Egypt’s #MeToo movement has swiftly gained momentum but it is unclear where it is headed, analysts say.
They say they cannot tell whether it will endure or what tangible change, if any, it will bring to a patriarchal society that treats women as inferior and uses religion to crush them.
Inspired by the movement’s lightning rise and spread in the US, Egypt’s version has caught on, making waves that could alter the gender landscape in the mostly Muslim nation of about 100 million people.
The magnitude of the sexual harassment problem in the most populous Arab nation cannot be exaggerated.
In 2013, 99 per cent of women interviewed by the UN said they had been sexually harassed.
In 2017, experts told Thomson Reuters Foundation that Cairo was the most dangerous major city for women when it came to such harassment.
Since its inception, the movement in Egypt has been fuelled by a handful of encouraging actions and grand gestures from powerful institutions.
But in a country where genuine change has traditionally been slow and conservatives have a big say on the scope and reach of social reform, it is anyone’s guess what the future holds.
The analysts believe Egypt’s #MeToo movement is partly shackled by the country’s powerful class-based social structure and the public’s on-and-off interest in protecting women from abuse, and the elevation of their place in society.
But the painful and graphic stories of sexual assault or harassment being told by women is forcing a national reckoning of the problem.
For too long the problem has been swept under the rug, as victims fear social ostracisation or their families are too worried about staining their reputation to try to bring the culprits to justice.
Another trend working in favour of the movement is that the victims have been willing to publicly name their attackers.
It is a tactic that in some cases led to arrests, although in others it led to victims being silenced by threats from the culprits, their families or friends.
“The attention paid to the issue of sexual harassment in the media and social media has struck fear in men’s hearts,” said Shady Lewis Botros, an Egyptian author and analyst in London.
"They are worried now and they fear being publicly shamed or even going to jail."
“The movement remains mostly restricted to the secular elite, rights groups and some media outlets,” Mr Botros said.
“Most women from the lower classes cannot publicly recount their experiences with sexual assault because they risk a violent backlash from their families.
"Those who can do that without retribution mostly belong to that small circle.”
But the government has tried to keep up with the rapid spread of the nascent movement.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has been a champion of women’s empowerment, lavishly praising their roles in society and giving them key Cabinet positions.
Parliament last month sought to encourage more women to come forward and press charges against attackers through legislation offering victims anonymity throughout the legal proceedings.
The country’s chief prosecutor has, albeit somewhat belatedly, initiated investigations into two high-profile cases of sexual assaults.
They involve a gang rape at a central Cairo hotel in 2014, and the case of a privileged Cairo university student who allegedly assaulted and blackmailed about 50 women over the past two years.
Al Azhar, the world’s foremost seat of Islamic learning for Sunni Muslims, gave the movement a massive push when it came out strongly in support of women seeking legal retribution against offenders.
It also dismissed the widely held view that the way women are dressed in public is a cause of sexual harassment, calling the notion a “delusional excuse” entertained by “sick people".
As far back as 2014, the government toughened punishment for convicted sexual harassers, who now face up to six months in prison.
Harassment on the streets of Cairo, however, remains rampant, with offenders sometimes as young as 10 or 11 and often operating as a pack.
But perhaps the most significant sign of change to come out of the movement is the courage shown by a growing number of victims in going public with their stories, to seek retribution and find peace after months or years of bottling up deeply scarring experiences.
Also notable in the #MeToo movement is the use of social media networks to publicise testimonies about sexual assaults, call for the arrest of suspected perpetrators and publish the names and photos of the alleged culprits.
But none of this comes without a price.
The Instagram page that sparked the movement, Assault Police, was forced to shut down after death threats and blackmail messages were received by its administrator.
They came after the publication of the names and photos of a group of young, wealthy men who allegedly assaulted a woman after drugging her in a five-star Cairo hotel.
The account had 170,000 followers. It remains up but its contents have been deleted.
“We’re speaking out, even if we’re not getting revenge, even if we’re not doing anything to hurt these people,” said Sama, 20, a university graduate and victim of a sexual assault that took place in June.
"We’re taking back our lives by speaking out, by exposing these people.
“It was really inspiring for me to finally speak out about it because I know now that I’m not alone. Now I know that people are going to support me and that it's not my fault.
"No matter what I think and no matter what happens, it’s not my fault. He never had the right to do this to me."
Sama's attacker was a man she knew who was two years younger than her.
“We’re showing everyone now that we have a voice," she said. "But I don’t know if I can call it a step forward until justice is served.”
Author and sociologist Ammar Ali Hassan shares Sama’s cautious optimism about how much change women should expect from the #MeToo movement.
Mr Hassan said the issue, like others, dominates social media and the national conversation for a time before another equally compelling topic edges it out of the limelight.
“We have had long-running issues that are not met with legislative, social or even religious resolutions, so they keep popping up again and again,” he said.
“Those issues stay unresolved and most people show no interest in them until a horrible incident happens, then it captures the public’s interest for a while before it disappears from the public sphere again.”
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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List of alleged parties
May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members
May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party
Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson
Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party
Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters
Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
'Ashkal'
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
Company%20profile
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
