonderful assist to Walid Azarro, giving the Moroccan striker an easy tap-in from close range.

Ahmed El Sheikh scored Al-Ahly’s third goal seconds before the final whistle to secure his team’s comfortable 3-0 victory.

Al-Ahly gained 15 points after five games to secure a temporary lead to the Egyptian League table.

CAIRO - 12 December 2019: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and his Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne probed on Wednesday means of boosting bilateral relations in numerous fields to serve the best interest and the benefit of their nations.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said this took place on the sidelines of Aswan Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development that kicked off in the morning.

Talks between the two top diplomats covered ways to beef up economic and trade ties with Shoukri expressing his wish for increasing Canadian investments in the Egyptian market, the spokesmen added.

The meeting also took up regional and international issues of mutual concern, especially counterterrorism efforts and the latest developments in the Middle East region, he said.

CAIRO - 12 December 2019: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday expressed Egypt's willingness to cooperate with Senegal, as a country that spreads moderate Islamic thought in West Africa region, to combat extremist ideology, the Presidency said in a statement.

Meeting with Senegalese President Macky Sall on the sidelines of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development held in Egypt for the first time, Sisi affirmed Egypt's readiness to foster bilateral relations with Senegal in various fields, especially trade exchange, investment, developing infrastructure, the provision of technical support, and capacity building, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement.

For his part, Sall hailed the continuous progress in the relations between the two African countries,

Sall expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian leadership and people.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed on enhancing the role of the delegation of Al-Azhar, Egypt's highest religious authority, in Senegal, and granting scholarships to the Senegalese students to study in Egypt. In this regard, Sall hailed the role of Al-Azhar to combat extremist ideology worldwide.

The meeting also discussed the developments of the issues in Africa, especially in light of Egypt's chairmanship of the African Union this year. The two leaders have agreed to continue coordination on these issues, including the situation in West Africa region.


President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets with Senegalese President Macky Sall on the sidelines of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development held in Egypt – Courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency
In April this year, President Sisi visited the Senegalese capital of Dakar, where he also met with Sall. Sisi said that he and Sall held “fruitful and in-depth bilateral discussions” that tackled the ways of developing and enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries on political, economic and security levels.

Sisi opened Wednesday the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, the first to be held in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, the capital of African youth.

A number of African heads of state and government, as well as officials, are taking part in the event meant to open new channels toward achieving peace and sustainable development in the continent.

The two-day forum comes upon an initiative by Sisi after assuming the chairmanship of the African Union.

CAIRO – 12 December 2019: The Secretary-General of Muslim World League, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa, received the prestigious, International Al-Hasan ibn Ali prize on Wednesday, December 11th, during the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies from the Emirati minister of tolerance, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Issa received the prize for his efforts to globally promote peace and tolerance, with the presence of the Chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council and the head of the forum Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah.



The sixth annual assembly of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies took place in Abu Dhabi from December 9th to 11th, 2019. The Forum saw the participation of 45 faith leaders and advocates of tolerance, a number of representatives of the United Nations, decision-makers and influential figures from international civil society organizations and non-profit organisations.

This International prize aims to honor the actions with positive and touching impact on the promotion of peace and tolerance in the world, as named after one of the iconic Islamic figures, the Great companion Al-Hasan ibn Ali.

The organizers of the International Forum for Promoting Peace and Tolerance said that Sheikh Issa is a global person who’s known for his unique academic status and his expertise that Earned him the ability to have influential dialogues and debates with several political and religious establishments in the world.

Sheikh Issa said that the Forum was far-sighted when it picked religions to discuss their role in promoting peace and tolerance, sending a message to all religious and spiritual leaders in order to act according to their ethical responsibility.

He pointed out that forgiveness is an inherent value of Islam, and tolerance begins when patience is shown to understand the difference, then seeking as much as possible to turn the concept of abstract difference into diversity and enrichment.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: Dec. 11 marks the birthday of the legendary late writer Naguib Mahfouz.

Author of 34 novels, over 350 short stories, five plays and dozens of movie scripts, Mahfouz was, by all means, the most disciplined writer ever. He wrote for one hour daily throughout his 70-year career, smoked three cigarettes per day and walked by the Nile every morning.

He met weekly with the new generation of writers, artists, and readers through an informal seminar, which is a habit he developed in the 1950s.



At the age of 82, Mahfouz was stabbed in the neck in 1994 by an extremist in an assassination attempt following a huge wave of hatred after the fatwah (Religious statement) issued by Ayat Allah Khomeini of Iran against Arab/English author Salman Rushdi over his famous book “Satanic Verses”.

The controversy came from his design of the character Gebleway a wealthy landowner and a harsh father who is negligent to his descendants, leaving them in poverty and misery, and appointing the dark son Adham to run the business instead of Idris the eldest son.

The novel relays the story of Adam and Satan, then the quarrel between Satan and God, and later mentions the story of Kane and Abel where he kills his brother and the grandfather refuses to interfere.

The stories of the prophets of the main religions, Moses, Jesus and Mohamed, continue. He changes the names brilliantly with clear hints to which religious personality he is handling in each new chapter.

He avoids the miracles and humanizes the struggles in efforts to make the story about fighting for the rights of the poor who are all sons of Gebelawi and have equal rights to wealth.

Mahfouz was blunt in expressing his ideas; he discussed politics, history, and philosophy in his novels. He covered a lot of subjects such as socialism, homosexuality, and God. Mahfouz's novels were informative and showed the development of Egypt in the 20th century.

Mahfouz’s first novel was “Khufu’s Wisdom”. He wrote 35 novels afterward and 15 collections of short stories alongside with “Echoes of an Autobiography” in 1994, according to an article by AUC Press.

The iconic writer didn’t only write novels and short stories, but also took the initiative to work on 25 film screenplays that featured specific writing techniques such as flashbacks. Egyptian cinema has created over 30 Egyptian films that were based on Mahfouz’s novels and literary works.

He also wrote weekly columns in state-owned newspapers Al-Ahram and Al-Ahram Weekly in 1971, including "Naguib Mahfouz at Sidi Gaber: Reflections of a Nobel Laureate 1994- 2001."

Mahfouz was honored by the government; he received the Egyptian State Prize twice for his writings.

Promoting great collections of Arabic narratives locally and internationally, Mahfouz received other countless awards including one from the American University in Cairo and an honorary doctorate in 1995. Also, he was chosen as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Institute of Arts.

Following his death, Mahfouz’s works further resonated in the Egyptian literary scene. AUC Press became his main English language publisher and agent of all translation rights. The agreement was signed with Mahfouz prior to his death.

A total of 50 newly discovered short stories written by the Egyptian Noble Laureate Mahfouz, were published on December 11, 2018.

The newly discovered short stories were found by the late writer's daughter, Um Kulthum Naguib Mahfouz, and culture journalist Mohamed Shoair.

The short stories collection was published by Lebanese publishing house Dar Al-Saqi under the title “Hams El-Nogoom” (Whispering of the Stars). Dar Al-Saqi announced it acquired the rights to publish Mahfouz’s short stories from his daughter.

CAIRO – 11 December 2019: Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou on Wednesday met with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and reviewed the growing security challenges in the Sahel region, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

Meeting on the sidelines of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa held in Egypt for the first time, the two leaders discussed these challenges, which have emerged due to the spread of terrorist organizations and the increase in the number of their members.

During the meeting, President Sisi offered condolences to the Nigerian president after an attack on a military camp in Niger close to the border with Mali, which left around 70 soldiers killed, according to Reuters.

As Islamic State-related militants and Al-Qaeda terrorist organization have been responsible for many attacks in the African country, the attack is believed to be of a terrorist nature.



Sisi, during his speech at the forum, highlighted Egypt’s war against terrorism including the fight in Sinai as well as along the western borders with Libya, and affirmed the need to reach a “peaceful” political solution to the Libyan crisis.

Sisi affirmed the need for the African nations to respond collectively against terrorism.

Sisi opened Wednesday the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, the first to be held in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, the capital of African youth.

A number of African heads of state and government, as well as officials, are taking part in the event meant to open new channels toward achieving peace and sustainable development in the continent.

Attending the inauguration of the forum were Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aly Abdel Aal.

The two-day forum comes upon an initiative by President Sisi immediately after assuming the chairmanship of the African Union.

Additional reporting by MENA

CAIRO – 11 December 2019: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday said Egypt is ready to enhance bilateral cooperation with Chad in all fields, in order to back the efforts of economic and social development, during his meeting with his Chadian counterpart, the Egyptian Presidency.

On the sidelines of the first edition of Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, Sisi met with President Idriss Déby, where he expressed Egypt’s willingness to contribute to reviving the Chadian economy through the Egyptian companies operating in the African nations, presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said.

Sisi also the readiness to receive more Chadian cadres to be involved in the capacity building programs supervised by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development.

Sisi praised the strong relations between Egypt and Chad in light of Chad’s significant position in the Sahel zone that is directly connected to the Egyptian national security. Sisi affirmed that Déby’s visit represents an important opportunity to foster the bilateral ties.

For his part, Déby expressed his country's mutual aspiration to develop bilateral relations with Egypt at various levels, especially in trade exchange, technical support and joint security and military coordination.

Déby referred to the role of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s highest religious authority, in promoting cultural ties between the two countries through spreading the tolerant teachings of Islam and confronting extremist ideas.

The Chadian president hailed Egypt's role in contributing to achieving economic development and growth for African countries by organizing and hosting many special economic forums for African nations. He added that this would encourage opportunities to attract foreign investment to the continent.

The two leaders, during the meeting, also discussed developments in the region, as well as joint efforts to combat terrorism and extremist ideology.

They both agreed on continuing consultation and joint coordination on regional issues, including the Sahel-related issues, especially in light of the Egyptian chairmanship of the African Union this year.



Sisi opened Wednesday the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, the first to be held in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, the capital of African youth.

A number of African heads of state and government, as well as officials, are taking part in the event meant to open new channels toward achieving peace and sustainable development in the continent.

Attending the inauguration of the forum were Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aly Abdel Aal.

The two-day forum comes upon an initiative by President Sisi immediately after assuming the chairmanship of the African Union.

Additional reporting by Egypt Today Staff

CAIRO – 11 December 2019: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s war against terrorism including the fight in Sinai as well as along the western borders with Libya, and affirmed the need to reach a “peaceful” political solution to the Libyan crisis.

During his speech on Wednesday at the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa held in Egypt, Sisi affirmed the need for the African nations to respond collectively against terrorism.

Concerning the Libyan crisis, Sisi said that hopefully, a “peaceful” political solution would be reached in Libya within few months, adding that the source of terrorism would be dramatically ended.

Sisi opened Wednesday the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, the first to be held in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, the capital of African youth.

A number of African heads of state and government, as well as officials, are taking part in the event meant to open new channels toward achieving peace and sustainable development in the continent.

Attending the inauguration of the forum were Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aly Abdel Aal.

The two-day forum comes upon an initiative by President Sisi immediately after assuming the chairmanship of the African Union.

Last November, celebrations took place at Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of El Gezira Palace that was built in 1869 by Khedive Ismail. The palace has always been the host of monarchs, royalties, celebrities and guests who came from across the world to the land of the Pharaohs while being a genuine witness for several major historical events throughout history.

In the heart of the Palace over 1,000 distinguished guests among which were ambassadors, celebrities, public figures, key Marriott International management and owning company (EGOTH) chairman were present to celebrate 150 years of royal hospitality.

Upon entering the Palace guests travelled back in time to the year 1869 where they were welcomed by Khedive Ismail, Empress Eugenie and the Royal Entourage.

Greeting guests were hotel General Manager Mr. Jürgen Sterkau, Chairman and Managing Director for EGOTH Mr. Sherif Bendary, Senior Director of Operations Marriott International MEA Mr. Nader Ibrahim in addition to the hotel’s Executive Committee members. Salon Eugenie was a museum showing antiquities from the 19th century.

When the time was right, the walls of the palace spoke for themselves telling the story of El Gezira Palace projected through a video on the Palace’s exterior followed by fireworks to set the celebration


The festivities continued when star performer Ramy Ayachlit the stage, taking guests to a whole different mood. The Cairo Marriott Hotel culinary team pampered guests with array of delicacies and savory surprises.

After 150 years of royal hospitality, El Gezira Palace continues to be a historical landmark for Egyptians offering guests exceptional opportunities to create memorable stories while enjoying exquisite services.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: Local Development Minister Mahmoud Shaarawy said that the state is keen to develop cooperation with Vietnam and benefit from its successful experience in pushing forward the local economy and development in governorates, mainly the establishment of industrial zones and small and medium-sized projects.

This came during the talks the minister held here on Wednesday with a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam and his accompanying delegation.

Sharaawy lauded the great progress that Vietnam achieved at the economic and development levels through the country's modernization experience.

The two sides discussed prospects of cooperation in several domains, particularly in the decentralization experience and creating job opportunities as well as training and qualifying local cadres.

The talks touched on activating the fraternity agreement between Luxor and a Vietnamese city and supporting the Vietnamese presence in the African continent in light of Egypt's current chairmanship of the African Union.

The Vietnamese official asserted his country's keenness on beefing up joint investments in all economic fields, noting that Hanoi seeks to promote trade exchange with Cairo as well as to address the current trade imbalance.

Vietnam attaches importance to importing several Egyptian products, he stressed.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: The Egyptian Exchange’s (EGX) announced Wednesday listing of Tenth of Ramadan for Pharmaceutical Industries and Diagnostic Reagents (Rameda) in its market.

“Trading commenced on Rameda (RMDA.CA) with a celebration of company number 215 on EGX’s main market platform. in the presence of Rameda’s management, EGX’s Chairman Mohamed Farid Saleh and EGX management,” EGX said in a statement.

EGX added public and private offering covered 376,60 million shares representing 48.99 percent of the company’s total shares with a price of LE 4.66/share and with a total value of LE 1,754,983,960; LE 1.6 billion for private placement and LE87.7 million for public placement.

“The IPO resulted in allocating 18.83 million shares representing 5 percent of the total shares offered, while the private placement allocated 357,77 million shares representing 95 percent,” it clarified, adding that the private placement was oversubscribed by 1.2 times and the IPO by 36 times.

Farid welcomed the company number 215 to EGX’s platform, stressing that EGX’s management is working to improve the trading environment and simplify the listing procedures to enhance liquidity and raise the efficiency and depth of the Egyptian Capital Market.

Farid added that EGX’s management continues to provide all forms of support to the companies aiming for financing and growth.

CEO of Rameda Pharmaceuticals Amr Morsi expressed his pride in the result of the offering and joining EGX, which is a vital achievement in the company's growth plan and an endorsement of the company’s value in the market. He thanked his colleagues and all the parties responsible for the successful implementation of the company's offering.

Since 2011, the company has embarked on an ambitious expansion strategy, resulting in positioning Rameda Pharmaceuticals among the leading pharmaceutical companies in the Egyptian market.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: The volume of international bond issuance put up by Egypt amounted to about $20 billion, in light of the developments recently witnessed by the economy, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt Tarek Amer said Wednesday.

Amer added in his speech at the Egypt-UAE Business Forum that the volume of requests received on these issues reached nearly $70 billion. He said that confidence in the Egyptian economy increased significantly during the last period, which was demonstrated by the demand for international issuances, the last of which was the launch of bonds for a period of up to 40 years.

Amer continued that the key to attracting investment is solving the liquidity crisis, transferring profits and providing complete freedom when it comes to financial flows.

The CBE governor explained that Egypt's growth rate is one of the highest in the world, which attracted investment. Amer stressed that the economic reform program led by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi pushed the economy forward and contributed to its growth and development.

In another context, Amer pointed out that banks in Egypt now give returns on the rights of shareholders, at rates ranging from 30 to 40 percent, and sometimes reaching 50 percent. “These returns give a positive message about investment opportunities in Egypt, and contribute to easily increase money flows to the banking sector,” he stated.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: Emirati singer Ahlam announced that she will sing for the first time in the Egyptian dialect, after sticking for years to the Arabian Gulf dialect. Ahlam is preparing for a mini album in the Egyptian dialect.

Ahlam said in statements to Oman Radio on the sidelines of her concerts at the Royal Opera House in Muscat that she communicated with many Egyptian poets to collaborate with them on the album, noting that she will hold sessions to finish the album soon.

The famed Emirati star emphasized that through her singing in the Egyptian dialect she will deliver a message describing the state of the Egyptian society, explaining that it will be a token of love for her Egyptian fans.

Ahlam has recently released the song “Ana Ma Astaghna Anak” (I Cannot Do Without You), written by Mansour al-Balawi, composed by Nasser al-Saleh and distributed by Khaled Ezz.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem and all the distinguished authorities and sectors extended their condolences to the Egyptian people for the sudden death of Mahmoud Fahmy Hegazy, who passed away on the morning of December 11.

“Farewell to one of the most important symbols of Egyptian culture and the pride of scholars and thinkers. The one who has exerted great efforts to serve the Arabic language around the world,” said Abdel Dayem.

“He was also an ambassador for Al-Dhad language and sought for decades to confirm the Egyptian cultural leadership,” resumed the minister.

Mahmoud Fahmy Hegazy was also a member of the Arabic Language Academy and worked as a professor of linguistics at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University. Additionally, he served as the first head of the National Library and Documentation House from 1994-1997, after it became a separate entity from the General Egyptian Book Organization.

The late iconic writer wrote numerous enriching books, including “Arabic Throughout the Centuries”, “Arabic language: Renewal Issues And Future Prospects”, “Language Political Trends”, “Language And The Contemporary World”, among others.

The late prominent writer also participated in preparing the German-Arabic dictionary. In recognition of his scientific endeavors, he was awarded a number of honors and awards, including the Federal Order of Merit of the first class from the Federal Republic of Germany in 1997, Appreciation Award from Cairo University in Humanities in 1998, State Appreciation Award for Arts in 2000, Honorary Doctorate as a Professor in the International University and International Languages from Kazakhstan in 2004, Presidential Shield from the president of Kazakhstan in 2013 and last but not least, King Faisal’s International Award for Arabic Language and Literature 2019.

Farewell, Mahmoud Fahmy Hegazy.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: Cairo Show Theater sealed the deal of its latest productions; "Hazalqoum" play starring Ahmed Mekki.

Director and producer Magdy el-Hawary, co-founder of Cairo Show Theatre, expressed his happiness with presenting Hazalqoum in a theatrical work, emphasizing that the character is very rich and provides a fertile material for comedy. Hawary claims the character will achieve great success on theater; the same way it succeeded in cinema and television.

“I chose the character of Hazalqoum to lead the play because it is very intriguing. This character always made me and everyone around me laugh,” commented Hawary.

The play is directed by Karim Samy, described by Hawary as one of the most successful graduates of Cairo Show Theater.

Besides Mekki, the play stars Bayoumi Fouad, Mohamed Salam and Mohamed Mahmoud.

CAIRO – 11 December 2019: The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) ended Wednesday in red, and market capitalization lost LE 5.01B, amid rab and foreign selling.

The benchmark EGX 30 dropped 0.61 percent, or 81.8 points, to close at 13,427.22 points.

The equally weighted index EGX 50 declined 1.10 percent, or 21.55 points, to end at 1,936.61 points

The small and mid-cap index EGX 70 decreased 0.96 percent, or 5.03 points, to close at 521.55 points, and the broader index EGX 100 inched down 0.93 percent, or 12.81 points, to 1,363.39 points.

Market capitalization lost LE 5.01 billion, recording LE 689.73 billion, compared to LE 694.75 billion in Tuesday’s session.

The trading volume reached 635.59 million shares, traded through 18,840 transactions, with a turnover of LE 635.59 million.

Egyptian investors were net buyers at LE 77.31 million, while Arab and foreign investors were net sellers at LE 6.36 million, and LE 70.95 million, respectively.

Egyptian, Arab, and foreign individuals were net sellers at LE 40.65 million, LE 2.02 million, and LE 70.94 million, respectively.

Arab and foreign organizations sold at LE 4.16 million, and LE 67.32 million, respectively, while Egyptian organizations bought at LE 117.97 million.

Atlas For Investment and Food Industries, Mena Touristic & Real Estate Investment, and Nasr Company for Civil Works were top gainers of the session by 8.06 percent, 6.76 percent and 5.42 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, October Pharma, Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals, and Universal For Paper and Packaging Materials (Unipack) were top losers of the session by 9.59 percent, 8.12 percent, and 5.66 percent, respectively

EGX ended Tuesday’s session in green, as EGX30 rose 0.49 percent, EGX50 increased 0.65 percent, EGX70 hiked 0.67 percent, and EGX100 inched up 0.52 percent.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: The Grand Egyptian Museum received 309 artifacts from different eras, bringing the total number of artifacts in the museum’s store to 50,000.

Director General of the Archaeological Affairs at the Grand Museum Al-Tayeb Abbas revealed that two more pieces will be transferred to the museum. Abbas said that the transportation of artifacts from various sites and museums will continue until the museum’s exhibition cases are full.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is the largest museum in the world dedicated to one civilization only; the dazzling ancient Egyptian civilization.

GEM - Ahmed Najah
Abbas further added that the museum also includes a children's museum, an educational center, a handicraft center, educational classes and a museum dedicated to sun boats, in addition to the first field for a hanging obelisk.

In its halls, the museum will display the entire treasures of King Tutankhamun for the first time in one place, in addition to breathtaking ancient Egyptian treasures all around the museum.

Interior view - Mahmoud Fahmy
One of the most important transferred artifacts were the statues of King Ramses II, Sekhmet and Seti, in addition to a huge pink-granite portray of Ramses VI, and another distinguished set of statues that express the mastery of ancient Egyptian art.

Also Read:

In Pics: More astonishing artifacts transferred to GEM

CAIRO - 9 December 2019: On Dec. 9, the Grand Egyptian Museum received 309 artifacts dating back to different eras. Among them were 64 heavy artifacts transferred from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. The artifacts were transferred amid the tight security measures of the Tourism and Antiquities Police and the Security Forces.

CAIRO - 11 December 2019: A recent British study conducted on socks of the ancient Egyptians found out the type of dye and methods of manufacturing that the ancient Egyptian used.

Archaeologists explained that Egyptian socks date back to the third or fourth century and were found by English papyrus scientist John Johnson in the period between 1913 and 1914 in the Egyptian city of Antinoopolis, according to ancient origins website.

Archaeologists indicated that using different wavelengths, color analysis revealed that the socks were made of wool yarn of seven colors woven into a striped pattern and dyed with three natural plant dyes, including red plant leaves and yellow-colored flowers.

The study shows how the colors were mixed to obtain the green, purple and orange shades. Also, scientists discovered that fibers of different colors were woven together and that some of the istrands have been subjected to multiple dye baths.

The Weaving Method:

Researchers believe that the discovered sock may have been worn by a child in 1700 BC, adding that the ancient Egyptians used the mono needle, which is often referred to as nalbinding, to separate the big toe from the other four toes.

The sock analysis yielded new visions of the time period in which Egypt witnessed a massive revolution that ended with the Islamic conquest of the region in the year 641 AD.

The study explained that the global events that occurred in Egypt at that time affected trade and economy. This is reflected in the artistic composition of people's clothes and the different designs they created.