Free Ahmed Shihab El-Din , Journalism is not a crime "Updated : Ahmed is Acquitted and left Kuwait safely"

Updated on Thursday, 23 April  2026: a Kuwaiti court acquitted US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin on all charges following nearly two months of detention. He has not yet been released, though.

Updated on  Saturday, 25 April 2026: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and left Kuwait safely.

The news came officially from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning Kuwaiti-American journalist of Palestinian origins who posts prolifically on social media, especially on Twitter, where he is known as @ASE, was arrested in Kuwait on March 3, 2026.

"It is understood that authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone – vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists," the CPJ statement said, calling on the Kuwaiti government to release him.

In the days before his detention, Shihab-Eldin — who was visiting his family in Kuwait — shared publicly available videos and images related to the US-Israel war on Iran and the Iranian retaliation on Gulf states, just as any respectable professional journalist would do in his place.

Ahmed Shihab El-Din in Doha Film Festival 

On March 2, he shared photos and videos of a US fighter jet that crashed in Kuwait on Substack. 

That video had been geolocated and verified by CNN. None of his posts were photos or videos he took himself.

What makes this case particularly absurd from a legal standpoint is the timing.

Kuwait enacted Law No. 13 of 2026, aimed at safeguarding and protecting the supreme interests of military authorities, on March 15— nearly two weeks after his arrest on March 3.

He was therefore arrested and charged under a law that did not yet exist at the time of his alleged offense.

The law carries prison terms of up to 10 years for spreading false rumours related to military entities with the intent of undermining confidence in them.

CPJ launched a campaign for his release under the hashtag #FreeAhmed with an online petition.

Several international organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch demanded his release.

The story was covered by several Western news outlets. Several US senators and members of Congress raised his case as an American citizen — but as of today, nothing has moved on the Kuwaiti side.

Updated: Most critically — as of yesterday, April 22: his international legal counsel issued an urgent statement saying they were "extremely concerned for Ahmed's safety and wellbeing" in Kuwaiti detention.

Watch: Abdulkhaleq Abdulla’s Viral Interview with Rabab Al-Mahdy on the UAE, Saudi Rivalry, Egypt, and Sudan

This interview was likely one of the most-viewed videos in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates over the past week.

The interview is in Arabic. I wish I could remember the name of the AI service that translates YouTube videos and provides English subtitles. I came across one but forgot the name. If you know it, please drop it in the comments.

It features Emirati political scientist Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla in conversation with Dr. Rabab Al-Mahdy on the podcast “El-Hal Eah?” (“What is the Solution?”).

The podcast is produced by Alternative Policy Solutions (APS), a public policy research project at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

For me, “El-Hal Eah?” has been one of the most important interview podcasts in Egypt in recent years, tackling a wide range of issues—from politics and economics to history and law. This episode marks the opening of the podcast’s seventh season.

The interview was recorded in Cairo during Ramadan, just days before the outbreak of the Israeli-American war on Iran. It runs for over an hour.

For those unfamiliar with him, Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla is one of the UAE’s most prominent political science professors and commentators on social media.

Most notably, he previously served as an advisor to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ), the president of the United Arab Emirates.

Abdulla is also known for his book The Gulf’s Moment, in which he argues that leadership in the Arab world has shifted from traditional powers—such as Egypt, Syria, and Iraq—to rising Gulf states, particularly the UAE.

He appeared on the show to address accusations that the UAE has become the “Sparta of the Middle East.”

Rabab El-Mahdi is an associate professor of political science at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She currently leads AUC’s Alternative Policy Solutions (APS) research project.

Al-Mahdy succeeded in bringing into mainstream Arabic media discussions that had largely been circulating informally on social media—particularly regarding the evolving rivalry, or “frenemy” relationship, between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Blood Debt Ep.13”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will learn what happened to King al-Nu’man and how he ultimately met his fate. But first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

 Our chit-chat tonight will focus on two things: what happened to the real historical inspiration behind our tale—Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir—and how his dramatic end marked the beginning of another ending: the fall of the Lakhmid kingdom and, not long after, the decline of the Sasanian Empire. 

It also helped inspire one of the most famous pre-Islamic Arabian epics.

 According to Arab historians, even though King al-Nu’man once gave refuge to the Sasanian King Khosrow II, son of Sasanian King Hormizd, during his flight from the usurper Bahram Chobin in 590, and even fought alongside him to help restore him to the throne, the two rulers eventually fell out.

According to legend, their falling-out happened after al-Nu’man rejected Khosrow’s proposal to marry his daughter, Princess Hind. Some historical accounts, however, suggest that the proposal may actually have come from one of Khosrow’s relatives rather than from the king himself.

But that was not the only reason for the rift. Al-Nu’man also fell out with his former tutor and the powerful Sasanian court official and Arab envoy Adi ibn Zayd. Accusing him of plotting against him, al-Nu’man ordered his execution. Adi’s son—who had the ear of Khosrow—then managed to turn the Persian ruler against al-Nu’man in what feels like a real-life Game of Thrones scenario.

No wonder that show was such a hit in the Middle East.
Several historical traditions describe what happened once al-Nu’man realized that Khosrow intended to remove him from power.
One famous Arabian account says that al-Nu’man fled his capital and sought refuge among the powerful Banu Bakr of Arabia. He was eventually forced to surrender and, according to the story, executed by being trampled by elephants.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “al-Nu’man Ep.12”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will know what is next for al-Nu’man siblings after years of separation—but first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

Our chit-chat tonight will be about our tale’s title hero, al-Nu’man.

By now, you know that our tale for this Ramadan was inspired by an original One Thousand and One Nights story: the saga of King Omar al-Nu’man. One of the main differences between the original tale and our radio adaptation, trimmed for Egyptian State Radio by Taher Abu Fasha, is that the king’s name became al-Nu’man instead of Omar al-Nu’man.

It is unclear why Abu Fasha changed the name; frankly, it is beyond me. My only interpretation is that, just as he pushed the story back into pre-Islamic times, rather than the Umayyad era, as in the original tale, he may have chosen to focus on the root inspiration of the protagonist: al-Nu’man.

Anyone familiar with the history of Arabia and ancient Iraq will immediately recognize that inspiration. The most famous historical figure bearing that name was Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir, the last king of the Lakhmid kingdom of al-Hirah in ancient Iraq.

If you are familiar with Arabian myths and epics that predate The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, you will know that al-Nu’man and his family inspired some important legends and heroic tales.

The Lakhmid kingdom—commonly known in the Arab world as al-Manādhirah (المناذرة)—was an Arab kingdom that ruled parts of southern Mesopotamia and northeastern Arabia from the late 3rd century until 602 CE. It was governed by the Nasrid dynasty of the Banu Lakhm tribe, and its political center was the city of Al-Hirah.

The Richest Arabs in 2025: Saudis are back but Egyptians are still there

Once again, this post should have been published earlier. I had intended to make it an Egyptian Chronicles year-end tradition: The Richest Arabs in 2025, according to Forbes.

As an annual disclaimer, Arabs and Egyptians alike are well aware that there is another, unofficial list of the richest Arabs—those whose fortunes remain largely secret and unknown.

This year marked a major shift, as Forbes included Saudi billionaires on its list for the first time since 2018.

Fifteen Saudi billionaires made the ranking, 14 of them new entrants, largely due to their stakes in companies listed on the Saudi Exchange, which has seen a surge in IPOs in the post-COVID period.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud returned to the top of the list as the richest Arab in the world, with an estimated net worth of $16.5 billion.

He currently ranks No.162 globally on Forbes’ real-time billionaires list, after reaching No. 128 in May.

Saudi Arabia now has the highest number of Arab billionaires, with 15 individuals worth a combined $55.8 billion.

Lebanon follows with six billionaires worth $12.3 billion, while the UAE and Egypt each have five billionaires, with total fortunes of $24.3 billion and $20.6 billion, respectively.

According to Forbes’ World Billionaires 2025 list, the number of billionaires worldwide exceeded 3,000 for the first time, with 3,028 individuals making this year’s ranking—247 more than in 2024. Not only are there more billionaires, but they are also richer than ever, with a combined net worth of $16.1 trillion, nearly $2 trillion more than in 2024.

That time when Eric Adams met Egypt’s Mr. 1

I won’t speak about the glamorous Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) inauguration in this post — that event deserves a quieter, clearer moment, away from all the noise.

Instead, I want to talk about something else that caught the attention of many Egyptians last Saturday, right after the GEM’s glamorous opening ceremony.

That “something” was none other than a campaign ad by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, targeting Arab American voters with a video in which he spoke Arabic.

أنا اسمي زهران ممدان وعم رشّح حالي لأكون العمدة الجديد في مدينة نيويورك pic.twitter.com/ptfVdpansX

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 1, 2025

Speaking in a mix of Levantine and Egyptian accents, Mamdani visited a bodega — most likely Yemeni-owned, as many are — and greeted the resident cat with the Egyptian phrase “Ezayak ya basha” (How are you, Pasha?).

He also stopped by a Palestinian falafel shop, which, unsurprisingly, infuriated several pro-Israeli Zionists online.

But aside from that “Ezayak ya basha” moment, there was another scene that meant a lot to many of us — a subtle reminder of Egypt’s enduring soft power. In the background, one could hear a familiar tune: Mona Abdel Ghany’s 1987 hit “Yalla Ya As-hab” (Come Along, Friends).

Even though Mamdani studied Arabic in Egypt and his wife is Syrian American, I doubt either of them recognized that song. Clearly, someone on his campaign team is Egyptian — and has excellent taste in nostalgic 1980s pop.

But this wasn’t the only unexpected Egyptian pop culture cameo in New York City’s most heated mayoral race of the 21st century.

Just last month, we witnessed what could only be described as a meeting of the titans: Egypt’s Mohamed Ramadan meeting with former New York Mayor Eric Adams. (Yes, as you probably guessed from this post’s title.)

Anas Al-Sharif’s last message from Gaza to the world

This is Anas Al-Sharif’s last message, last well, if you may say.

He prepared in case he was killed by the Israeli army after long months, days and hours of threats.

It was shared on his official social media account shortly after his assassination, along with 6 men, including 4 crew members from journalists, cameramen and their driver, in a direct targeting of their tent at Al-Shifaa Hospital early Monday morning.

The Israeli Occupation Forces did some as they are gearing up for a complete re-occupation of Gaza.

The names of those who were killed in this massacre were: Al-Jazeera reporters Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa as well as their driver Mohammed Noufal. 

This is the whole Al-Jazeera Crew in North Gaza.

Among the other victims photographer, Mohamed El-Khaledi.

Either way, the coverage continues inshallah, as Al-Sharif said.

For 670 days, Anas Al-Sharif became that young voice of Gaza echoing in millions of houses in the Arab world and beyond. I got many emotions to the level that I feel that I can’t write anything now, but the least thing I can I share his last message.

This is its official translation into English:

“This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal).

But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.

I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace.

Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls. I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you.

Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland.

I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.

I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany throughout life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission. I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path.

I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards. I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me from for many long days and months.

Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith. I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty.

If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.

O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family.

Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.

Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.

Anas Jamal Al-Sharif 

06.04.2025”

Watch this now: Gaza Doctors Under Attack away from BBC “Arabic Translation included”

Watch the documentary that the BBC pulled under pressure from the Israeli lobby in the UK—despite having originally commissioned it.

The film, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, is produced by the award-winning Basement Films. 

BBC claimed it could not air the documentary until the investigation into it concludes — the film Gaza: Living in a War Zone, which it had aired back in February, before removing it from its website and app because it gave a voice to a boy who is the son of a Hamas official.

After the BBC dropped it, Basement Films released the documentary via Channel 4 and Zeteo.

 British football legend and former BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker said that the BBC should “hold its head in shame” over its failure to show a documentary about the plight of medics in Gaza after watching the documentary.

Linker lost his job over alleged antisemitic accusations as he continues to support Gaza and Palestinians publicly demanding that Israel receive the same treatment as Russia is receiving in the sports world. 

You can watch the documentary for free on Channel 4 if you are in the UK and have a valid UK postcode.

It is also available on Zeteo for subscribers.

A version with AI-generated Arabic subtitles is also available, and the film has been shared on Twitter and X, where it can be viewed freely.

Scenes from FIFA CWC 2025 : Handala and Ultras Ahlaway are here to stay

If you're looking for a brief escape from the region's heavy news cycle, especially if you're a football fan, this one's for you.

Two weeks ago, the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) kicked off in the United States — the country that famously refers to the world’s most popular sport as "soccer."

As expected — mashallah — Egypt’s Al-Ahly SC proudly qualified for the tournament once again. This marks the club’s ninth appearance in the CWC, making Al-Ahly the most qualified team in the tournament’s history outside of Europe and South America. 

Cairo’s Red Castle continues to make its mark on the global stage.

Sadly, Al-Ahly’s 2025 campaign came to an end after a dramatic draw with Portugal’s FC Porto at New Jersey’s iconic MetLife Stadium. Despite the electric atmosphere and a performance that fans will remember for years, the draw wasn’t enough to push them through to the next round. 

As Egyptians and Al-Ahly fans, we’ve exited the tournament — but some images and scenes from this edition of the FIFA Club World Cup will stay with me forever.

One of them is Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, making history in a way that transcends sport. In the unforgettable match against FC Porto, Abou Ali scored three goals — a true football “hat trick.” It was his night, and his name is now etched in the record books.

He became the first Palestinian player ever to score a hat-trick in a global tournament of this scale — a milestone not just for himself, but for Palestinian football. And to mark this powerful moment, Abou Ali celebrated in the spirit of Handala, the symbol of Palestinian resilience.

He was rightly named Man of the Match. It was well earned.

FIFA typically highlights and celebrates players who score historic firsts — especially hat tricks — in their official social media channels. But strangely, Wessam Abou Ali has received no such recognition from FIFA, and no official explanation has been offered.

The Odyssey of the Madleen: The Fragility of Power and the Bravery of Twelve

The Madleen, a ship carrying 12 aid workers on a mission to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, has become an odyssey of both hope and defiance.

Early Monday, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese reported that she was in live contact with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Madleen crew when the ship was approached by five Israeli speedboats circling the vessel in international waters.

The ship’s captain instructed the team to remain calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets readily available. Albanese, who was simultaneously tweeting updates, heard the crew informing Israeli soldiers that they were carrying humanitarian aid and intended to reach Gaza peacefully. At that point, the Israeli boats were circling but had not yet intervened.

Albanese, an Italian lawyer and human rights advocate, confirmed that she was still online with the team and recording events in real-time.

Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila also spoke out about the escalating situation while on board the vessel on his Instagram account.

According to military observers, the Madleen was then reportedly attacked by Shayetet 13—Israel’s elite naval commandos, the same unit responsible for the deadly raid on the Gaza flotilla in 2010.

Moments later, the speedboats briefly withdrew. Then came the drones.

At 12:40 a.m. UK time, Albanese reported that Israeli drones were releasing white paint onto the deck of the Madleen, marking a chilling new phase of the confrontation.

By 12:51 a.m. UK time, the crew of the Madleen remained in good spirits, though they had taken cover due to two Israeli quadcopters hovering overhead.

Hind Ragab would have turned 7 today if it were not for this man

Hind Ragab Would Have Turned Seven today.

Hind Ragab would have turned seven years old on 3 May.

Instead, she, her cousins, uncle, aunt, and the two Palestinian Red Crescent medics Yusuf Zeino and Ahmed Al Madhoun, who tried to save her, were killed by the Israeli army on a cold January day — in what amounted to a series of war crimes.

Hind’s weak and scared voice while she pleaded for the Palestinian Red Crescent operators to come and take her home shook many to the core, including me.

Earlier this year, in February, Hind’s voice was echoed through the UN Security Council thanks to Ambassador Riyad Mansour 

: Hind Rajab, her screams and appeals before she was killed by Israel, echoing through the Security Council: pic.twitter.com/PYcfJC2gkr

— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) February 25, 2025

Hind lived only five years on this Earth, but her name has become a symbol of justice, a name that will haunt war criminals worldwide — thanks to the Hind Ragab Foundation.

Based in Brussels, the Hind Ragab Foundation (HRF) was founded and launched in September 2024 by a group of lawyers and human rights advocates as a branch of the 30 March Movement. It is chaired by Lebanese lawyer and activist Dyab Abou Jahjah.

The foundation’s mission is to actively pursue legal action against those responsible for atrocities and war crimes — including perpetrators, accomplices, and inciters of violence against Palestinians, especially in Gaza.

Gaza War : This is what Hossam Shabat said in his last messages to the world

The Israeli occupation army killed in Gaza on Monday two journalists, 29-year-old Mohamed Mansour and 23-year-old Hossam Shabat.

Late Mansour and Shabat

29-year-old Mansour was a correspondent for Palestine Today TV channel and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun Daily.

Mohamed Mansour was killed in an Israeli missile attack at his house early Monday.

The Israeli army killed Shabat shortly after he mourned his colleague Mansour. Shabat was an Al-Jazeera Mubshar reporter in North Gaza.

Once again Mahmoud Darwish’s “In Gaza, a martyr mourns a martyr” manifests in front of our eyes.

It was not the first time. Shabat mourned his other colleagues who were killed in the past months in North Gaza.

Babies of Gaza: Mostafa, son of Halima has a family and is recovering

Do you remember that baby from Al-Shifa Hospital’s premature babies in Gaza who lost his eye and his mom and arrived in Egypt alone to receive treatment?

Yes, it is him, and he is a cute little boy who was lucky to find his family after all.

Mostafa Qadoura in Gaza before evacuation and in Cairo after evacuation

His name is Mostafa Qadoura , the son of Halima Abd Rabou.

Babies of Gaza: Mostafa, son of Halima has a family and is recovering amazingly and happily.

When Mostafa Qadoura was just a week old, an Israeli airstrike on his home in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya in October 2013 launched him and his crib into the air.

Shrapnel pierced his right eye, damaging it beyond repair. Baby Mostafa was later found in his crib, meters away from the ruins of his home.

The strike killed his 4-year-old brother, Ayes, and severely injured his 22-year-old mother, Halima.

Mostafa was rushed to Al-Shifa Hospital’s neonatal unit but faced further medical challenges when the hospital itself came under shelling. Meanwhile, Halima was at another hospital in northern Gaza, where doctors were forced to amputate her leg. She also suffered life-altering injuries to her neck, chest, and eyes.

After being discharged, Halima moved into a large family home in Jabaliya. But tragedy struck again. As her son was being evacuated across borders to safety, an Israeli airstrike killed Halima, her 6-year-old son, Bassam, and 50 other family members on November 22, 2023.

The fate of Mostafa’s father remains unknown. Officially listed as missing, it is unclear whether his body has been recovered.

For a time, the remaining members of Mostafa’s family believed he had also perished—until his uncle stumbled upon a local news report mentioning an orphaned baby he suspected was Mostafa.

Egyptian Chronicles’ Movers and Shakers of 2024 "Updated"

Welcome to the 2024 edition of Egyptian Chronicles' Movers and Shakers!

It’s that time of year again for our annual post.

Here is my list of those I believe to be the movers and shakers of 2024 in Egypt, the Arab world, and beyond.

This is not a list of the "top" individuals but rather those who left an impact for better or worse. The good, the bad, and the ugly all make an appearance. The naughty and the goody-goody are here too.

I didn’t publish the 2023 edition due to the war in Gaza—a decision I now regret.

But now, let’s dive into my top picks for the Movers and Shakers of 2024.

Regional shakers and movers

• The Palestinian people in Gaza:

Does this need any explanation? The most resilient people in the world are facing genocide while steadfastly refusing to leave their land. Many are unaware that Palestinians could storm the Egyptian border and seek refuge in Sinai under international law, which obligates Egypt to receive them. Yet, the Palestinians of Gaza choose to remain because they know Gaza is their last frontier.

Palestinian man Ismail Al-Khlout reads the Quran as he waits to break his fast in
Ramadan "March" while sitting on the rubble of his house. Mahmoud Isssa for Reuters

The people of Gaza understand that crossing the border means never returning. Israeli plans to recolonize Gaza are not a secret; Israeli officials openly discuss them. Their relentless efforts to make Gaza uninhabitable are underway, but the Palestinian people of Gaza remain their greatest obstacle. They are the true resistance, keeping the hope of Palestine alive. Yet, one cannot help but wonder how much longer they can endure this ongoing genocide.

Some countless faces and names embody the resilience and spirit of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Among them is Hajj Khaled Nabhan, who became an icon of perseverance after losing his beloved granddaughter Reem in October 2023. Despite his grief, he continued to care for his elderly mother and support the injured and displaced in Gaza. Tragically, Hajj Nabhan was killed in November.

Khaled Nabhan and his granddaughter Reem are now together

Others, like food blogger-turned-chef Hamada Shaqoura and Mrs. Shahinaz, inspire hope through their efforts amidst the destruction. They remind us of the enduring humanity and strength of Gaza’s people.

As of October 7, 2023, the ongoing Israeli war has claimed the lives of 45,658 individuals and left 108,583 injured. Additionally, 80% of the Gaza Strip is now under Israeli evacuation orders, further compounding the humanitarian crisis.

The Richest Arabs in 2024: Egypt and Lebanon Still Have the Most Billionaires in the Region Again “Despite shitty economy”

This post should have been published but here I am rushing to get it online before the end of 2024.

I could not publish then because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza but I think I was wrong. I should have published it on time and not let depression due to the news cycle get me.

Now to the annual disclaimers: Forbes Middle East has not included Saudi billionaires on its list since 2018. The list is based on published information and assets.

As Arabs, we are aware that there is another unofficial list of the Richest Arabs whose fortunes remain secret and unknown.

This secret list includes Arab rulers except for Lebanese PM Mikati and ex-Lebanese PM Saad El-Hariri who already come from filthy rich families with multi-billion business empires.

For the third year in a row, Lebanon and Egypt have the highest number of billionaires in the region, with six and five.

It's worth noting that the same individuals from last year are present, though their rankings have shifted. However, one has left the list due to his passing: Mohamed El-Fayed.

Published in May, here is Forbes 2024 World's Richest Arabs and Africans aka billionaires subsequently the Richest Egyptians. 

According to Forbes, Nassef Sawiris of Egypt is still maintaining his position as the richest Egyptian in the world, with a net worth of US $8.8 billion. He also ranks as the fourth richest African. This year, his global rank on the Forbes World's Billionaires list is 287th, a notable rise from his 2023 position of 305th.

His wealth has risen by $1.4 billion compared to 2023.

Nevertheless, Nassef Sawiris has been dethroned as the richest Arab in the world by none other than Pavel Durov. Originally from Russia, Durov, the only tech CEO on the list, obtained Emirati citizenship, ironically earning him the leading spot in the Arab billionaires club.

Durov is not the only non-Arab to make it to the list. A group of Indian tycoons residing in the UAE also joined, including Renuka Jagtiani, the first businesswoman to make the list. These foreign entries have pushed Arab billionaires down the rankings.

Thursday Rants and Rave: #S02EP03 Amira Amir’s Oedipus

Hello, and welcome back to a special episode of the Thursday Rants and Rave Podcast. This episode was recorded and edited before the war in Gaza in September 2023. 

I had to upload it now as I found that some people are still sharing the claims about the late Egyptian actor Amira Amir. 

Tonight, this is what I ranted about in Arabic.

This episode is dedicated to old Egyptian cinema fans and lovers. 

Oedipus: An Egyptian Take

According to YouTube and TikTok videos, Saadia Abdel Rahman Abu Al-Ala was born on 17 January 1920 in a Sharqia Governorate village to a butcher father.

Amira Amir on the cover of 
"Monday" Magazine in 1949

One day, a health inspector came to inspect his butchery, only to find he was violating the legal selling prices. A fight broke out between them, and it ended when the butcher killed the inspector with his cleaver.

The girl’s father was sentenced to life in prison and died during his sentence. 

At 16 years old, Saadia was forced to work as a seamstress to support herself and her family. She was gorgeous, and the village mayor proposed to her, even though he was older than her. She married him and gave birth to her eldest son, Khalid. 

However, after years of marriage, she decided to leave her husband and son and flee to Cairo, due to her husband's alcoholism.

After Saadia escaped to Cairo, her husband fell into a deep depression that drove him to suicide. As a result, his sister took in the child Khalid to raise him after his mother's escape. 

In Cairo, Saadia Abdel Rahman began looking for work. She saw an ad in the newspaper for a new film called "My Daughter" seeking new faces. She immediately went to audition for the role, and her striking beauty was enough to convince the director to give her the lead role. 

Amira Amir on the cover of
"Studio" Magazine "April 1950"

Aziza Amir, a famous actress, was also impressed with Saadia and agreed to give her the role. 

She gave Saadia the stage name "Amira Amir." From that moment on, she became famous and was the talk of the town.

Amira Amir's career took off. She met the director Kamal Selim, and they fell in love and got married. After several years, Kamal Selim passed away. 

Amira Amir continued her career in cinema, and then she married Mohamed Abdel Jawad, the assistant of her late husband. 

However, the marriage was short-lived and ended in divorce. Later, she married the Palestinian-Jordanian singer Gharam Shima.

Amir had a daughter from her Palestinian-Jordanian husband. However, after a while, they divorced, and she left her daughter with him. 

She then married an Armenian man who lived in Egypt, but they divorced as well because he wanted to move to America, and she refused to go with him.

Amira's fourth marriage was to an Egyptian army officer named Ibrahim Fayez Sabry. They had two children but divorced after six years of marriage. The famous actress then immigrated to America to start a new chapter in her life.

Tal al-Mallohi is free in Syria’s Homs

Here are the first photos of Syrian blogger Tal al-Mallohi free, healthy and alive in Syria’s Homs.

Tal al-Mallohi in Homs on Monday

Those photos were taken on Monday in her hometown.

Tal al-Mallohi was among the first batch of female detainees freed from the notorious Adra prison on the outskirts of North Damascus on Saturday hours before declaring Bashar Al-Assad and his direct family fled the country to Moscow.

Her relatives in Homs took her back home. 

Tal al-Mallohi was only 19 years old, a young blogger, when she was detained in December 2009 by security personnel at the Syrian embassy in Cairo. Her family had moved to Cairo at the time for her safety.

Tal al-Mallohi became a celebrity and icon in Syria already

People think that al-Mallohi was detained for the first time when she was 19 years old but actually, her ordeal began when she was 16 years.

During this, the Syrian state security interrogated her Syria for something she wrote about Syria on one of her bloggers. Tal did not usually speak about Syria or criticise Bashar Al-Assad. Her blogs in Arabic were all about Palestine and Jerusalem.

After being enlisted on the security watch list she was not able to join high school, thus her family had to move to Cairo so she could study in high school. 

But in December 2009 Tal was detained at the Syrian embassy and was sent back home for outrageous charges involving espionage for the United States.

During the opposition activists revealed had to do how she rejected the sexual advances of a Syrian prominent security officer at the embassy in Cairo.

Tal was the youngest Prisoner of conscience to be arrested in the Arab world. The young blogger was sentenced on February 15, 2011, to five years in prison.

Being the granddaughter of a former state minister for parliamentary affairs Mohamed Diaa al-Mallohi during Hafez Al-Assad’s administration did not help her.

Tal's mother Ahed al-Mallohi wrote a letter that appealed to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad himself, asking him to intervene and order the release of her daughter but that letter did not help her daughter either.

Back in Egypt, upon learning about her arrest months later, the Egyptian blogging and journalism community demanded her release and protested against her detention, both in person and online.

Tal was to be released in 2014, but she did not, and we all know why. It was during the peak of the war between the rebels and El-Assad. More people were arrested than released during then.

Tal spent an extra ten years, a whole decade in prison.

That photo was taken by a mobile phone secretly and
was smuggled to her family during her time in prison 

Before 8 December 2024, I had the unfortunate feeling that she was not alive, but God’s mercy is above all.

Tal entered Al-Assad's prison when she was only 19 years old and left it at 33 years old. I can’t image what she has been through but I know that nightmare is over.

Now I have a side question as I read more and more about the Adra prison: What kind of a sick mind names a prison that is more of a concertation camp Adra which means in slang Levantine and Egyptian Arabic virgin aka the Virgin Mary.”

It Happened: Syria is Al-Assad-Free—Bashar Flees Damascus

I have been glued in front of Al-Jazeera and social media in the past 48 hours to see the unbelievable accelerating end of Al-Assad Baath regime

Al-Assad dynasty rule ended in Damascus, Syria after 54 years. I can’t believe that I am blogging about it at last.

Damascus without Bashar Al-Assad 
The headline of Syria TV 

I can’t believe it, I still can’t.

Al-Assad has escaped along with his family to Dubai or God knows where.

I am just realizing that Al-Assad has become the last Arab Spring despot to lose his chair, I read that amazing news that I could not believe that it was happening.

Killing Sinwar : Bodies fall, but ideas endure " and War will go on"

And Hamas announced the news eventually on Friday. 

The head of its political bureau aka its leader, Yahia Sinwar was killed in a combat in Gaza's Tal Sultan while fighting the Israeli army.

Hamas announced that he is its latest leading figure to be a martyr. It added that his killing wouldn’t impact it, and it insisted on its demand: The exchange of all hostages and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza.

Hamas is correct. It is a blow, but it won’t be the end for the movement that technically had all its senior and leading members including the founder themselves assassinated.

Now let’s take two steps back.

The Israeli army killed Yahia Sinwar, the current leader of Hamas in Rafah. Even Israel did not believe the news at first. His DNA and dental records had to be tested. Yahia Sinwar was not hiding underground in the tunnels with the Israel hostages, nor he was hiding among the civilians.

He fought till the end and was killed along with two of his companions "including one whom the Israeli army claimed to kill from several months ago" in combat on Wednesday. In fact, according to the Israeli media, he and his companions were the ones who opened their fire.

The Israeli army knew about his identity only on Thursday.

On the same night, the Israeli army released a video recording of the last moments of Sinwar while fighting till the end.

He lost part of his arm throwing a stick to the drone hovering over his head in an epic ending that suits a military film. The video went viral in the Arab world and Egypt in no time

Israel successfully killed Yahia Sinwar physically but in the process, it created the legend of Yahia Sinwar, the fighter who fought till the last moment, last breath. 

The assassinations of The Two Ismails : Ismail Al-Ghoul’s (Al-Rifi and Al-Shawa too) assassination

Three weeks ago, I got the news in Cairo on my mobile phone before it was aired on Al-Jazeera.

A notification popped up on my iPhone screen, making me rush to tune back into the Al-Jazeera TV channel after having turned it off.

The TV had been on since early morning, as the whole family was following the news of Ismail Haniyah’s assassination in Tehran. No one expected anything significant to happen on the same day.

"Al-Jazeera correspondent in North Gaza Ismail Al-Ghoul is killed in an Israeli airstrike," read the notification, which had come directly from one of the on-ground Gaza Telegram groups.

I quickly turned on Al-Jazeera's Arabic channel and found the presenter, Rola Ibrahim, speaking live with guests from Tehran and the West Bank about the impact of Haniyah’s assassination on the war in Gaza.

Ismail Al-Ghoul and Ramy El-Rifi 

Meanwhile, the news spread rapidly on social media, with reporters and photographers sharing updates online. Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sherif confirmed the news on Twitter.

#عاجل | استشهاد أخي وحبيبي مراسل #الجزيرة إسماعيل الغول والمصور رامي الريفي بقصف إسرائيلي استهدفهما في مدينة غزة pic.twitter.com/1ImGMLAOhn

— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) July 31, 2024

“**Breaking News**: My brother and beloved Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Al-Ghoul, along with photographer Rami Al-Rifi, were martyred in an Israeli airstrike that targeted them in Gaza City,”