Egypt’s water resources ministry is preparing for the first phase of a demolition campaign of illegal boat houses on a stretch of the Nile’s western bank in central Cairo known as "Kit Kat".
The campaign has garnered a fair amount of backlash from Egyptians on social media, with hundreds of commentators denouncing the demolitions because they see it as a destruction of an important cultural symbol of Cairo’s history.
Many highlighted the mention of boat houses in the works of some of the country’s top 20th century literary figures.
In response to the public outcry, Mr Ayman Anwar, head of the central administration of the Nile in Cairo, phoned into one of the country’s most watched news shows on Friday night.
The structures to be removed are 32 boat houses which were built without the government’s consent decades ago, he confirmed.
Residents of these boat houses have thus far failed to issue permits for their homes, despite repeated notices from the ministry, he added.
He said that many of these homes were being used for extra-residential purposes, with some serving as workspaces for companies, and others being used as gyms.
While 3 of the boat houses were demolished on Saturday, June 18, according to Mr Anwar, the next wave will happen on June 28 to give the residents of the 15 boat houses set to be demolished in the first phase a chance to issue commercial or recreational licences.
Historical boat houses, as well as ones that have their licences in order, either as restaurants, cafes or water sports clubs, have nothing to worry about, Mr Anwar said.
The water resources ministry has, in recent months, amped up its efforts to ensure viable irrigation waters are not being wasted through unofficial channels, which Mr Anwar says is another reason for the demolitions.
He added that there are also several pollution concerns as many of the houses are old and use outdated waste disposal systems that are in violation of public health & safety measures.
The demolitions are the first part of a mass beautification campaign of the stretch of the Nile between the 15 of May bridge and the Coastal Bridge, Mr Anwar said.
The government intends to open those spaces for public use, he said, adding that many of the people who initially built boat houses there were encroaching on the state’s lands.
Mr Anwar confirmed that no compensation will be paid to the residents of these boats, many of whom are quite poor. He exclaimed during his phone-in that they owe the state years in unpaid fees for living in the boat houses.
Some critics on social media have said the government is simply forcing unwanted development on the area’s residents, who are perfectly content with their district just as it is.
Others argued that more pollutive projects are being undertaken on the banks of the Nile with the government’s consent.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Price: From Dh650,000
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Teaching in coronavirus times
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 339
Roger Hunt 280
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 225
Billy Liddell 220
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
HOW TO WATCH
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Habib El Qalb
Assi Al Hallani
(Rotana)
Company%20Profile
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Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
