Happy Eid — If You Are Not Palestinian or Lebanese

It was supposed to be a happy Eid for the two girls — at last — after two hard years of survival and hunger that made them, like every other child in Gaza, older than their age and afraid of what tomorrow might bring.

It was supposed to be a happy Eid eve. Their mother took them to one of the remaining markets in Gaza to buy Eid outfits, to make them feel happy, to make them feel like children — but they are Palestinian kids living in Gaza, where the odds of happiness, like any other child's, are very few.

They went after the Day of Arafat Iftar to get the clothes, only to find the Israeli army bombing the market. Suddenly, everyone was scattered, everyone was searching for everyone else — and above all, for safety.

The two girls — the eldest stepped into the role of the adult, looking around in shock, while the younger one, in disbelief, shook her head and waved her arms in denial as their mother lay badly injured in the street.

Occupying South Lebanon: Where Have the Lebanese Villages Gone on Apple Maps?

It is Orthodox Easter, and tomorrow is Sham El-Nassim, our ancient spring festival in Egypt — but it does not feel like a time for celebration, given the relentless grim news of wars and a troubling wave of suicides in Egypt.

Tonight, people — mostly OSINT armchair analysts — discovered that the Apple Maps app, on both iOS and desktop, does not display the names of cities and villages in South Lebanon. At the same time, it does show place names in North Lebanon, northern Israel, and southern Syria.

Some are attributing this to a glitch, but I have my doubts. If Apple Maps can display the names of alleyways in Cairo and neighborhoods in Gaza, it should certainly be able to show village names in South Lebanon.

Several Lebanese users have also noted that those names were visible until as recently as last week.

I checked both the iOS and desktop versions and compared them with Google Maps — the difference is striking.

Here is the Apple Maps version (identical across iOS and desktop), followed by the Google Maps view.

Apple Maps Web version 

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.

Christmas 2024 Palestine edition: Baby Jesus is still in the rubble

No words better capture the spirit of Christmas in Palestine this year than those of Rev. Munther Isaac of the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, who said in his sermon earlier this week, “Christ is still under the rubble in Gaza.”

Christmas celebrations are canceled in the city of Jesus Christ's birth for the second year in a row.

On Friday in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, Reverend Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church delivered a sermon titled "Christ is still in the rubble.” pic.twitter.com/EJLs3jGack

— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) December 23, 2024

Last year Isaac said his famous words “Baby Jesus is under the rubble” and this year he repeats it to the world but there is no use.

This year , 2024 the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem kept its 2023 Christmas Nativity Scene's Baby Jesus in th rubble.

Baby Jesus in rubble nativity scene 

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. 

Bibi, the Maps man: It is a new Middle East indeed

“I was working on this post before Israel launched Operation 'New Order,' which killed over 500 people in 48 hours, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. However, let’s say that this post serves as an important introduction to what is happening or will happen in the Middle East.”

A year ago, Benjamin Netanyahu stood at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with a small map of the "New Middle East."

It was both an intriguing and alarming map, as it depicted no Palestinian state whatsoever.

The map clearly illustrated what he and his government had sought from day one: the annexation of Gaza and the West Bank, while maintaining relations with Arab countries—especially the recent signatories of the Abraham Accords (Sudan, UAE, and Bahrain)—and, most significantly, the holy grail for any Israeli government: Saudi Arabia.

Bibi at the 78th session of the UNGA in 2023

Ironically, Netanyahu's map of the "New Middle East" excluded Morocco, perhaps because he considered it too distant as a North African country.

At the time, Egypt and Jordan regularly issued statements in response to Israeli provocations in the West Bank, warning that they could lead to escalations.

Meanwhile, the U.S., or rather the Biden administration, seemed solely focused on racing against time to finalize a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal before Donald Trump could return and derail it.

Exactly one month later, everything changed, and it seems that everyone forgot about Netanyahu’s map—except Netanyahu and his government.

Since October 8, 2023, Netanyahu has shown little concern for rescuing Israeli hostages. Instead of focusing on their safety, he appears more concerned with saving himself and his government from accountability amid a political crisis, while pursuing his agenda of making that map a reality.

“A quieter Middle East”: The other Middle East in parallel Universe

Two weeks ago, US President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said confidently in a public think tank meeting in Washington that the Middle East is quieter today than it has been in two decades.

Jake Sullivan

I do not know if he was serious, in denial, or demonstrating the US's true intent to leave the Middle East to deal with "its own shit." Whatever the case may be, I know that the Middle East is not quieter today than it has been in two decades. In fact, things are getting from bad to worse.

Let’s see the Middle East’s map and I will exclude the Palestinian territories.

The Richest Arabs in 2023: Egypt and Lebanon Still Have the Most Billionaires in the Region

It is not too late to share the list of the Forbes World's Richest Arabs and subsequently the Richest Egyptians. Inshallah, I am planning to make it an annual tradition for Egyptian Chronicles.

The Arabic edition of the famous magazine published this list in April, and I'd like to share it with you now.

I must mention that Forbes Middle East has not included Saudi billionaires on its list since 2018. The list is based on published information and assets.

Egypt's richest men from left to right: Nassef Sawiris, Mohamed Mansour,
Naguib Sawiris, Mohamed El-Fayed, Youssef Mansour and Yasseen Mansour

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 the Lebanese ruling class because we have figures like Mikatis and Hariris who have their own business empires.

Now, let's turn our attention to this year's list. According to Forbes' World's Billionaires 2023 ranking, there are 2,640 people featured, down from 2,668 in 2022. Collectively, billionaires are now worth US $12.2 trillion—US $500 billion less than in March last year—and believe it or not, nearly half of them are poorer than they were in 2022.

In an interesting twist, for the second year in a row, Egypt and Lebanon have the highest number of billionaires in the region, with six entries each. It's worth noting that we have the same individuals as last year, but their rankings have changed.

According to Forbes, Nassef Sawiris of Egypt retains his position as the richest Arab and Egyptian in the world, with a net worth of US $7.4 billion. He also ranks as the fifth richest African. This year, his global rank is 305th, slightly lower than his position in 2022 when he was ranked 304th.

The drop in Nassef Sawiris' global ranking is due to a decrease of US $300 million in his wealth compared to 2022.

Kodak Agfa Presents : Photos of the year “2022 edition”

Another year-ender post I hope that inshallah it will be another tradition in Egyptian Chronicles: The photos of the year.

This is a subjective post because I chose those photos as my favourite for the year 2022, they represent major events in the year which I found significant and they are not too many.

They are without order. I apologize for that. 

For me, this is the photo of the year 2022.

A four years old girl working in a brick factory in Afghanistan sleeping 
after work on one August afternoon "AP"

That photo summarizes the Afghani ongoing forgotten tragedy.

It also represents everything that is wrong in this world my afraid on every level whether social injustice or economic injustice or political injustice.

The whole photo story is heartbreaking.

The photo story is available on AP and those sad photos were taken by photographer Ebrahim Noroozi.

I pray those children will have a better year and future this year.

I do not know the source of this photo or who actually took and I hope that he or she is okay because they are in China. It was taken in Shanghai during the anti- Zero-Covid-19 policy protests.

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.

Qatar 2022 World Cup: When Israeli reporters faced the naked truth

One week passed after the start of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

For the first couple of days, we had this rainbow controversy that faded away, the Iranian national team saga and the Serbian national football that made it clear it won’t surrender Kosovo.

We also had a bunch of Israeli reporters covering the Mondial who are shocked to see that they are being met coldly by Arab fans attending the great world event that is being hosted by an Arab country for the first time.

Palestinian flags stalked Israeli reporters at the World Cup in Qatar

Arab fans made sure that Palestine reach Israeli households as it seems in the first week of the World Cup.

Here was the correspondent of Israeli public correspondent Corp “Kan” attempting to have an interview with a Qatari vender in a Qatari bazaar in some local market and the young man refuses.

Siri, show me orientalism in Qatar World Cup !! Tukoh Taka as an example

Two days ago, FIFA has launched its official fan festival anthem for the Qatar World Cup. It is the first “fan festival anthem” for the world cup.

It is called “Tukoh Taka”. It features Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares. It is in English, Arabic and Spanish.

Myriam and her backup dancers 

Myriam appears while wearing some exotic dancer's suit, it is not even a traditional belly dancer's suit and you got the backup dancers wearing golden veils and I do not understand what the hell that was " I am sorry dear Ruby for slamming you decades ago when you sang while wearing a belly dancer suit in Holland" 

I do not know what “Tukoh Taka” means but I know the song is an insult to the Arab culture and is a blatant example of orientalism.

The Sabra we know very well: 40 years on a massacre (Warning : Extreme Graphic)

Last week, many Marvel fans in the Arab World were shocked to know that one of the Comics giant’s upcoming films will feature an Israeli superhero called Sabra who is originally a Mossad agent fighting none other than Arab terrorists.

We know firsthand in real life how Arab terrorists span to include every Palestinian in the occupied territories. We know also that for decades how Arabs and Muslims were depicted in comics but still, it is amazing how Marvel and DC got fans in the Arab and Muslim world in the first place, we are not that closed-minded.

We know how we have been depicted for decades in Western media.

The news about Sabra was like a slap because it was not only about glamourizing a superhero that works for a government that has no problem killing civilians as well as occupying other countries’ territories disrespecting international laws and ignoring security council resolutions.

But it was also about the name of that superhero: Sabra.

Aside from meaning patient in Arabic in its feminine form, Sabra is associated in the collective Arab memory, especially in the Levant with one of the worst and darkest moments in its modern history: The Sabra and Shatila massacre.

Remembering Sabra and Shatila's victims in 1999 
"Getty Images" 

In case you do not know my dear reader, from 16 to 18 September 1982 radical Lebanese Christian Lebanese Forces Militias killed between 850 to 1500 Palestinians and Shia Lebanese in Sabra neighbourhood and Shatila refugees camp by the orders of the Israeli forces. “Some say that the victims real number reached 3500 people”

"Warning: extreme graphic photos after the break" 

#Coronavirus on the Nile : A Covid-19 live summer coverage

Hopefully and honestly I hope that Coronavirus disappear this summer and this series of live coverage posts disappear. Already coronavirus has started to fade away last two months and many countries in the Arab region began to stop reporting on its daily cases like in Egypt and Jordan and depend on weekly reports. Some other countries stopped it altogether.

A file photo of Egyptian girls wearing face masks in Cairo "Reuters

Yet Coronavirus is still there and its menace has not vanished yet and so we will continue our coverage throughout the summer inshallah.

I won’t do new more posts and hopefully this post will fade away.

#Coronavirus on the Nile : Covid-19 live coverage in Egypt and Arab world during May 2022

It is the third May under the coronavirus worldwide and there is a hope at least in our part of the world that it would be the last. Unlike the situation in Asia or Europe, there is a significant decline in Covid-19 cases recorded officially in Egypt and other countries in the Arab world.

Masked and unmasked Egyptians at the Flowers Spring Show 2022

It is not only the official numbers, we do not hear like before in our circles about new cases of coronavirus.

I hope that the coronavirus fades away and that we won’t get that wave of coronavirus in Asia.

Here is our Covid-19 live coverage for May 2022.

Forbes Middle East : Egypt and Lebanon “Despite economic crises” have the most billionaires in the Arab World

Forbes Middle East released on Thursday its World’s Richest Arabs list for the year 2022 and it is

It is worth mentioning that Forbes Middle East does not include Saudi billionaires on its list since 2018. This list is also based on published info and assets.

We know as Arabs that there is another list of the Richest Arabs whose fortunes are secret and unknown. Rulers are not included in the list.

According to Forbes Middle East, the World’s Richest Arab in the world is Egyptian Nassef Sawiris with a net worth of USD 7.7 billion despite his wealth dropping by USD 600 million compared to 2021.

Forbes Middle East says that that dropped happened in a slump in the share price of Adidas which Sawiris owns 6%.

Egypt's six richest men according to Forbes 

Nassef Sawiris is not the richest Arab but also the second richest African. He is also the 304th richest man in the world.

Now an interesting fact this year according to Forbes Middle East is that Egypt and Lebanon have the most billionaires in the Arab region.

Egypt and Lebanon have each six billionaires.

#Coronavirus on the Nile : A very Ramadan April Covid-19 in Egypt and Arab world

Ramadan Kareem.

This is the third Ramadan the world observes during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Officially, its numbers are declining in Egypt and the Arab world to the level that some countries decided not to publish their daily coronavirus or to publish it weekly like in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia for example.

An Egyptian woman wearing a face mask in El-Sayeda Zeinab Ramadan market 

Many countries ended their two years long coronavirus restrictions as in Saudi Arabia and Egypt “the restrictions were not really implemented”. Yet, the Coronavirus pandemic is still there and kicking in both Europe and Asia, especially in China.

#Coronavirus on the Nile : March 2022’s Covid-19 coverage in Egypt and Arab world “Live”

It is a new month under the Coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately.

It is the third March Egypt and several Arab countries live through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Needless to say thanks to the Russian invasion to Ukraine, the whole world forgot within a week something called “Coronavirus”.

Egyptian nurse holding a Covid-19 vaccine dose "UNICEF" 

Anyhow, there is good news this month as starting from Mid February the daily cases of coronavirus in Egypt and other Arab countries became to decline again and it seems that we are at the end of that Omicron wave that hit hard. “I know first hand”.

Hopefully inshallah we witness the dismissal of this virus soon and not its comeback in another variant due to the Russian invasion and the new Ukrainian refugees' crisis.

Please stay safe and try to get the booster if you can.

Get vaccinated if you are not vaccinated, please.

Below is our live coverage of everything coronavirus in Egypt and the Arab world in March.

#Coronavirus on the Nile : February 2022’s Covid-19 coverage in Egypt and Arab world “Live”

It is a new month under the Coronavirus pandemic unfortunately.

It is the third February Egypt and several Arab countries live through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Egypt and several Arab countries are currently living during the Omicron wave.

A girl sensitizing her hand at Cairo International Book Fair in New Cairo
"Egypt's Health Ministry"

For some countries , it is the fourth wave for some countries and the fifth for others.

Personally, I was test positive for coronavirus in the last week in January but I am recovering thank God.

Hopefully, this month will witness the decline of that Coronavirus wave and

Please stay safe and try to get the booster if you can.

Get vaccinate if you are not vaccinated please.

Below is our live coverage for everything coronavirus in Egypt and the Arab world in February.

#Coronavirus on the Nile : January 2022’s Covid-19 coverage in Egypt and Arab world “Live”

Happy New Year !!

A new year and a new month with new hopes.

It is also a new year and a new month in the days of coronavirus.

The world is starting a new year as the new Covid-19’s variant “Omicron” which is taken the world by storm.

Egypt men wearing masks during coronavirus crisis "Mahmed El-Shahed for CNN"

The Egyptian government is now giving citizens booster doses to counter the spread of the Omicron variant.

Hopefully, this year will witness the decline of Coronavirus and we will try to restore our lives before this pandemic that changed everything.

Please stay and try to get the booster if you can.

and happy new year.

Below is our live coverage for everything coronavirus in Egypt and the Arab world in January.