Egypt’s rapid urban encroachment on state and farmlands has gone unchecked for decades, but it has become Egypt’s top national issue after President Abdel Fatah El Sisi threatened last month to step down if it was not efficiently dealt with, surprising many in the nation of 100 million.
The issue has since dominated conversation, raised questions about the government’s law-and-order policies, the danger of disrupting the country’s food production balance and the social and economic cost of pursuing the government’s vision of a “modern Egypt”.
The government has set the end of September as a deadline for offenders to submit their applications for settlement. Under those settlements, the state will be monetarily compensated in return for legalising unlawful buildings. Offenders are given two months to submit all the relevant documents and a recourse to appeal against the value of settlements offered by authorities.
Illegal construction, prompted in part by unaffordable housing, has swallowed a staggering 168,000 hectares of agricultural land over the last 40 years, 37,800 of which were lost in the past decade alone, according to Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli. At least 70 per cent of all construction nationwide since 1985 is illegal, he said, and 50 per cent of Egypt’s entire urban area is the product of “unplanned” or illegal construction.
The high cost of reclaiming land for agricultural purposes – between 150,000 and 200,000 pounds per feddan, an Arabic measurement that equates to around 0.4 hectares – makes it difficult to replace lost farmlands, he explained.
“Successive governments have over the years failed to provide housing for the poor,” said Ammar Ali Hassan, a prominent author and sociologist. “Now they are building new cities but housing units there are way beyond the reach of the poor.”
Illegal buildings are not exclusively built by those who cannot afford legal housing, however. Opulent mansions have been built on the Nile’s banks and in the middle of farmlands across rural Egypt.
President El Sisi has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the rapid loss of farmlands to illegal construction, but his televised comments on August 27 were by far his most emphatic. He said the problem left him in so much despair he did not know what to do.
“I am tortured and pained every day when I see my country being decimated and its own people are destroying it. We are this country’s worst enemies," he said.
Seemingly intractable now after successive governments looked the other way, the problem has showcased the challenges facing Mr El Sisi in his zealous drive to realise his vision of a “new Egypt” where, among other things, discipline and law and order prevail over all else.
Since taking office in 2014, the general-turned-president has built around a dozen new cities and launched a series of multibillion dollar infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the Suez Canal, a nationwide network of roads, a chain of power stations and one of the world’s largest solar power farms. He has also spent billions of dollars on the procurement of cutting-wedge weapons that ranged from submarines and blue-waters’ troop carriers to fighter-jets, frigates and helicopter gunships, upgrading his army to a regional force to be reckoned with.
In his pursuit of a healthy economy, for example, the hands-on Egyptian leader who makes no secret of his disdain for politics, has removed state subsidies on basic food items that had for decades crippled the budget, introduced new taxes, tightening their collection, and has hiked the price of fuel and utilities.
His economic reforms have won lavish praise from international financial agencies and proved instrumental in withering the economic slowdown caused by months of lockdown because of the coronavirus epidemic. However, the reforms greatly burdened middle-class and poor Egyptians and raised questions about the government’s spending priorities.
“He wants to do so many things quickly and over a short period of time,” Negad Borai, a prominent rights lawyer who is also the director of a private legal firm, said.
“I am glad that there are some people around to remind him that public opinion also matters."
Significantly, Mr El Sisi has decided to prioritise the halting of illegal construction, especially on farmlands, at a time when food production has taken on vital importance due to rapid population growth and the possible reduction in Egypt’s vital share of the Nile water as a result of a giant dam being built by Ethiopia on the river. Egypt depends on the Nile for almost all its water needs.
It also coincides with renewed calls for anti-government protests on September 20.
This summer alone, the government has in quick succession raised electricity charges, hiked fares on the Cairo metro, used by millions on daily basis, and reduced the size of the state-subsidised bread that is the main staple for the majority of Egyptians.
Apparently concerned over popular discontent growing, the prime minister has dismissed accusations that seeking financial settlements from the owners of illegal buildings was in reality an attempt by his government to lay its hands on more money. He says legalising the buildings will significantly increase their value and allow owners to sell them at a profit, and that the money owed to the government could be paid over three years without interest.
The money paid as settlements, he explained, would be used to upgrade infrastructure in villages across the country.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Honeymoonish
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