Egyptian Chronicles’ Movers and Shakers of 2022

Welcome to the 2022 edition of Egyptian Chronicles' Movers and Shakers.

It is the time for our annual post
Here is my list of those I believe to be the shakers and movers of 2022 in Egypt, the Arab world and the world.

This is not the list of the top people but rather those who made an impact whether positive or negative based on my own views. The good, bad and ugly are here. The naughty and goody-goody are here too.

From Upper left to right: Mohamed Omda, Mohamed Maait and Mohamed Al-Amin 
From lower left to right: Ramy Fahim, Sherine, Sanaa Seif, Ahmed El-Tayab 

This list is without any order. You know me, I write what I remember.

Again, I started writing down this post at 2:04 AM, yet once again my epic procrastination and being burned out for the year rules.

From Egypt

• Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Ex-Central Bank of Egypt Governor Tarek Amer and Current CBE governor Hassan Abdullah: Do I need to explain !? I mean we enter the new year with more fears than hopes about what we may face economically. 2022 is one of the most brutal economic years Egypt has ever witnessed and God knows how Egypt’s economy will survive its repercussions as external debts increase.

•  Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb: El-Tayeb made a name for himself to stand out among all the previous Imams of Egypt and the world’s oldest and most Sunni Islamic institution. Aside from the successful coexistence dialogue he leads with Christian faith leaders around the globe like his best BBF in Rome Pope Francis, El-Tayeb is truly standing the moderate Sunni Muslims against attacks from left and right. This year he stood against endless attacks by radical seculars who believe that he is ultra-conservative and by religious fanatics who believe that he is ultra-progressive alike. El-Tayeb so far got very progressive views for real, but no one wants to listen truly to him. He also brought back the voice of Al-Azhar internationally to comment on and defend Muslim rights’ around the globe whether in India or in Afghanistan defending the right of Afghani girls to learn.

• Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat: For trying and for trying again to solve the political prisoners' file. At least he tries.

• Alaa Abdel-Fattah and his sisters Mona and Sanaa Seif: That session of the COP is actually Alaa Abdel-Fattah’s session whether the Egyptian administration wanted or not thanks to his strong sisters Mona and Sanaa Seif whose efforts made the issue of human rights in Egypt brought up centre and front in one of the World’s biggest conferences.
• Dr Ahdaf Soueif: The renowned author stood admirably alone along with other Cairo surviving houseboat owners defending their rights even though it seemed a lost cause. “I believe inshallah they will win eventually".
• Naira Ashraf: The girl that was killed in daylight in front of her university by a man whom she rejected thus reminding the world and Egypt that there is something called Femicide, and it runs like a bloody Nile in the country. She was the first followed by TV host Shaimaa Gamal, Salma Bahgat, Amany El-Gazzar and Kholoud Darwish.

From Upper left to right: Sarab Sabry, Gamal Mubarak, Naira Ashraf and Wegz
From lower left to right: Amal Maher, Mohamed Sadat, Yasmine Ezz and Ahmed Mekky 

• Heritage activists above them Dr Galila El-Kady: These activists are still trying to defend Cairo’s cemeteries against the plans to demolish them.
• That group of students led by archaeologist Dr Monica Hanna: For launching a petition to repatriate the Rosetta stone and actually started the whole movement online before any other archaeologist celeb launches their online petition.
• Egyptian banker Hisham Ezz Al-Arab: For becoming an accidental eco-activist when he defended the coasts of Sidi Abdel Rahman after its destruction by Emirati giant Emaar and for his triumphant return to the biz world as an adviser to the CBE governor and then to the CIB again.
• Sara Sabry: For becoming Egypt and Africa's first Space tourist and analogue astronaut. She still did something but the media forgot it quickly.

• Egyptian Rapper Wegz: For having an amazingly successful year “mashallah” and becoming the first Egyptian singer to sing in the World Cup halftime. Wegz managed to make Egyptian rap aka TRAP "I hope I write it correctly” mainstream by his own terms and style.
• Mohamed Diab: Becoming the first Egyptian director to direct a Marvel series “Moon Knight” which I have not seen till now “I subscribed to Disney+ only to watch other series than Marvel shows as it seems” is enough to make it to this list. Despite some of my friends who saw the series believe that the story could be better, most of them agree that Diab did a fine job in his episodes. It is enough that he made Oscar Isaac one of Ramadan’s stars this year in Egypt just like Mohamed Ramadan and Ahmed Mekky. Isaac unlocked another achievement without realizing it!!
• Mohamed Omda and the rest of Nasr El-Scene cast: Why did not I watch Moon Knight illegal on Egybest with the rest of my fellow Egyptians in Ramadan!? The first reason is that I was following a short Egyptian Independent Web series on YouTube called Nasr El-Scene “It got English subtitles”. A mockumentary about a rising Egyptian rapper, the series is hilarious unbelievably.
• Ahmed Mekky: Second reason why I missed Moon Knight’s Ramadan unofficial release in Egypt is that I was following Ahmed Mekky and his great return as El-Kebir Awi in the 6^th season, and he proved that he reigns as a comedy king for real in the new season presenting with him a new class of fine comedians including the amazing Rahma Ahmed.
• Sherine: The most streamed female Egyptian artist globally on Spotify in 2022 actually did not have any time for music in 2022 because of all the personal drama that made many think she was the Middle East’s Britney Spears. Now people fear that she is the Middle East’s Whitney Houston.
• Yasmine Ezz: The MBC Misr TV host loves that persona of hers speaking every day against women’s rights and supporting misogyny explicitly since she gained infamy after defending a groom beating his bride repeatedly in Ismailia in February. In October, that groom was arrested after his wife filed a complaint of his constant beating.
• Amal Maher: Actually the hero here was the Egyptian people whom thanks to the great noise on social media managed to return back on stage in Egypt’s North Coast exposing at the same time how far someone like Turki Al-Sheikh controls Saudi Media.
• Amina Shelbaya: Former Miss Egypt and Former TV host made a great provoking comeback as an etiquette expert who teaches us how we should eat and act. 

• Egyptian footballer Ahmed Sayed Zizo: Here I am featuring a Zamalek player despite being a hardcore Ahly Fan but I can’t deny Zizo is one of the best wingers we have in Egypt.

• Former Minister Nabila Makram and her son Ramy Fahim: I can’t find true words to describe this Egyptian tragedy taking place in the United States except it will continue in the new year. Again, there are two young men who were killed rarely mentioned in the media in Egypt.
• Late ex-Media tycoon Mohamed Al-Amin: Al- Amin was arrested in January on sex trafficking charges then in May was sentenced to three years in prison for human trafficking after being found guilty of sexually assaulting seven minor girls in an orphanage, he owned in Bani Soueif governorate. Al-Amin’s lawyers were gearing up to appeal the first-degree sentence next 28 January when he was found to be in the last stage of lung cancer. He died earlier in December in a private hospital in Cairo. “Read my two-part episodes about him here”

Regional shakers and movers

• Tunisian people: For boycotting Kais Al-Said’s cartoonish parliamentary elections sending to him and the rest of the world especially in Europe an important message that they won’t accept dictatorship again.
• Iranian people: For standing for the fundamental rights in Iran after years of abuse. It is not about religion but freedom of choice and respect for life above all. Now I see photos of unveiled girls protected and accompanied by their veiled moms in some upscale streets in Tehran and I know change is coming from the people to the people inside.
• Late Shireen Abu Akalah: The sweetest Palestinian reporter we grew up with on Al Jazeera who was killed in a cold blood by IDF. Abu Akhalah who turned to have an American passport managed to continue exposing Israeli hypocrisy and criminality in front of the whole world even from beyond the grave.
• Sheikh Tamim bin Hamed of Qatar: The Qatari prince and his country made it and hosted the World Cup successfully despite all the crises and odds managing to fix their relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE “except Bahrain” as well as maintain being a key player in the regional and international scene despite being that small, tiny Gulf state with huge gas reserve. Also, his bisht move with Messi was an epic
• MBS and his oil minister: Mohamed bin Salman returned back as a winner this year against all odds playing against the United States despite the States trying to win him back thanks to his energy minister Abdel Aziz bin Salman Al Saud. The question is now a matter of when he will become the official king of Saudi Arabia.
• Association of Lebanese depositors: Defending the rights of Lebanese people against those corrupted Lebanese elites.
• Saudi Football team: For breaking the record of Argentinean football internationally in the World Cup and then leaving the World Cup. “Also their cool fan for launching Where is Messi trend?”
• Moroccan Football team: For making history without a doubt in the World Cup
• Arab fans in the World Cup in Doha: Especially from the Gulf gave Israeli reporters hard times.

International shakers and movers

• Vladimir Putin
• Volodymyr Zelensky
• Xi Jinping
• Lula De Silva 
• Elon Musk
• Harry and Meghan
• Erling Haaland
• Lionel Messi
• Piers Morgan
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Andrew Tate

I do not need to explain more those

This is my list, what do you think about it!? Do you have other names in your mind !?