India and Egypt are almost unrecognisable from the nations they were when Gamal Abdel Nasser and Jawaharla Nehru got together with Yugoslavia’s Tito to establish the Non-Aligned Movement at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s.
Those were days of lofty ideals, fervent rhetoric and populism in a blossoming post-colonial era for both. Memories remain of an era of a shifting global landscape; a time when Cold War non-combatants such as Egypt, India and Yugoslavia wanted to stand and be counted in a world struggling to heal the scars of the Second World War while rocked by the waning of European colonialism.
With Yugoslavia no more, what endures to this day is the special relationship between Egypt and India.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is travelling to New Delhi this week to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations and to commemorate with Indian leaders the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cairo and Delhi.
It would be Mr El Sisi’s third visit to India since the former army general took the reins in the most populous Arab nation in 2014, but his most significant by far given the giant leaps made by the two countries in cementing and expanding their relationship.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last visited Cairo in August 2015.
"It is a momentous occasion for both countries that will undoubtedly herald a new dawn in our bilateral relations,” India’s ambassador to Egypt, Ajit Gupte, said during an early national day celebration in Cairo last weekend. “As the world faces new threats, it is imperative that the [two] countries come closer to realise a sustainable solution.”
A multi-faceted relationship
The volume of bilateral trade rose from $4.55 billion in 2018-19 to $7.26 billion in 2021-22, making India the third-largest export market for Egypt and its sixth-largest trade partner, according to Indian government figures.
Indian investment in Egypt is also sizeable at $3.15 billion, with 50 Indian companies actively present in Egypt in sectors like manufacturing, chemicals, energy, infrastructure and retail.
In the wider geopolitical context, Mr El Sisi’s visit comes at a time when India's co-operation with Egypt and its Gulf allies is needed to deal with the potentially destabilising rivalry in west Asia and over the vital shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean and Arabian and Red Seas.
A potentially more proactive role by India in the region would be a reflection of its, and Egypt’s, historical weight and relevance, according to Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.
“We are both civilization states. We have a tradition of thinking beyond our narrow national interests. We have always been interested in the world, and we have again, a history of working together, in that regard,” he said in Cairo last October.
Already, naval and air units from Egypt and India have been conducting joint war games and negotiations over the sale of Indian-made Tejas light combat aircraft to Egypt have been in progress for months.
The two militaries are also bound by a co-operation memorandum of understanding signed during a visit to Cairo last September by Defence Minister Shri Rajnath. The Indian minister discussed enhancing military cooperation with Egypt when he met Mr El Sisi and his counterpart Gen Mohammed Zaki during the visit.
A joint Egyptian-Indian defence committee has since its 2006 inception met nine times.
Cairo and Delhi also share intelligence and coordinate on counterterrorism, according to Egyptian security officials. Military co-production or the sale by India of anti-aircraft weapons systems, drones and armoured vehicles were expected to be on the agenda during the Egyptian leader’s talks in New Delhi, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“We expect a significant deal on military co-production to be reached when the president is in Delhi. The focus of the agreement will be fighter jets and drones as well as warships,” said one of the officials.
A deal on joint military coproduction would be a revival of sorts of similar enterprises undertaken by the two nations in the 1950s and 1960s.
Procuring Indian weapons, moreover, would form part of an Egyptian drive launched by Mr El Sisi to diversify the country’s sources of arms, complementing its large arsenal of modern US weapons with hardware from countries like Germany, Russia, Italy and France.
Cairo has also been seeking to secure the transfer of military technology through licenses to locally manufacture parts of the weapon systems it imports. It has also invested in developing its nascent arms industry.
“As Arab states are becoming more influential on the world stage … they are looking for bilateral relations with other powers – chief among them India,” Mohammed Soliman of the Middle East Institute in Washington said in an interview published this month in the Indian Narrative.
“For Arab capitals, India is a capable nuclear power, on the verge of overtaking China as the world’s most populous nation and the fifth largest economy in the world … This makes India a natural ally during this time of global disorder,” he said, referring in other segments of the interview to the revival of what he called the Cairo-Delhi axis.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
