How important has been the role that social media have played in the Arab Spring uprisings and the subsequent democratic transformation affecting the North African region? This is a question that has been hotly contested in both policy-making and academic circles essentially ever since a Tunisian fruit vendor’s act of self-immolation swiftly wreaked havoc with […]
Tag: Egypt
Egypt: Art takes centre stage for months
If the Egyptian revolution has affected the economy, a lot of local artists are benefitting from it because it has helped to expose their works. Art forms as graffiti have now moved from the status of vandalism to a newly-appreciated form of visual art. Mashrou3 Hagar or Hagar’s project is helping them to express themselves […]
Post-Arab Spring Tourism Industry: Back in Business
It has been almost two years since the Arab Spring hit the countries of Middle East and North Africa. While some nations have taken a fresh breath of freedom, others have plunged into misery. Day-to-day riots and protests have paralyzed the socio-political functioning of the region, and stifled the tourist industry – the crux of […]
Egypt: Economy and capabilities determine IMF deal
Egypt’s economy might be heading for the worst as the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meets in a few weeks to consider almost a $5 billion financing agreement amidst political crisis in the country. The board will be requiring that there is no major change in economic outlook or policy when it makes […]
Egypt, Tunisia to recover frozen assets from EU countries
Egypt and Tunisia will shortly recover the assets that were frozen under sanctions decreed by the European Union against their former presidents Hosni Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who were both toppled in Arab Spring uprisings. The Council of the European Union announced Monday that the EU took steps to facilitate the return […]
Egypt: Bankruptcy evident if situation continues
President Morsi’s outstanding powers has led to demonstrations in the streets demanding him to relinquish them and it has made it effects on Egypt’s benchmark stock index is as it fell by almost 10% in the first trading session since the presidential decrees. The ongoing political tensions in an already paralyzed economy spread swiftly through […]
Egypt: Deadline postponement affects NSGB
The decision of the regulator of the Egyptian market to push further the deadline of the sale of stakes of Qatar National Bank (QNB) has led to the slump of Egypt’s National Société Générale Bank (NSGB) and it has made an impact on the Cairo bourse while leaving the Gulf markets mixed in lackluster trading. […]
Egypt Gets Turkish-made ANKA Drones
Egypt has purchased ten Turkish-made ANKA drones after months of secret negotiations between the two countries before reaching deal, first of its kind after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising in 2011. With a 56-foot wingspan, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has the ability to fly 24 hours at a […]
Egypt: industries uncomfortable with private sector importation
Bidding announced by the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) to sanction the importation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by the private sector for first time in Egypt has expired although some major oil and gas companies withdrew. Companies such as British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, the Kuwaiti Kharafi Group and Taqa Arabia, a subsidiary […]
What Arab Spring? The Folly that is Henry Kissinger
When the 26-year-old fruit vendor, Mohammed Bouazizi – after being slapped around by local authorities one time too many – in an act of desperation and protest, set himself on fire in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid, no analyst or politician could have foreseen the wave of regional uprisings that were to follow. What […]









