The typical tourist visiting Egypt will usually see the bucket-list sites: the Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and Khan El Khalili bazaar in Cairo, followed by a Luxor and Aswan Nile cruise.
"In the last 100 years, tourism in Egypt hasn't changed, which is shocking," says Egyptian Asmaa Khattab. "The programmes are the same and people have just been doing copy-paste."
But a young generation of Egyptians in the tourism industry is trying to change all that, by highlighting the country’s hidden gems for locals and foreign tourists alike.
“I felt like I wanted people to see the real Egypt,” says Khattab, 35, who founded the walking tours group Walk Like An Egyptian in 2015.
Omar Attia had a similar goal in mind when he started the Instagram page Around Egypt in 60 Days in 2017, documenting his travels with his wife Dalia Debaiky in 27 governorates throughout the country.
“We need to be aware of all the touristic and historical attractions that this country embraces, because we as locals eventually become ambassadors of our own country’s tourism,” says Attia, 33.
What brought me to Egypt is the Pyramids. What keeps bringing me back is the people and there are just so many things to see
It is a boost that is much needed as the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to tourism in Egypt, an industry that on average accounts for about 12 per cent of its gross domestic product. The country hosted 3.6 million travellers in 2020, down from 13 million in 2019.
The Pharaohs' Golden Parade in April, which transported 22 mummies to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, signalled to the world that Egypt is open to visitors. Meanwhile, several palaces and museums have recently reopened following renovations, and the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to debut later this year.
“We have so many things and places to see in Egypt. Our history is not only very long – it is reflected in a lot of different ways,” Khattab says.
Walk Like An Egyptian
Walk Like An Egyptian offers cultural tourism tours exploring the City of the Dead, Moez Street and downtown Cairo, as well as longer trips outside the city, including Quseir, Hurghada, Alexandria and Sinai.
Khattab began her career as a tour guide, inspired by her love of history and her outgoing personality. She studied tourism and hotel management at Helwan University, where Khaled El Anany, now the minister of tourism and antiquities, was teaching at the time.
After graduating in 2006, she was happy to work as a tour guide, but was “shocked at the state of tourism in Egypt”. She found companies were mainly focused on mass tourism and were “always thinking of ways to save money, rather than improve quality”.
A lull in tourism following the 2011 revolution that removed then-president Hosni Mubarak from power gave Khattab the chance to reflect. She started a Facebook page in 2012 to share tips and off-the-beaten-track places to see. “I was just sharing my passion about Egypt,” she says.
In 2013, she started doing cycling tours with friends to visit places such as the Ahmed Shawki Museum in Giza and even the pyramids, “but cycling in the Cairo streets is not the most pleasant … and it was a bit of hassle”.
It was not until January 2015, after years of doing her own tours for friends, that Khattab started the first walking tour. Now, Walk Like An Egyptian has earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence four years in a row since 2017.
What sets her tours apart is Khattab carefully selects the guides to ensure the best quality, and they include places that are inaccessible or unknown to the public. For example, during its tour of City of the Dead – an area that contains both common graves and elaborate mausoleums of historical rulers and elites – “walkis”, as they call them, were able to see the private family grave of Shivakiar Ibrahim, an Egyptian princess who married King Fuad in 1895.
Elsewhere, the downtown Cairo tour features access to the Adly Street Synagogue, which was established in 1899.
“We always add something authentic to the tour,” says tour guide Nesrine Mahfouz, 53. “We want our walkis to interact with people and see another side of Egypt.”
American Jennifer Bean, 60, was on her fourth trip to Egypt when she booked the City of the Dead tour. Previously, she had been to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Fayoum, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. “This is the next layer,” says Bean, a software developer from North Carolina. “What brought me to Egypt is the Pyramids. What keeps bringing me back is the people and there are just so many things to see.”
In June, tours planned include the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, a downtown walking tour and an exclusive visit to Abdeen Palace. Considering Covid-19 regulations, groups are limited to a capacity of 12 guests and face masks are required.
Prices range from 295 to 1,850 Egyptian pounds ($18 to $118), excluding taxes.
More information is at www.facebook.com/Walk.Like.An.Egyptian.Page
Around Egypt in 60 Days
This Instagram account has more than 41,000 followers and features photos of Attia and Debaiky's travels throughout the country.
They plan to publish a narrative picture book of their adventure later this year, following the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The couple's journey began with the start of their relationship, after they got engaged. Not wanting to celebrate in traditional hotel ballrooms, they held their engagement party by the Nile, their Katb Kitab (signing of the Islamic marriage contract) inside the Citadel of Cairo's Muhammad Ali Mosque and their wedding in Al Manial Palace in 2014.
“Everyone was just stunned and struck by the fact that they were not aware that these historical sites could actually embrace private events,” says Attia.
The couple then spent their honeymoon partially in Aswan and Hurghada, where they explored the Giftun islands, such as Mahmya, with its crystal-clear turquoise waters.
“That’s how we fell in love with our country,” he says. “We thought, why stop here? Why not explore all 27 governorates of Egypt and document them?”
Since May 2017, the couple has done just that, posting pictures of themselves, and later their young daughter, showcasing the country's beauty, ranging from the Bahariya Oasis in the Western Desert to Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean.
They also highlight little-known attractions, such as Hurghada’s Grand Aquarium and the Geological Museum in Maadi, and throw in a bit of adventure, such as zip-lining in Mokattam and paramotoring over the pyramids.
In 2019, Attia established Events Around Egypt, which collaborates with the Ministry of Tourism to manage private weddings and corporate events at historical attractions, such as Al Manial Palace, the Citadel, Manial outdoor gardens and the Manasterly Palace.
“We want to get people intrigued and excited, and say ‘I want to do the same’,” says Attia.
“My motto is: if a lifespan of an average person is around 60 years, what’s 60 days as opposed to 60 years to get to fully roam your own country?”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
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
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (All UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)
Saturday
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)
SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)
Sunday
Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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