by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Aug 4, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian actor Talaat Zakaria is no stranger to controversy. A beloved comedian before the January 25, 2011 revolution, Zakaria’s career stalled thanks to his unwavering support of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and criticism of the...
by Moataz Abdel Moneim | May 2, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The mausoleum’s windswept courtyard lies empty and its large gate, leading into the tomb of the celebrated Egyptian songstress, is chained shut. There are no fans bringing flowers to the grave or sharing memories. The final resting place of Umm...
by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Apr 8, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—With his old-fashioned oud, timeworn face and tired fingers, the 74-year-old musician Zakariya Ahmed wanders among the tables at coffeehouses in the historic Al-Husayn district in Cairo hoping to find an audience for his singing. Despite some...
by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Apr 4, 2014 | Business
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt’s sole fixed-line telephone services operator Telecom Egypt (TE) is to pay 2.5 billion Egyptian pounds (359 million US dollars) to acquire a unified telecoms license allowing it to offer mobile services in addition to its existing landline...
by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Mar 2, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—A street vendor sings a famous Egyptian song that mocks the overcrowded streets of Cairo. He then takes over a sidewalk, turning it into a makeshift café as he lays out plastic tables and chairs right in the path of pedestrians. This is a...
