Businessmen heading to Egypt are likely be of two types: those who have invested and those who sense that in the aftermath of a revolution that ended three decades of rule by Hosni Mubarak there are opportunities to be had.
Either type will find Cairo changed from previous visits. There is a new vibrancy in discussions taking place in cafes, restaurants and hotel lobbies.
Life has largely returned to normal with the reopening of the stock exchange last week and factories back at full production, but there are signs throughout the city of the month-and-a-half unrest that has transformed the country.
Visitors will find tanks guarding government buildings, but the soldiers spend most of their days posing for pictures with Egyptian children and the odd tourist bearing a flag. There is a joke that the tanks will not be removed until every Egyptian household has a picture of a family member in front of a tank.
Of slight concern for the wandering businessman are the protests that have been sprouting in smaller numbers since Mr Mubarak stepped down on February 11. While there have been no signs of these groups targeting foreigners, they have been occasionally violent. A seemingly calm day in Tahrir Square this month was suddenly marred by a rock fight between entrenched protesters and counter-revolutionaries.
Cairo is also still under a military curfew starting at midnight. While it may be possible to return to your hotel after hours, there is a risk of being stopped. This reporter was held at a checkpoint for half an hour and told he would have to stay there until 6am, but a plainclothes officer eventually allowed passage.
If some leisure time can be found in a busy schedule, this may be the greatest opportunity to visit the tourist sites. Queues for the pyramids of Giza and Museum of Egyptian Antiquities are non-existent, and the stalls of the Khan el-Khalili souq are filled with vendors desperate to give a good deal.
One feature of Cairo life appears to have survived the upheaval: traffic. It will take you much longer to get to a meeting than you expect, so be sure to plan. What may seem an obvious address to the visitor is usually known by some other name among taxi drivers. For instance, Nile Tower - a prominent office block - is better known as Borg Sawiris after the family that developed it.
bhope@thenational.ae
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2