Crowds flock to the beach at Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Hamza Hendawi / The National
Crowds flock to the beach at Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Hamza Hendawi / The National
Crowds flock to the beach at Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Hamza Hendawi / The National
Crowds flock to the beach at Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Hamza Hendawi / The National

Snubbed by Egypt’s elite, can Alexandria's past glories help improve its present fortunes?


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Less than a century ago, Alexandria was the summer playground for Egypt's rich and powerful. There to escape Cairo's stifling heat, they led luxury-filled lives of relaxation and partying.

The ancient port city on the Mediterranean also hosted a vibrant community of Europeans, most of whom had come to Egypt for better economic opportunities, operating small and medium-sized businesses like hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars. Some had fled persecution or political upheavals in their home countries.

The vibe of those days is documented in blockbuster Egyptian films of the 1940s and 1950s and by Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet, a four-volume novel that offers a window into the dynamics of the city's high society around the mid-20th century.

Fast forward to the present day and Egypt's elites now flock to the gated communities that have sprung up to the west of the city to spend their summer, while its tens of thousands of expatriate residents have vanished, after a wave of nationalisations and xenophobia fanned by authorities in the 1950s and 1960s.

Even the current government has abandoned Alexandria, instead moving its summer seat to the newly built and mostly uninhabited metropolis of New Alamein, some 100km to the west.

An aerial view of the Egyptian Mediterranean port of Alexandria. Photo: Ahmed El Kabbani
An aerial view of the Egyptian Mediterranean port of Alexandria. Photo: Ahmed El Kabbani

Alexandria now is essentially an overcrowded city of eight million that, apart from its seaside location, resembles almost any other in this country of 106 million people. On the outskirts are densely populated shanty towns where the hundreds of thousands of migrants from rural Egypt have settled over the years. Many of its architecturally unique villas have been demolished and replaced by high-rise residential towers.

Along the corniche, its waterfront promenade, the pavements are dirty and filled with litter and noisy food vendors. The cafes serve poor-quality fare and the high-rises lining the seafront show tell-tale signs of shoddy plumbing.

The city, which has a sizeable Christian community, has over the years become a bastion of hardline Islamists. A little more than a decade ago, they vociferously opposed the instalment of a statue of Alexander The Great, the founder of the city, on the grounds that his ancient Greek warrior attire was inappropriate because it showed his thighs.

In many ways, the city's present state is in keeping with its roller-coaster history of veering between prominence and decline.

A crowded beach in Alexandria. Eight million people now live in the city. Hamza Hendawi / The National
A crowded beach in Alexandria. Eight million people now live in the city. Hamza Hendawi / The National

There was the glory and pomp of the Ptolemaic and Roman ages – lasting almost 700 years, from about 300BC to 395 – during which time Alexandria was the nation's capital.

During the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who ruled between 284BC and 246BC, the Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse was built. Estimated to have been at least 100m high, it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and for centuries one of the world's tallest human-made structures.

Later, Alexandria fell into decline, following the seventh century Muslim conquest and the building of a new capital, Al Fustat, on part of what is now Cairo.

The rise of Rosetta, 65km to the east, as the nation's main port in the 16th century led to a further sidelining of Alexandria; when Napoleon Bonaparte and his army landed there in the summer of 1798, they found a small, rundown town of about 4,000 people.

But attempts to explain its current malaise draws a diversity of opinion from residents, who offer reasons ranging from unchecked migration from rural provinces to poor government planning and corruption – though some also question whether its more recent past has been idealised over the years.

“We are often superficial and only scratch the surface when we try to describe the city,” laments May El Tabbakh, an architect and a conservationist from Alexandria who challenges cliches that romanticise the city's past.

“So, the city was once clean and had a community of white Europeans. But what was Egypt's part in that? As for the expatriates, they were mostly either persecuted in their home countries or so poor so they came to Alexandria and took advantage of the sweet opportunities available here,” she says.

The Pharos of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Getty Images
The Pharos of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Getty Images

Ms El Tabbakh sees diminishing economic opportunities and neglect as key factors in Alexandria's decline.

“There are eight million of us and we live on a piece of land that was home to only 700,000 not so long ago,” she says. “There is very little left in the city that links it to its Greco-Roman past. Heritage sites are collapsing because no one is prepared to spend money to restore them.”

Unlike Ms El Tabbakh, some believe the problem is the people who have come here from poor rural communities in the Nile Delta and southern Egypt, in search for better opportunities.

Even though these migrants have struck deep roots in the city over the past half century, some native Alexandrians resent their presence, accusing them of bringing conservative values to a city that often prided itself on its social sophistication, a measure of secularism and uniqueness among Egyptian cities.

Those same Alexandrians also dismiss as crude intruders the hundreds of thousands of visitors from Nile Delta regions who crowd the city's beaches in the summer, which Ms El Tabbakh takes issue with.

“They have every right to enjoy the sun and the fresh air of the city when prime locations on the country's Mediterranean and Red Sea coastlines are being transformed into upscale compounds that cater for wealthy Egyptians,” she said.

For Nadim Anawaty, a fourth-generation member of an Alexandria family with roots in southern Europe and the Levant, the city's character has changed to the point where he no longer wants to live there.

“I was happy to stay put and not leave 10 years ago. But lately, I feel that I should go,” he says.

The recently renovated and reopened Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. Some observers say the city's rich history is being lost. Hamza Hendawi / The National
The recently renovated and reopened Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. Some observers say the city's rich history is being lost. Hamza Hendawi / The National

Mr Anawaty, 35, reminisces about a time when he says foreign residents added a European flavour to the city that set it apart from other Egyptian metropolises.

“There was a time, my parents and grandparents told me, when a Greek man sold clams to people relaxing on the beach and an Italian later came by to sell them ice cream,” he says.

A look at one of the more popular beaches in Alexandria – curiously, called Miami – showcases the stark contrast between the Alexandria of, say, 50 years ago and now.

Until the 1960s or a little after, Miami was patronised by well-off and trendy Cairenes. Now it has become a scene of chaos, with food leftovers and paper wrappings littering the golden sands. Plastic bottles and drinks cans float around bathers close to the shore. The seawater turns from pristine blue in the early morning to a murky brown by late afternoon.

Street hawkers selling anything from contraband sunglasses and T-shirts to NBA jerseys and handbags fill pavements along the seaside, screaming for the attention of passers-by.

A Roman-era marble statue of Euthenia, wife of the Nile's river god Nilus, at the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. She embodied the fertility of Egypt's farming land. Hamza Hendawi / The National
A Roman-era marble statue of Euthenia, wife of the Nile's river god Nilus, at the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. She embodied the fertility of Egypt's farming land. Hamza Hendawi / The National

The transformation of Alexandria from a high-end destination to a magnet for the middle and working class of the Nile Delta has coincided with the drop in arrivals of the Mediterranean cruise ships that used to regularly bring tourists who filled its museums and historical sites.

Tour operators complain that most foreign tourists who visit the city now tend not to spend the night there. Those who arrive by coach from Cairo in the mornings head back before sunset, while those who disembark from cruise liners prefer to rush to Cairo to see the Giza pyramids and the Egyptian Museum, rather than visit the sights in Alexandria.

“Over the years, Alexandrians have grown unaccustomed to dealing with tourists. They've become aggressive and take unfair advantage of them,” says Mona Halim, a veteran tour operator.

“There are also very few hotels that meet the standards required to house tourists and the traffic is a nightmare. It's a pity because Alexandria has so many fascinating antiquity sites,” she said.

But while the city is mired in the mundane in its present state, a reminder of its past glory has just resurfaced, albeit quietly, suggesting that it's unlikely to be game-changer for the city's tourism industry.

Three life-size busts of Alexander The Great at the Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria. The Greek Macedonian king and general conquered Egypt and in around 300BC founded the city that takes his name. Hamza Hendawi / The National
Three life-size busts of Alexander The Great at the Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria. The Greek Macedonian king and general conquered Egypt and in around 300BC founded the city that takes his name. Hamza Hendawi / The National

Closed for two decades for restoration, the city's renowned Greco-Roman Museum opened its doors again earlier this year with a sophisticated lighting system that adds to the attraction of the displayed artefacts dating back to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, as well as the early years of Christianity in Egypt.

The subtle lighting and the black walls of some wings highlight the art and intricacy of the artefacts, which include majestic marble statues of Ptolemaic monarchs and Roman emperors as well as some of ancient Greece's mythological gods.

The museum is a compelling testament to the city's glorious past, but on a recent weekday the visitors – a mix of foreign tourists and locals – were easily outnumbered by security guards. The shelves of the gift shop, which was closed, were filled with the same crude, cheap replicas of well-known Egyptian artefacts found in Cairo's souvenir shops.

A statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 161 to 180, at Alexandria's Greco-Roman Museum. Hamza Hendawi / The National
A statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 161 to 180, at Alexandria's Greco-Roman Museum. Hamza Hendawi / The National
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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

RESULTS

2.15pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m

Winner Shawall, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer)

2.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Anna Bella Aa, Fabrice Veron, Abdelkhir Adam

3.15pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

3.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m

Winner Taajer, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

4.15pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 (D) 1,700m

Winner Jawaal, Jim Crowley, Majed Al Jahouri

4.45pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner Maqaadeer, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

UAE SQUAD

Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)

'My Son'

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

RESULT

Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')

Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)

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Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:

Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm

Thursday April 25:  Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm

Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm

Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm

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Cricket World Cup League Two

Oman, UAE, Namibia

Al Amerat, Muscat

 

Results

Oman beat UAE by five wickets

UAE beat Namibia by eight runs

 

Fixtures

Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia

Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE

Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia

Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

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Company profile

Date started: December 24, 2018

Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer

Based: Dubai Media City

Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)

Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech

Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year

Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The Case For Trump

By Victor Davis Hanson
 

Champions League Last 16

 Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER) 

Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG) 

Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED) 

Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA) 

Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG) 

Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA) 

Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG) 

Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)  

MEFCC information

Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERobert%20Lorenz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Liam%20Neeson%2C%20Kerry%20Condon%2C%20Jack%20Gleeson%2C%20Ciaran%20Hinds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces

 

  • Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
  • Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
  • Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
  • Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
  • Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDecember%202014%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%20Former%20UK%20chancellor%20of%20the%20Exchequer%20George%20Osborne%20reforms%20stamp%20duty%20land%20tax%20(SDLT)%2C%20replacing%20the%20slab%20system%20with%20a%20blended%20rate%20scheme%2C%20with%20the%20top%20rate%20increasing%20to%2012%20per%20cent%20from%2010%20per%20cent%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EUp%20to%20%C2%A3125%2C000%20%E2%80%93%200%25%3B%20%C2%A3125%2C000%20to%20%C2%A3250%2C000%20%E2%80%93%202%25%3B%20%C2%A3250%2C000%20to%20%C2%A3925%2C000%20%E2%80%93%205%25%3B%20%C2%A3925%2C000%20to%20%C2%A31.5m%3A%2010%25%3B%20More%20than%20%C2%A31.5m%20%E2%80%93%2012%25%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApril%202016%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20New%203%25%20surcharge%20applied%20to%20any%20buy-to-let%20properties%20or%20additional%20homes%20purchased.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%202020%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chancellor%20Rishi%20Sunak%20unveils%20SDLT%20holiday%2C%20with%20no%20tax%20to%20pay%20on%20the%20first%20%C2%A3500%2C000%2C%20with%20buyers%20saving%20up%20to%20%C2%A315%2C000.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mr%20Sunak%20extends%20the%20SDLT%20holiday%20at%20his%20March%203%20budget%20until%20the%20end%20of%20June.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApril%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%25%20SDLT%20surcharge%20added%20to%20property%20transactions%20made%20by%20overseas%20buyers.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJune%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SDLT%20holiday%20on%20transactions%20up%20to%20%C2%A3500%2C000%20expires%20on%20June%2030.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tax%20break%20on%20transactions%20between%20%C2%A3125%2C000%20to%20%C2%A3250%2C000%20starts%20on%20July%201%20and%20runs%20until%20September%2030.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS

Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari

Updated: September 20, 2024, 6:00 PM