Live updates: Follow the latest on Syria
The fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime in Syria has led to elation among the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees living in Egypt, with many already making plans to return home. However, after years spent in exile, others say they prefer to remain in the country where they have rebuilt their lives after fleeing the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011.
Quteiba Abdelaziz, 33, a former resident of Homs who co-owns a shawarma restaurant in the Egyptian coastal city of Rashid, said, “It is difficult to describe our happiness over the past few days. I don't think a single Syrian has been able to sleep, we were all staying up till dawn, calling each other, watching news and making plans to return home.”
Mr Abdelaziz arrived in Egypt in 2012 and has since lived and worked in more than a dozen of the country's 27 provinces, moving around to find work. He opened his restaurant in 2021 with his brother and cousin after nearly a decade of saving.
“Many in our community have already started to make their plans to depart Egypt,” Mr Abdelaziz said. “Only Syrians understand the kind of fear that we were forced to deal with under Bashar Al Assad and the terror he unleashed with the military. That was the main reason why we couldn’t return before; everyone was worried about detentions at the border. They arrest, torture and interrogate you on why you left Syria in the first place.”
According to Mr Abdelaziz, the first people expected to return are those who were living “half lives” in Egypt, either because they had left loved ones back in Syria or because they were struggling to survive, especially in light of the rise in cost of living in Egypt.
“Many of these people are on renewable tourist visas only and lack formal residency, making their decision to return easier compared to those with established businesses or student visas,” he said.
For Syrians to remain in Egypt legally, they must hold either a student or investor visa, or be an asylum seeker or a refugee registered with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Only about 150,000 of the Syrians who fled to Egypt have registered with the UN, which entitles them to certain services provided by the UNHCR and its partners, such as health care, education and psychosocial support.
I don’t own much here and my children are eager to return as well. They have their own memories of Aleppo
Thoraya Al Halaby,
Syrian dessert stall operator
Mr Abdelaziz says he will most likely live between Egypt and Syria so that he can keep his shawarma restaurant in Rashid going.
“My partners and I have been discussing the best way to keep our business open and also go home. We will probably do it on a rotation, where two of us will stay in Egypt while the other visits Syria and when he returns, one of the others can go,” he said.
Thoraya Al Halaby, 57, a mother of four whose husband died in Aleppo in 2014 during air strikes by Syrian government troops, said she would return the first chance she gets.
She says that most people in her lower-income Syrian community in Cairo’s Al Obour district, will also do the same.
“Assad is gone. He went back to hell where he came. Our country has been liberated. It is an emotion that I find difficult to describe without coming to tears,” said Ms Al Halaby, who runs a Syrian dessert stall in Al Obour. “When I first heard the news, I was frozen. I don’t own much here and my children are eager to return as well. They have their own memories of Aleppo.”
Bassem Obeid, 43, from Idlib and owner of three restaurants in Al Obour, came to Egypt in 2013 after a brief stay in Turkey. He plans to visit Syria in the coming months because he has not been back in over a decade. “I miss everything about Syria. The food, the buildings, the sea. It will always be home.”
However, he says he will most likely return to Egypt after the visit to manage his restaurants.
“We have investor visas and my children have lived here longer than they have in Syria. They want to stay in Cairo and we have made a home here. But we will visit Syria frequently and we will be at peace knowing my mother and sisters are safe in their homes with Assad gone,” Mr Obeid said.
Both Mr Obeid and Mr Abdelaziz spoke of the warm relations between Egyptians and Syrians, explaining that Syrians have had a positive impact on the Egyptian economy. “I think many Egyptians saw that we all had very difficult starts and they respected that, as a community, we built this successful network of businesses,” Mr Obeid said.
Is it reasonable for refugees to return after a 13-year war? Where is the infrastructure? Where are the schools? Where are the hospitals?
Bodoor Al Eryan,
former director of the Syria branch of Arab Women Union
According to a 2022 report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Syrian investment in Egypt since 2011 surpassed $1 billion and there were at least 30,000 registered Syrian businesses in the country. This is far lower than the number of refugees, suggesting that moving back to Syria from Egypt would not entail a financial cost for most of them. However, Syrian experts have also warned that the return of the more than 14 million displaced by the conflict will be much more difficult than people might think.
During a round-table discussion on an Egyptian talk show on Sunday night, Bodoor Al Eryan, the former director of the Syria branch of Arab Women Union, said that while Syrians might romanticise return, the reality of what they will face when they do is sobering.
“Is it reasonable for refugees to return after a 13-year war? Where is the infrastructure? Where are the schools? Where are the hospitals? After so long at war, there is destruction everywhere. There have been many arrests. It has become a scary and empty country,” Ms Al Eryan said. “This is why we are calling on Arab countries, especially those in the Gulf, to help fund the rebuilding of Syria. The brutal regime handed over the buildings with just their walls.”
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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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
More coverage from the Future Forum
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
