Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Mahmoud Hassan
-
Egypt’s Family Law deepens Egyptians’ hardship
Egyptians are awaiting the long-anticipated new Personal Status Law, widely known as the “Family Law”, amid concerns that it could introduce new restrictions and penalties that would place additional burdens on families and contribute to rising divorce rates and family breakdown in a country where, according to official figures, a…
-
Egyptian forces in the UAE: Gains and losses
The presence of Egyptian forces in the UAE, against the backdrop of the US and Israeli-led war on Iran, raises serious questions among the Egyptian public about the missions and objectives, the gains and losses, and the potential dangers of involvement in a war that Egyptians say has nothing to…
-
Has El-Sisi driven up suicide rates in Egypt?
This people have found no one to show them compassion,” read the title of a statement delivered by former Egyptian Defence Minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 3 July 2013, announcing a military coup that removed the late Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected civilian president. It never crossed Egyptians’ minds…
-
Iran war used as a pretext for harsh measures in Egypt
The Egyptian government has launched a media campaign featuring prominent actors and footballers, urging people to stay at home and reduce energy consumption amid rising energy pressures linked to the war with Iran. However, the resulting restrictions have brought significant hardship for Egyptians. Egyptians did not expect that the sound…
-
Egypt and the Gulf states: Sharp differences over the Iran war
When Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi used his well-known phrase “just a step away” years ago, referring to his country’s readiness to defend Arab national security, he did not expect to face a real test and a difficult dilemma that could cost him dearly. Tensions in Egyptian-Gulf relations, against the…
-
Why has violence increased among Egyptians?
Minutes before iftar, Mamdouh A. (45) and his neighbour Sayed A. (63) were fatally shot during Ramadan following the renewal of a blood feud between two families in a village in the Deshna district of Qena governorate in southern Egypt. In a separate incident in the Nile Delta, Hosni Atta…
-
Pressing challenges facing Egypt as a result of the Iran war
Public concern in Egypt is rising over the continuation of the Israeli-American war on Iran, amid fears of economic repercussions and difficult financial burdens that could weigh heavily on Egyptians, who have already endured considerable hardship after more than ten years under the rule of the current president, Abdel Fattah…
-
Rising prices strain family ties in Egypt
“I used to host my sisters for lunch every Friday at the family home, but I stopped that tradition after meat and poultry prices rose,” said Ahmed Sayed, 40, explaining how rising prices in Egypt’s markets have affected him socially. As Egyptians approach the holy month of Ramadan, they face…
-
Egypt and Turkey: A summit of arrangements and strategic gains
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Cairo last Wednesday was not an ordinary one; rather, it marked a pivotal moment in Turkish-Egyptian relations, signalling the formation of a strategic alliance between the two countries. The warm reception extended to the Turkish president by his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi,…
-
Gulf rivalry on Egypt’s shores
Gulf money is extending its reach along Egypt’s coastlines—northwards on the Mediterranean Sea and eastwards on the Red Sea—amid an Emirati-Saudi-Qatari struggle to secure the largest share of a valuable prize. From Ras Al-Hikma to Alam Al-Rum, and from Marassi Red to Ras Gamila, Gulf states are pouring billions of…
-
Somaliland: An Israeli dagger in Egypt’s side
Signs of mounting risk are emerging as Israel moves to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent, sovereign state — a step that has prompted widespread Arab and international condemnation and heightened regional concern. The territory, which declared its secession from Somalia in 1991, is poised to become a focal point…
-
Egypt targets its opponents abroad
He believed that by fleeing Egypt, the ordeal of pursuit, repression, and enforced disappearance would come to an end, but the jailer’s hand still reached his wife and children. “Ahmed Al-Gamal” (a pseudonym) said he was forced to leave the country after being sentenced to 15 years’ rigorous imprisonment in…
-
Why are divorce rates rising in Egypt?
Around 274,000 divorce cases were recorded in Egypt in 2024, marking a 3.1 per cent rise compared to 2023, according to government data. The figures place Egyptian society before a major challenge reflecting a growing breakdown of families in the most populous country in the Arab world. Egyptians have long…
-
A Hidden Egyptian–Saudi Conflict
Last May, when the US–Gulf summit in Riyadh ignored inviting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, it appeared that something was troubling relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. And when the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was absent from the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit last month, it became clear…
-
El-Sisi: Europe’s policeman
The first-ever Egypt–EU summit has sparked a storm of questions about the European Union’s stance on Egypt’s human rights abuses, the future of their growing security cooperation, and the fate of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s rule. The landmark meeting, held last month, marked an unprecedented step in relations between Cairo…
-
Options before Hamas on the question of disarmament
The issue of disarming the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has emerged as one of the most complex and sensitive files under discussion in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. The issue has imposed itself on both regional and international agendas. It is far from simple,…
-
Behind the Egypt-Turkey Friendship Exercises
Egyptian Turkish relations are moving toward a new horizon of military cooperation—signalling a major turning point in the growing rapprochement between the two countries, as they seek to shape a new regional alliance. For the first time in 13 years, the Friendship Sea Exercises between the two countries took place in the…
-
Could Egypt face an attack similar to Doha’s?
The Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha this month carries significant messages and warnings to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, which often hosts delegations of the movement and, alongside Qatar and the United States, manages mediation between the Palestinian factions and Israel. The questions raised by Egyptians in recent days…
-
A red card from Ethiopia to Egypt
When Egypt defeated Ethiopia 2–0 last Friday in the World Cup qualifiers, Egyptians did not rejoice much. Instead, they were overcome with regret, realising they were suffering heavy losses in the water race at the hands of their Ethiopian rival. Egyptian journalist Ali Al-Qamash expressed this on his personal Facebook page, writing: “We…
-
Joint forces to govern Gaza: Mission and repercussions
The day after the war in Gaza poses a major dilemma for regional and international actors, who are working to shape a plan for deploying an Arab–international force in the Strip in a bid to end the war, which is nearing its second anniversary on 7 October. The proposed plan…
-
Why are Egyptians dancing outside polling stations?
Despite crippling poverty, soaring prices and a steady decline in living and economic conditions, scenes of dancing and singing were prominent outside polling stations during last week’s Egyptian Senate elections. The ruling Egyptian regime is seeking to project an image that contradicts reality, amid notably low voter participation (around 63…
-
El-Sisi’s projects plagued by setbacks
Egyptian President El-Sisi’s ambitious promise of a “New Republic” has all but vanished, as many of his flagship mega-projects have stalled or failed outright—leaving behind soaring domestic and foreign debt that continues to weigh heavily on the country’s finances. The slogan of the “New Republic” is broadcast nonstop on state…
-
Twelve years of driving Egyptians into poverty
Twelve years have passed since the 30 June 2013 protests, without granting Egyptians what they had hoped for, despite the grand promises made by then Minister of Defence, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. That day paved the way for a military coup on 3 July of the same year, which…
-
Why did Egypt block the Caravan of Steadfastness?
The fate of the Caravan of Steadfastness, which returned to Tunisia last Thursday after initially setting off for the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, raises serious questions about the extent and nature of Egypt’s role in exacerbating the war of starvation and blockade imposed on the…