Al Manassa | A People's Narrative

Urban & Economy_

What have we gained from localizing transport?

Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir defends mega-project debts by pointing to localized manufacturing. But can domestic train production truly offset billions in external debt?

Mohamed Ismail_ 6-10-2026

What have we gained from localizing transport?

Viewpoints_ An association of the keyboard

Mostafa Bassiouny_ 5-10-2026

An association of the keyboard

Urban & Economy_ Explainer| Would the African payment system liberate Africa from the US dollar?

Mostafa Mohamed_ 4-10-2026

Explainer| Would the African payment system liberate Africa from the US dollar?

Science & Technology_

Egypt’s data center gamble: AI powerhouse or power drain?

Tech giants are eyeing Egypt for massive data centers. But as Chile’s experience shows, hosting them drains scarce water and energy while yielding meager economic returns.

Amr Adly_ 1-10-2026

Egypt’s data center gamble: AI powerhouse or power drain?

Viewpoints_ Unlearning fear: My queer life in exile

Noha Abeer_ 29-9-2026

Unlearning fear: My queer life in exile

News_

Warraq residents suspend protests following National Security housing pledges

Warraq residents suspend protests following National Security housing pledges

Egypt auctions imported wheat on mercantile exchange to stabilize market

Egypt auctions imported wheat on mercantile exchange to stabilize market

Taxi driver detained after refusing airport officer’s request

Taxi driver detained after refusing airport officer’s request

Wikimedia flags unauthorized OpenAI-linked agents targeting its infrastructure

Wikimedia flags unauthorized OpenAI-linked agents targeting its infrastructure

Politics_

Not quite an alliance: Inside Egypt and Turkey’s new military ties

Mahmoud Atteya_ 13-9-2026

Not quite an alliance: Inside Egypt and Turkey’s new military ties

From Egyptian small farms to Israeli tables

Behind frozen greens in Israeli markets lies a 650% surge in Egyptian exporters: a vast network stretching from hidden Delta hamlets to active shipping lanes.

Yousef Okail_ 27-8-2026

From Egyptian small farms to Israeli tables

Explainer| What changes for refugees as Egypt’s new asylum system takes effect

Ahmed Dahaby_ 25-8-2026

Explainer| What changes for refugees as Egypt’s new asylum system takes effect

Urban & Economy_

Cotton Specters| Depleting the earth and its children

Osama Diab_ 23-9-2026

Cotton Specters| Depleting the earth and its children

Rental contracts stall “Carry On” upgrade: From lifeline for the have-nots to fancy supermarkets

Abdelmageed Mohamed_ 15-9-2026

Rental contracts stall “Carry On” upgrade: From lifeline for the have-nots to fancy supermarkets

Gulf capital and state power: Does foreign investment threaten Egypt’s sovereignty?

Recent Gulf deals have revived fears over Egyptian sovereignty, but the true risks lie in financial and regulatory details rather than loss of territory.

Amr Adly_ 10-9-2026

Gulf capital and state power: Does foreign investment threaten Egypt’s sovereignty?

Society_

The last working-class summer in the mediterranean city of Ras El-Bar

As summer 2026 ends, Ras El-Bar’s days as a working-class resort may be numbered. As rents climb and luxury compounds rise, families are being squeezed into a single day by the sea

Saher Ahmad_ 24-9-2026

The last working-class summer in the mediterranean city of Ras El-Bar

Settlers in shepherd’s clothing: Inside a West Bank village under siege

Ansar Atmeizeh_ 17-9-2026

Settlers in shepherd’s clothing: Inside a West Bank village under siege

80% reform, zero preparation: The Baccalaureate cohort dilemma

Nadia Mabrouk_ 8-9-2026

80% reform, zero preparation: The Baccalaureate cohort dilemma

Culture_

“Palestine 36”: A palatable struggle against an unspoken enemy

Basel Ramsis_ 27-9-2026

“Palestine 36”: A palatable struggle against an unspoken enemy

Letters across the water: “Stories” of a family that could be ours

Abu Bakr Shawky’s “Stories” traces one Egyptian family from 1967 to 1984, tracking love, war, prices and Zamalek in a slow, aching portrait of ordinary survival.

Fatma El-Zahraa Badawy_ 12-8-2026

Letters across the water: “Stories” of a family that could be ours

Translating the Arabic novel: Distorting our literature, diminishing our voice

Ammar Ali Hassan_ 26-5-2026

Translating the Arabic novel: Distorting our literature, diminishing our voice

Viewpoints_

Force and Fiat| How Egypt wields deportation orders against refugees

Behind closed doors, Egypt’s deportation process has morphed from an individual legal exception into a systematic mechanism of forced return, violating its own courts.

Nour Khalil_ 28-9-2026

Force and Fiat| How Egypt wields deportation orders against refugees

The base next door: Egypt’s eastern border is in the crosshairs

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 13-9-2026

The base next door: Egypt’s eastern border is in the crosshairs

The poor, the sick, and the vanishing in Egypt’s class-divided healthcare

Basma Abdel-Aziz_ 9-9-2026

The poor, the sick, and the vanishing in Egypt’s class-divided healthcare

Science & Technology_

The peephole economy: Monopoly’s grip on World Cup broadcasting

Technologically speaking, the internet could easily stream the World Cup to everyone at once. Broadcasters make sure it doesn't — and piracy fills the gap, at a price of its own.

Mohammad El-Taher_ 19-7-2026

The peephole economy: Monopoly’s grip on World Cup broadcasting

Not so PG: The biometric trap in Egypt’s Child Protection Law

Egypt is drafting a bill on children's social media use; the real test is whether it disciplines platforms or entrenches mass surveillance capabilities.

Mohammad El-Taher_ 1-6-2026

Not so PG: The biometric trap in Egypt’s Child Protection Law