Egyptians taking summer vacations at home have for years quietly followed well-trodden routes to the coast that mirror their social status.
Like clockwork, the wealthy headed to a Mediterranean coastal strip north-west of Cairo called “Sahel”, while the less fortunate sojourn at Alexandria or a string of lesser known and somewhat austere cities mostly to the east, such as Ras El Bar, Gamasah and Balteem.
No one seemed to give much thought to where others were going or how much it was costing them to go there.
Until now.
Television talk show hosts, social media influencers and satirists have in recent weeks focused on calling out, defending or ridiculing the extravagant lifestyle of the country’s rich minority who summer in Sahel, a 300-kilometre stretch of coastline dotted with heavily-guarded gated communities with exclusive access to some of the country’s best beaches.
Their interest in what goes on there has seeped into the national conversation at a time when the country is sagging under the weight of an economic crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
It has touched on everything from the astronomical prices of holiday homes and rents in Sahel to the prohibitive cost of dining out, the extravagant beach parties and concerts, and the eyebrow-raising fashion sense among the area’s night revellers.
But like almost everything else in Egypt, the conversation has its funny side, including a flurry of TikTok videos and memes about the shock of ordinary folks at Sahel prices and the swift and undignified expulsion of outsiders caught trying to sneak into the walled compounds.
The newly coined phrase “the good Sahel, the evil Sahel” surfaced this summer and became an instant hit. It is casually used now to respectively refer to the old and somewhat modest part of Sahel closer to Alexandria and the area farther west that is home to newer and much more expensive compounds.
The seriousness of the debate, however, cannot be exaggerated. The conversation frames the complexity of Egyptian society and its entrenched class structure, laying bare the vast and growing economic discrepancy between the small moneyed minority and the poor and limited-income majority among Egypt’s 103 million people.
“Sahel has always been that enclave of extravagant lifestyles, but somehow it got out of hand this summer and made its way into the headlines and talk shows,” said Mohammed, a 45-year-old businessman who has spent his summers in Sahel since childhood and asked to be identified only by his first name.
“You will have to thank the nouveau riche for that.”
The average apartment or house in one of the high-end Sahel compounds can fetch anywhere between $250,000 and $2 million, depending on size and location. A week’s rent for a house in one of these compounds is anywhere between 100,000 pounds ($5,200) and 200,000 pounds.
A 1.6-litre bottle of mineral water sold on the beach costs 100 pounds — 20 times its supermarket price. A simple pizza at a restaurant will set you back 1,000 pounds, and a coffee 100 pounds. The charge for a drop-in group workout session complete with a sea view can cost up to 450 pounds.
“Vacationing in the evil Sahel now costs a small fortune,” said a 45-year-old mother of two whose family and her sister’s returned in late August from a two-week break in an upscale Sahel compound. “We took a lot of supplies with us from Cairo so we don’t buy too many things at Sahel.”
The Sahel conversation grew heated and drew nationwide attention when a high-end developer in August sold homes ranging in price from $500,000 for small apartments to $5m for seafront villas. Photos shared online of buyers, or their representatives, clamouring to snap up the new units caused a backlash and led to closer scrutiny of the life of the country’s rich and powerful.
Commentators were divided on how to interpret the rush to buy the units — the developer reportedly sold more than $400m worth of units in a matter of days. Some, not entirely convincingly, hailed it as evidence of a healthy investment climate.
They said about 35 per cent of the units were bought by non-Egyptians.
“This is what Egypt is like. Some talk about the price of cooking oil, inquire about the price of tomatoes or complain about the soaring price of eggs while someone else is buying a villa for 118 million pounds,” mused talk show host Ahmed Moussa, a staunch government supporter. “This is Egypt in all its glory,” he declared.
But Mustafa Bakry, an outspoken legislator who also supports the government, saw the matter in an entirely different light. He admonished the rich for being socially insensitive by flaunting their wealth and pleaded that they do more to help the poor cope with the recent spike in prices.
Speaking on his own TV talk show, Mr Bakry said: “The folks in Sahel should stop provoking people so much. To them I say, ‘don’t just live for yourselves, live for others, too.’ What they are doing is impacting on an already difficult and painful social situation.”
Amr Adeeb, arguably the Arab world’s most popular talk show host, took a “take it or leave it” approach to Sahel.
He has dismissed as irrelevant and reckless the notion that the heavily publicised sale of the multimillion-dollar villas would sow the seeds of hatred between Egypt’s poor and the rich.
“I am so sorry that I am telling you this now, but our world includes both rich people and not-rich people since time immemorial,” he said. “It’s supply and demand.
There is a tendency to look at Sahel from the perspective of classism, but it’s simply a place where people from a certain economic level live.”
Adeeb also admonished Sahel holidaymakers for complaining about the high prices there, saying they should exercise their right to choose where to spend their money.
“People are posting online their restaurant receipts. Did you expect to get free food?” he asked in a recent episode of his programme El Hekaya, or "The Story", on MBC Egypt. “If the food is that expensive, then just get up and walk away. But if you want to dine with celebrities, then just cough up the money.”
Sahel has not always been the summer destination of Egypt's wealthy.
For most of the 20th century, the rich and powerful spent their summers in Alexandria. When the city became too crowded, they shifted to the Al Agami area just to the west. They moved further west in search of pristine seas and golden beaches in the 1980s, and again over the past 20 years ― buying up properties in developments with catchy names like Hacienda Red, Hacienda Bay, La Vista, Bianchi and Caesar Bay.
The latest expansions inch closer to the city of Marsa Matrouh, with new compounds springing up over the past five years near virgin beaches in once-remote areas of the coastline such as Almaza and Sidi Heneesh.
As the years went by, vacationing in Sahel, especially in the “evil” part, has become ingrained in the collective psyche of the rich; a must-have social badge that ensures a place in high society.
“You can buy a decent holiday home in Spain or Greece and use it all year round with the money you pay for a home in Sahel, which you only use in July and August,” said a corporate real estate executive who did not wish to be named because he was not authorised by his employers to speak to the media.
“Buying in Sahel is driven by the community of the super-rich. You are not seen as a member of the elite if you don’t have a place of your own there.
“Come to think about it, you also cannot marry well in Egypt these days if you don’t have a Sahel home on your resume.”
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
The years Ramadan fell in May
RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
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The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Company%20Profile
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
BLACKBERRY
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Matt%20Johnson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jay%20Baruchel%2C%20Glenn%20Howerton%2C%20Matt%20Johnson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Meydan Racecourse racecard:
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m
8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
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'Nope'
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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