Lessons learned: The future of Egypt's capital markets
As Egypt's capital market expands and global financial markets unwind, many are concerned about avoiding the pitfalls of overly sophisticated trading tools. With products like margin trading and short selling…
ICT on the rise in 08, insiders say sector will defy slowdown
Information technology can play an important role in helping companies respond to this difficult and rapidly changing economic environment, Karim Ramadan, Microsoft Egypt's general manager, said.If the global crisis poses…
Targeting subsidies key to efficiency
To see why public outrage follows every rumor that subsidies will be removed here, one need not look further than Egypt's winding queues for subsidized bread and gasoline. For over…
Egypt's FDI takes a hit as global markets unravel
With the boom over the past few years in Egypt's economy, foreign direct investment (FDI) has become a fixation for many businessmen and economists alike who see it as a…
Putin warns of higher prices as 'gas OPEC' meets
MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned on Tuesday that consumer countries faced higher gas prices, as a fledgling forum that has raised fears of an OPEC-style gas cartel met…
Mobiles offer broadband opportunity – if states can afford it
CAIRO: The sound of a digitized Mozart sonata blending with a muezzin's call to prayer has become increasingly common on this city's streets, a testament to the growing presence of…
US Bechtel wins Egypt nuclear power contract, say reports
CAIRO: The US company Bechtel Power has won a 10-year contract worth LE 1 billion ($180 million) to consult on and help design Egypt's first nuclear power station, state media…
Economic slump takes its toll on the entertainment industry
The global entertainment industry has always praised itself for proving to be "recession-proof. Case in point: The age of depression. As America struggled with its worst economic crises in history,…
The year in visual arts
The visual arts scene in Egypt in 2008 has witnessed a substantial vibrant mixture of productions. Fortunately, the good exhibitions have been more so than the bad. The awful productions…
Egyptian books take the stage
Reading has no doubt become a new national hobby for Egypt, a reality exemplified by the growing bestselling charts. The hot topics remain social realism, contemporary politics and the new…