The writings on the back of Cairo's notorious communal taxis have long offered a rich insight into the humour Egyptians are renowned for along with their religious piety.
Lately, they have also been shining a light on the mood of the city, a sprawling and chaotic metropolis of 25 million people. In some ways, the writings – which are either painted on or on stickers – are an unlikely window of free expression in a country long accustomed to rigid restrictions on free speech, where social media is about the only place where Egyptians can speak their minds with relative freedom.
It is not that what is written on the back of these minibuses is inflammatory or particularly seditious – it is often simply the names of the driver's children or a short Quranic verse or a prayer – but that they offer a glimpse of the mood among the city's overwhelmingly poor majority. With so many minibuses in Cairo – at least 50,000 by one count – the messages they display are widely seen as they dart and weave through the streets at all hours of the day and night.
In some cases, there is an image of Saddam Hussein, Che Guevara or Bob Marley. In other cases, there are words of deep gratitude to mothers. Very common too are supplications for the protection of the minibus from envy, such as: "Don't be vexed, it's God's will" or "God will keep it safe!"
"It's like a thawab [reward] that will help me on Judgment Day," said Mohammed Hassan, whose minibus bears a sticker that says, "Don't forget to say Allah out loud".
"I work the route between Abdel Moneim Riad Square and Maadi and I stop at so many lights, so you can imagine how many thawabs I earn every time someone reads the sticker," he said, referring to the roughly 17km distance between the central Cairo square and the leafy suburb to the south.
Some of the writings on the minibuses – they are the most popular mode of transport in the city and are known in Egypt's Arabic vernacular as microbasat – speak of, but more often just hint at, the struggle of Cairo's poor majority as they deal with double-digit inflation, expanding taxes and higher utility bills.
"I am neither a doctor nor an engineer, but I know something about car engines," says one that speaks of pride in what a minibus driver does for a living. "No gold or antiquities, just hard work night and day," says another, alluding to the vast wealth made by Egyptians involved in illegal gold mining or trafficking in ancient artefacts. "Oh, if only lady luck would smile on me," declares one that bemoans poverty.
The humour, however, can sometimes be edgy or dark. Often, it seems to be in the same vein as the lyrics of Mahraganat music, a relatively new genre that emerged in the wake of the 2011 uprising that removed the 29-year regime of Hosni Mubarak and has since flourished in Cairo's poor districts.
"Don't stare at it [the minibus] enviously, you moron!" goes the first part of an aggressive attempt at humour. "Be back in a second," says one that speaks to the delays sometimes caused when the driver stops for tea and a smoke at a nearby cafe.
"They beat up on us so hard and we responded, but only with curse words," reads a self-effacing phrase on one minibus, echoing an often-repeated line from a 2000 Egyptian blockbuster movie, El Nazer Salahedldeen. "If you cannot make yourself happy, ruin the mood of everyone else," is the obnoxious counsel offered by another.
"I would rather stick to prayers or verses from the Quran," said a minibus driver whose vehicle bears a sticker that reads: "Allah is the best protector".
"It is the wisdom of an old man like me who has no formal education except for that from the school of life," he mused.
Sometimes, the humour on the minibuses is somewhat risque, and, in some ways, speaks to the problems involved in dealing with some unruly drivers. "Not all women are ladies," declares one that professes an understanding of the human condition. Staying with the topic of women, another one uses the customary phrasing of job advertisements: "A hottie is wanted to stay with me through my shift."
These kind of messages fit in with the widespread notoriety of minibus drivers. Cases of assault and sexual harassment are not uncommon on Cairo’s communal taxis, prompting police in some cases to plaster flyers on the back of seats that list the names and mobile numbers of officers at local police should they be needed to report a crime.
Lately, more serious messages have begun to appear on the minibuses. "God, please, make our brothers in Palestine victorious!" says one, superimposed on a map of Palestine in the green, red and black colours of the Palestinian flag. "Gaza is in our hearts," declares another.
The writings on the minibuses have not always been innocuous. In the early 1980s, the government saw fit to ban them when some were deemed to betray sectarian undertones at a time of Muslim-Christian violence in Cairo.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want," was a popular one used then by Christians on minibuses as well as private cars. Muslims countered with the use of the declaration of faith: "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger."
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20flat-six%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E525hp%20(GT3)%2C%20500hp%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E465Nm%20(GT3)%2C%20450Nm%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh944%2C000%20(GT3)%2C%20Dh581%2C700%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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.
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%20turbo%204-cyl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E298hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E452Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETowing%20capacity%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.4-tonne%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPayload%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4WD%20%E2%80%93%20776kg%3B%20Rear-wheel%20drive%20819kg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrice%3A%20Dh138%2C945%20(XLT)%20Dh193%2C095%20(Wildtrak)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelivery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RACE CARD
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 (PA) Listed Dh230,000 1,600m
6.30pm: HH The President’s Cup (PA) Group 1 Dh2.5million 2,200m
7pm: HH The President’s Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,200m.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
