“There will be no red lines in the discussions” at Egypt's National Dialogue, which begins in Cairo on Wednesday, general co-ordinator Diaa Rashwan said.
The event, announced by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi more than a year ago, is designed to provide a platform where political factions settle differences and chart a course towards presidential elections.
Journalists have been invited to attend the inaugural session, although it will not involve detailed discussions of the issues at hand, dialogue technical secretary Mohamed Fawzy said.
The conference will be held as Egypt contends with some of the its worst economic problems in years, including high inflation and national debt.
“The first session is just an introductory session but after that the dialogue will convene three days a week, one day for each of its main committees which comprises a political committee, in addition to the economic and social committees,” Mr Fawzy said during a televised phone-in on Monday.
A meeting of the dialogue’s participants, headed by Mr Fawzy and Mr Rashwan, took place this week to finalise the discussions.
A statement issued by Mr Rashwan after the meeting said it was “fruitful”.
The structure of elections is one of the most pressing issues for the dialogue’s political committee, said Effat Sadat, head of the Sadat Democratic Party, a pro-government party formed in 2014, during a televised discussion on Monday.
The dialogue’s board of trustees, made up of 19 representatives, in March submitted an official recommendation to Mr El Sisi that elections and referendums be placed under the supervision of the judiciary.
In a Facebook statement shortly after, Mr El Sisi promised to consider the recommendation.
The economic situation, widely believed to be one of the reasons the dialogue has been repeatedly postponed since its was announced in April last year, will also be one of the main issues on the first meeting’s agenda, Mr Rashwan said during the April 28 episode of his Masr Gedida (A New Egypt) talk show.
Inflation crisis
The crisis has affected most Egyptians, forcing millions to struggle daily to make ends meet with soaring food prices.
The Egyptian pound has lost half its value over the past year and a dollar crunch has halted many of the country’s industries which rely on imports.
In a shift in policy following his announcement of the dialogue, Mr El Sisi has eased some of the restrictions for which his administration has been repeatedly chided by foreign and domestic critics.
He has released hundreds of political prisoners, unbanned some news outlets and allowed exiled critics to return home.
The president has long held that the more austere measures which he put in place when he assumed power in 2014, including restrictions on media and the imprisonment of thousands of dissidents were a necessity as the country has been contending with a terrorist insurgency in North Sinai following a year of rule by the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
The organisation was banned in 2013 and is considered a terrorist group by the government.
A statement this week from dialogue participant Ahmed Maher, one of the founders of the April 6 movement, a youth campaign group, said that “the most important steps are to continue our efforts to categorically end the issue of political prisoners, to stop the persecution of citizens by security for expressing their opinions and to liberate media outlets”.
Mr Maher’s statements were echoed by Mr Sadat, who was cautiously optimistic when he said that “restrictions on political freedoms will be eased as long as the different parties can reach a consensus at the end”.
In the event that a committee cannot reach a unified decision on one issue, there will be no voting among the members to determine which proposal is sent to the executive.
Instead, both sides of the issue will be presented to the president, who will choose which one, if either, will be adopted into policy, Mr Rashwan said.
The structure of the dialogue has also been criticised for its top-down approach as it has been agreed that each of the dialogue’s three committees will come up with a list of recommendations, which would be submitted personally to the president.
The president then has the final say on which one becomes legislation.
In a Monday report published by the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, Marina Ottaway, a Middle East political analyst, raised doubts about the dialogue’s ability to bring about meaningful change to Egypt’s most pressing issue, the economy.
She said that the dialogue's leadership would have been more effective if it had more autonomy to put policy into effect.
However, despite reservations, many participants view the dialogue as the most effective channel available to achieve their objectives and have welcomed the olive branch that has been extended by the country’s leadership.
“We believe that there is no alternative to the dialogue when it comes to settling our political differences, and we would like to underscore the importance of completing these first steps as a meaningful start to the necessary political reform,” Mr Maher said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help or find other cats to adopt
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
