On a small side street in Cairo's city centre, after a hearty iftar of home-made Egyptian food, a large group of foreigners and Egyptians sip mint tea outside a local cafe.
They are about to embark on an art walking tour, but first, seasoned local guide Samia El Khodary tells everyone to Google “Egyptian art”. Images of Tutankhamun, Nefertiti, papyrus and the Pyramids of Giza pop up.
“Today my aim is to prove Google wrong,” says El Khodary, 31, founder of tour company Qahrawya.
“When I say Egypt, when I say Cairo, what comes to mind is ancient Egypt. With all respect to the pharaohs, we have evolved big time in terms of contemporary art, Egyptian art, cinema and other art forms.”
El Khodary started Qahrawya, which means Cairene, in July 2018, to help people discover and connect with the city’s contemporary art and cultural spaces.
Qahrawya organises several tours per month around the districts of Cairo. These include the Cosmos Cinema tour, Studio Photography tour and Gudran art tour in the city centre, as well as the Lamba art tour in Garden City, El Gezira art tour in Zamalek, the Wrapped in Silk tour in Giza, the Droob Heritage tour and the Parav Aleikom Armenian tour.
Last Ramadan, she decided to try something different, combining the art tour that takes place in the upscale island district of Zamalek with an iftar. The resulting “iftours” offer an authentic, off-the-beaten-track cultural experience for locals and tourists alike.
This year, Qahrawya offered two iftours, one in Zamalek and another in the city centre. The 17 people on the city centre iftour included a group of 10 MBA students from the University of Oxford with some of their partners; two German friends, one studying Arabic in Cairo and another doing an internship; and a handful of Egyptians.
The group of students had flown to Sharm El Sheikh from the UK, visiting places such as Dahab and Upper Egypt before making their way to the capital.
Catherine Hendren, a financial analyst for a development bank, says she heard about Qahrawya from her former Georgetown University undergraduate professor.
Qahrawya also organises customised tours and recently hosted cultural development students from the American university.
Hendren recommended Qahrawya to the group, keen to see something beyond the major tourist sites.
“I just really have an interest in art, alternative history and architecture in the city,” Hendren says.
“Because we were coming during Ramadan, we [also] wanted to experience it and know a little more about it.”
As everyone sits on plastic chairs and tables outside Porto Cafe waiting for sunset at 6.20pm, chef Wafaa comes down from her nearby apartment with her young son, carrying large dishes laden with authentic Egyptian food, fresh out of the oven.
Wafaa used to own Ornina Kitchen in the city centre with her late Syrian husband. The restaurant was featured on CBC’s El Akeel show and is known for authentic local dishes, such as courgette stuffed with ground beef and yoghurt.
It’s like you’re visiting someone in their home. And in Egypt, food is important. To start the tour by sharing food with everyone brings people together
Nancy Ibrahim,
freelance podcast producer
However, business was badly affected by forced closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Wafaa now cooks food out of her home and offers takeaway.
For the Qahrawya iftour, tables are filled with trays of grilled chicken, roasted vegetables with yellow rice, yoghurt with cucumbers, hummus, stuffed vine leaves and macarona bechamel.
“It’s like you’re visiting someone in their home,” says Egyptian Nancy Ibrahim, a freelance podcast producer. “And in Egypt, food is important. To start the tour by sharing food with everyone brings people together.”
After an icebreaker game, El Khodary presents an overview of modern Egyptian art and its historical context, explaining key figures in the city's development, such as Khedive Ismail.
Although her undergraduate degree from the American University in Cairo is in business and economics, she earned a postgraduate degree in cultural development from Cairo University. Having worked in graphic design, advertising and marketing, she considers herself “an art receiver”.
The evening proceeds at a leisurely pace, with the art tour starting shortly after 8pm. The walk begins on Mohamed Mahmoud street near AUC, where clashes took place during the 2011 uprising, and some revolution graffiti still remains.
On the way to Om El Donia handicrafts shop, El Khodary stops to speak about local landmarks, such as Talaat Harb square, the Automobile Club and Groppi. This part of the tour is similar to the city centre tour offered by Walk Like an Egyptian, which was founded in 2015 and is a source of inspiration for Qahrawya.
Finally, after some shopping at Om El Donia, it was on to the art. The iftour includes two gallery stops with three artists, who are on hand to talk about their work and answer questions.
At Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art, Spanish artist Xavier Puigmarti presented his solo exhibition, Timeline. The 71-year-old artist came to Egypt in 1981 from Barcelona and now lives in Fayoum, an oasis 100 kilometres south-west of Cairo.
Some of his pieces are a retrospective timeline of his life, representing a “visual biography of sorts”.
At Access gallery, Egyptian artist Fatma Abodoma and Polish artist Agnes Michalczyk present their third exhibition together, Working Title. Their artwork focuses on the role of women at work and home, and the emotions around that.
“Our approaches are very different, but they have a lot of common threads,” Michalczyk says.
Feedback to the tour is largely positive, with both locals and tourists appreciating the opportunity to see Cairo from a different perspective.
MBA student Jordan Zele, 31, says: “As a tourist, it’s sometimes hard to feel embedded in the community. So I think this was a good way to get a bit closer to what’s going on, rather than seeing everything from a tour bus.”
Fellow student Paley Sweet, 28, adds: “It was such a welcoming opportunity. Breaking the fast, being able to do that, and also being able to see the more modern contemporary art scene — it was an incredible experience.”
Qahrawya tours last between five and six hours and range in price from $9.70 to $24.30. All are walking tours, except for the Wrapped in Silk tour, which includes transport by bus.
More information can be found on Qahrawya’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Qahrawya/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qahrawya/?hl=en
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
Gulf rugby
Who’s won what so far in 2018/19
Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain
What’s left
UAE Conference
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers
March 29, final
UAE Premiership
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
March 29, final
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HOW TO WATCH
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The%20specs
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
