Dubai is known around the world for its spectacular skyscrapers, glitzy shopping malls, exotic cars and – perhaps above all – scorching hot, bone-dry weather.  So, when heavy rain began to fall early on Tuesday there was no sense of what was about to come. A day later and the sun was shining once more, but the Emirate was reeling from an unprecedented, catastrophic weather event. Many cities in the world might brush off 100mm of rain across 12 hours, but this was as much as Dubai might expect in an entire year.  The limitations of this ultra-modern city’s infrastructure were ruthless ..read more

In rural Kenya, 64-year-old John Kamau’s world of silence is about to change. For decades, isolated by hearing loss from the community’s vibrant life and his grandchildren’s conversations, he sees hope when a community health worker visits with a smartphone in hand. This isn’t just any visit; it’s the gateway to Kamau’s reconnection with the world, facilitated by breakthrough digital health tools on a smartphone. A revolutionary hearing test app on the smartphone conducts precise assessments, followed by the provision of low-cost, high-quality hearing aids right there and then. With these aid ..read more

Beltone Holding, a rapidly expanding financial institution, has announced that its subsidiary, Beltone Venture Capital (BVC), has entered into a partnership with CI Venture Capital, part of Citadel International Holdings. Based in Abu Dhabi, this collaboration aims to oversee a $30m fund dedicated to investing in promising early-stage startups. In recent months, the fund has begun investments, completing deals with leading startups across various sectors and countries within the region, including Bosta, Trella, Qlub, and ariika. Fady Dahlan, Managing Partner at CI Venture Capital, expressed en ..read more

The health authorities in Gaza have issued an urgent appeal to all relevant entities to facilitate the travel of cancer patients, individuals with chronic diseases, and injured men aged 16 to 65 for medical treatment abroad. This step is crucial to save lives, as the lack of access to necessary care is resulting in daily fatalities. On Wednesday, the Government Media Office in Gaza urged “the international community to fulfil its moral, humanitarian, and legal obligations by intervening immediately to safeguard prisoners from severe violations caused by the actions of Israel’s racist occupatio ..read more

In a significant development for Egypt’s railway system, Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir convened a comprehensive meeting with Hungarian Ambassador András Kovács and Šaba Toro, President of the Hungarian company Jans Mavage. The focus of the discussion was the ongoing contract for supplying 1,350 railway carriages of various types to the Egyptian National Railways. The meeting addressed the current progress in the manufacturing and delivery of the carriages. To date, 914 new railway carriages have been delivered. The remaining carriages, totalling 1,350, are scheduled for delivery as follows ..read more

The Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) hosted a trade delegation from China’s Zhejiang Province on Tuesday. The delegation, led by Chen Zhicheng, Deputy Director General of Zhejiang’s Department of Commerce, included representatives from major companies like Hangzhou Iron and Steel Group, Zhejiang Machinery and Electrical Group, and China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation. This visit precedes Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairperson of SCZONE, attending the “China-Egypt” Zhejiang Economic Forum in Cairo on Thursday. The forum aims to discuss progress on existing projects and explore future col ..read more

Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, urged the World Bank Group to prioritize innovative financing solutions for climate action and debt relief during the G24 Governors and Ministers Meeting. The meeting took place at the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings alongside IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. Al-Mashat commended the World Bank’s “Evolution Roadmap” for improved efficiency, but stressed the need for action. She endorsed the Bank’s goal of allocating 45% of financing to climate projects but cautioned against ne ..read more

This initiative aims to enhance rice productivity, reduce water usage, and ensure food security in Egypt. During a Wednesday meeting held to discuss the status of rice cultivation and innovative mechanisms to boost production, Madbouly emphasized the strategic importance of rice as a staple food for Egyptian citizens and a key economic crop. Moreover, he stressed the need to adhere to designated rice cultivation areas and prioritize the development of water-efficient, high-yielding rice varieties. In response, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation El Sayed El-Kosayer announced that the ..read more

Bold Routes, a leader in real estate consultancy, marketing, and brokerage, celebrated the end of the first quarter of this year with a significant milestone. The company proudly announced the opening of its 10th branch, a regional office strategically located in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Regarded as one of the most successful and largest entities in its field in Egypt, Bold Routes stands out not only for its size but also for its unique business model. This model fosters a partnership with the company’s commercial franchisees, who are deemed as the company’s real, irreplaceable assets ..read more

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa pledged joint action to address the escalating crisis in Gaza and its repercussions on the region. In a joint press conference following their meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, the two leaders condemned Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza, describing it as a “flagrant violation of international law and a blatant disregard for human life.” President Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and its commitment to a two-state solution as the only viable path to achieving lasting p ..read more