Almost a decade ago, Yasmine El Dorghamy took on a task that was borderline impossible in her native Egypt.
The daughter of an Egyptian diplomat, who spent her time criss-crossing the globe, attending schools in places as far apart as Greece, Mexico, Japan and Mauritius, El Dorghamy, 40, acted upon a lofty idea, but one that would keep her grounded: publishing a cultural periodical, Rawi (Storyteller), in Egypt that offers material inviting to ordinary folk yet nuanced and sophisticated enough for experts and academics.
El Dorghamy will publish an 11th edition next year, which will be her 10th anniversary issue, focused on the history of healing medical practices in Egypt. But it hasn’t been easy.
Egypt, now a nation of almost 100 million people, has traditionally been labelled the cultural centre of the Arab world, with its once-prolific film industry, theatre, book publishing and classical art forms, such as ballet and opera, setting it apart from the rest of the region. And while that’s no longer the case, at least not entirely – a condition brought about by economic woes, the rapid spread of religious conservatism and the emergence or growth of rival cultural centres – it still provides plenty of rich material for El Dorghamy’s magazine.
The challenge has been to keep the title financially afloat, not least in the current harsh economic climate. After years of political and economic turmoil in Egypt, it has been the devastating financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic that has taken its toll this year. "We were slammed hard against a wall from day one," El Dorghamy tells The National.
People's concentration span is a problem. If you don't engage readers right away, they will leave you right away
Similar titles to Rawi have not been so lucky. The list of publications that have had to close because they're no longer commercially viable has grown. "Many superficially say that you cannot find enough readers for a publication like Rawi, but I have found out this was not true. They do exist and they are many. The problem is that publishing a good cultural product is prohibitively costly."
El Dorghamy says the magazine is sold on the news stand at a third of its production cost to make it accessible to more people, but that securing funds to publish it is difficult. “It’s nearly impossible in Egypt to finance anything that is not commercial,” she says.
That’s why she is tirelessly searching for funders to secure the magazine’s future. “I started learning every trick in the game,” the editor-in-chief wrote to a potential sponsor in a delicately penned letter that seamlessly mixed pragmatism and hope.
"How to cut costs, how to stay relevant (we produced some iconic covers), and how to keep enough people interested in order to stay afloat. I knew Rawi would not grow into the publishing company I had dreamt of any time soon, but if I could just keep it alive until we ride out the storm, there would be hope."
It all began for El Dorghamy when the inaugural edition of Rawi was published only two months before the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time president Hosni Mubarak – a particularly unstable time for a fledgling title. Nevertheless, El Dorghamy pressed on and the content of Rawi's initial editions was a "deliberate bouquet of diverse articles showing the many facets of Egyptian heritage".
But the magazine later made a shift that has taken it where it is today. Every edition is now devoted to a single topic, from Coptic heritage to the jewellery industry.
The eighth publication was the first released in this “encyclopedic” style. Dedicated to the history of Egyptian modern art, it covered the main aspects of the topic offering a comprehensive timeline. Issue nine was on Egyptian cinema, while the 10th, and the latest edition, focuses on Egypt’s culinary history.
El Dorghamy recalls that the eighth issue was exceptionally difficult to put together. Given little had been written on the topic, she had to reconcile the contradictions in the literature she found and identify experts or academics reliable enough to write the articles. "We delayed publication for six months and in the end, it took us a total of 18 months to prepare, but it constituted a landmark in the history of Rawi," she says. "That edition, which has 200 pages, earned Rawi recognition and fame. Now, they teach from that edition in arts colleges in Egypt."
For El Dorghamy, 10 years in, she can see the impact the magazine has on its readers. “I tried to bridge the gap between the academic or the specialised and what is accessible, but now I feel I don’t need to do that any more. I don’t want to patronise my audience.”
She plans to engage with her readers through expansion into multimedia and special editions that can run at a shorter length. This will help the brand to stay relevant in a country where, as the case is in many others, the internet and streaming services have grown more popular than traditional media.
Rawi, like books, is up against tough competition from a host of forums for information and entertainment available on the internet and subscription-based streaming services. "People's concentration span is a problem. If you don't engage readers right away, they will leave you right away. You're competing with well-made series and documentaries on streaming services. Anyone who tells you that he or she is not reading less because of them is a liar."
It's against this backdrop that Rawi shines as evidence of an Egypt that continues to give in the face of formidable odds. It offers readers – in Arabic and English – a rich range of in-depth articles written by experts in their respective fields, as well as a generous dose of attractive visuals and fine printing.
More information is available at rawi-magazine.com
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Sassuolo v Bologna (11.45pm)
Saturday
Brescia v Torino (6pm)
Inter Milan v Verona (9pm)
Napoli v Genoa (11.45pm)
Sunday
Cagliari v Verona (3.30pm)
Udinese v SPAL (6pm)
Sampdoria v Atalanta (6pm)
Lazio v Lecce (6pm)
Parma v Roma (9pm)
Juventus v Milan (11.45pm)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Armen Sarkissian
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)
Saturday Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Wolfsburg, Arminia Bielefeld v Mainz (6.30pm) Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (9.30pm)
Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)
Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
