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Egyptian Islamic scholar and geologist Zaghloul El-Naggar, a leading figure in the field of scientific interpretation of the Qur’an, has died at the age of 92.
El-Naggar passed away in Amman, Jordan, after a battle with illness, according to statements released on his official social media accounts on Sunday.
His funeral prayer will be held on Monday at Abu Aisha Mosque in Amman, followed by burial at Umm Al-Qutain Cemetery.
Born on 17 November 1933 in the village of Mashal in Egypt’s Gharbia Governorate, El-Naggar showed an early passion for science.
He graduated with honours in geology from Cairo University in 1955, earning the Mustafa Baraka Award in Earth Sciences. He obtained a PhD from the University of Wales in 1963 and became a full professor in 1972.
El-Naggar’s career spanned decades of teaching and research at universities in Egypt, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, and the United States.
He chaired the geology department at Qatar University, taught at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and served as a visiting professor at UCLA.
He also directed Al-Ahqaf University in Yemen and later taught at the World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan.
He became one of the Arab world’s most recognised voices on the relationship between science and faith, authoring numerous books and delivering hundreds of lectures on what came to be known as the “scientific miracles of the Qur’an and Sunnah”.
His popular TV programme Ayat Bayyinat (“Clear Verses”) aired across Arab channels, exploring Quranic descriptions of natural phenomena.
El-Naggar was a member of the International Commission on Scientific Signs in the Qur’an and Sunnah and was honoured several times for his contributions to promoting scientific understanding within an Islamic framework.
source/content: newarab.com (headline edited)
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El-Naggar passed away in Amman, Jordan, after a battle with illness [Al-Araby Al-Jadeed]
In an evening that blended history, culture and global celebration, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and First Lady Entissar Al-Sisi presided over the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on Saturday, marking a milestone in the modern cultural landscape of Egypt and the world. The ceremony was attended by nearly 80 high-level delegations, including kings, presidents, princes, heads of government, and representatives of regional and international organisations.
Among them was German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Spain’s King Felipe VI, Queen Rania of Jordan, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Also present were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Badr bin Abdullah, and the crown princes of Oman and Bahrain.
Held at the GEM’s open-air court overlooking the Giza Plateau, the celebration unfolded as a multisensory homage to Egypt’s timeless civilisation. Performances combining music, light, laser projection, and drone choreography traced the evolution of Egyptian architectural genius, from the Giza Pyramids to the modern era, and highlighted the message that civilisations thrive in times of peace.
The façade of the museum became a canvas for immersive light and projection displays, with vast screens illuminating Egypt’s ancient monuments and artistic heritage. Dancers in Pharaonic-inspired costumes, adorned with gold crowns and sceptres, performed to a live international orchestra, while fireworks and synchronised drone formations traced the silhouettes of ancient deities across the night sky.
President Al-Sisi welcomed the distinguished guests and emphasised that the GEM, now the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation, stands not merely as a showcase of ancient treasures, but as a testament to the creative spirit and enduring legacy of the Egyptian people.
He also described the museum as a new chapter in Egypt’s cultural story, affirming that it stands as a testament to the creativity and legacy of the Egyptian people and as a space for dialogue, knowledge, and exchange.
The ceremony began with the performance “The World Plays One Melody”. The programme featured a laser and drone show illustrating the Orion Belt alignment and its symbolic connection between the museum and the Giza Pyramids, followed by a performance titled “A Journey of Peace in the Land of Peace”.
The sequence highlighted the evolution of Egyptian architectural ingenuity, from the Step Pyramid of Djoser to modern Egyptian design, accompanied by a Coptic hymn of Sufi spiritual singing, and a drone message reading: “Civilisations Flourish in Times of Peace.”
The evening’s performances brought together some of Egypt’s most celebrated voices. Soprano Fatma Said and tenor Ragaaeddin delivered stirring pieces composed by Hisham Nazih, whose music blends contemporary orchestration with the tonal motifs of ancient Egypt, a style previously showcased during the Golden Mummies parade.
Sisters Amira and Mariam Abu Zahra, granddaughters of renowned Egyptian actor Abdel-Rahman Abu Zahra, appeared in stylised Pharaonic attire, performing a violin duet accompanied by the Cairo Opera House Orchestra and international ensemble players under the baton of maestro Nayer Nagui.
The celebration also highlighted Egypt’s cultural diversity. Nubian singer Ahmed Ismail performed in the Nubian language, while Haneen Al-Shater sang in Arabic from a floating stage overlooking the Nile, symbolising Egypt’s enduring identity as a crossroads of civilisations.
Iconic Egyptian actress Sherihan delivered an evocative spoken tribute to ancient Egypt’s artistic legacy, set against sky projections of the Pyramids. She was followed by Sherine Ahmed, the first actress of Egyptian descent to play Eliza Doolittle on Broadway, who gave a powerful musical performance before Islamic chanter Ehab Younis offered a spiritual finale.
On giant screens above, scenes from celebrations in countries all over the world played out against the backdrop of Egypt’s ancient monuments.
Dozens of performers dressed in elaborate white costumes, as a symbol of peace, their foreheads crowned with golden wreaths and sceptres in hand, played traditional tunes as a laser show depicting the Pharaohs and fireworks lit up the night sky above the museum.
As the night drew to a close, a drone light show mapped the sky with hieroglyphs, Pharaonic figures, and the golden mask of Tutankhamun, shimmering above the Giza Plateau, an image that captured both the grandeur of the past and the cultural confidence of the present.
Among the many moments that captured global attention during the GEM’s opening ceremony was the appearance of 12-year-old Asser Ahmed Hamdi, whose poised and expressive performance resonated with viewers across Egypt and beyond. The young performer quickly became one of the most talked about faces of the event, representing a new generation engaging with the country’s cultural narrative.
Asser described his participation in the ceremony as a defining moment in his life. “I was very happy to be there, and proud that my effort represented Egypt in front of the world,” he said, explaining that his preparation for the role involved months of rehearsals and that he had been training in performance and acting for seven years. “When the opportunity came, I felt like a dream had been achieved.”
Performing before President Al-Sisi and dozens of world leaders brought initial nerves, he admitted, but the atmosphere on stage quickly shifted those feelings. “I was nervous backstage, but once I stepped onto the stage, I felt calm,” he said. After the performance, he exchanged a few words with the president, who praised his portrayal linked to the story of Tutankhamun.
Asser spoke with pride about standing before the golden mask of Tutankhamun and the monumental statue of Ramses II inside the museum. “I had seen them only in books and on TV, but standing in front of them at the GEM was something completely different,” he said. “I felt proud to be representing Egypt.”
Reflecting on the journey, he said, “All the effort in rehearsals was worth it. I’m grateful I could present something worthy of Egypt. I will always be proud that I was part of the opening of the GEM.”
Among the creative figures behind the opening night spectacle was Ahmed Essam, the artist and designer responsible for the fireworks and pyrotechnic displays that illuminated the GEM during the ceremony. Speaking about the experience, Essam described it as one of the defining moments of his career, noting that the preparations took several months of planning, rehearsal and technical coordination.
“It was an honour to be part of an event of this scale,” he said, explaining that the ceremony’s postponements provided valuable time to refine the visual narrative and ensure that the display matched the cultural weight of the occasion. Essam highlighted that working in a field he is passionate about has been central to his development. “I travel constantly to learn and experiment with new ideas. When you love what you do, you invest your whole self into it.”
Creating the fireworks show for the GEM opening, he noted, required an approach tailored to the museum’s identity as a celebration of ancient Egyptian civilisation. Colours, rhythms, and sequences were chosen to complement the architectural setting and underscore the narrative themes of heritage and renewal.
He was also quick to highlight the scale of teamwork behind the scenes. “What viewers saw was the result of a coordinated effort involving more than 150 people, from designers and technicians to support staff. Everyone worked with passion and commitment to present Egypt in the best possible light.
“The opening of the GEM is a landmark in Egypt’s cultural journey. The presence of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and world leaders underscored its importance. We are proud to have contributed to an event that showcased Egypt’s ability to inspire and captivate the world,” Essam added.
Soprano Said, who took the stage as one of the evening’s principal performers, revealed that the concert marked a deeply personal milestone for her as it was her first since becoming a mother.
“I recently gave birth to twins,” she said, “and I wasn’t sure I would be able to perform because the concert came so soon after the delivery. I was a little anxious. But my children gave me the strength and energy to take part in this extraordinary occasion.”
Her appearance added an intimate emotional layer to the celebration, reflecting both the resilience of artists and the symbolic continuity between generations that the museum itself seeks to embody.
Most of the international state leaders expressed their enthusiasm over the grand opening. In a diplomatic gesture that blended cultural appreciation with a touch of modern creativity, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen presented Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with a LEGO replica of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, a symbolic gesture marking Denmark’s participation in the GEM’s opening and celebrating Egypt’s architectural heritage.
Zambian Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba noted his country’s appreciation for the commemorative gift presented to Zambia on the occasion of the GEM’s opening, a piece representing part of the GEM’s architectural model. He pointed out that the artefact will be placed on a temporary display in one of Zambia’s national museums, accompanied by an explanatory panel narrating its significance. The gesture, he said, reflects Zambia’s pride in taking part in this historic cultural moment and serves as a testament to the growing cultural ties between the two nations.
As with any major cultural event, public reaction to the GEM’s opening ceremony was not uniform. Such occasions naturally invite a spectrum of opinions, shaped by personal taste, expectations, and aesthetic preferences. While some critics viewed the event as more modest than anticipated, others praised its scale and artistic ambition, seeing in it a carefully curated blend of ancient symbolism and modern cultural expression. Supporters argue that the ceremony succeeded in presenting Egypt as both a guardian of a timeless civilisation and a dynamic cultural force in the present day — a duality at the heart of the museum’s identity.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 6 November, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Amid the global race to find effective COVID-19 treatments, an Egyptian research team has achieved a breakthrough that could reshape how middle- and low-income countries combat the virus.
The study, titled EVERST, was published on 20 October in Scientific Reports, a leading international journal under the Nature group.
According to the study, Egyptian scientists reported promising results in treating moderate COVID-19 pneumonia with safe, locally available, and affordable drugs.
The research, led by Professor Dr Mohamed Abdelsalam El-Gohary, brought together a multidisciplinary team of doctors and scientists from Egyptian and international institutions.
Over two years, the team evaluated the safety and effectiveness of four treatment regimens combining repurposed antiviral drugs — Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir, Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir, Ivermectin, and Hydroxychloroquine — in 310 Egyptian patients with moderate COVID-19 infections.
“Our goal was to find a practical, homegrown solution that saves lives without overburdening healthcare systems,” Professor El-Gohary told Ahram Online. “Egypt produces these medications locally, which means they are accessible and affordable for millions.”
The findings showed that two specific combinations —Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir with Ivermectin and Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir with Hydroxychloroquine —helped patients recover faster, shortened hospital stays, and provided remarkable protection of lung tissues on CT scans.
Patients treated with these regimens returned home significantly earlier than those who received standard care.
“This reduction in hospitalization time has major implications,” El-Gohary explained. “It not only improves patient recovery but also reduces pressure on hospitals and public health budgets, a critical factor during pandemics.”
The new combination regimen also showed improved CT scan results for pneumonia, a crucial step in preventing post-COVID complications, a growing concern worldwide.
Equally important, the study confirmed that the new treatment combinations were safe and well tolerated, with no major side effects compared with existing protocols. The only factor linked to higher mortality was advanced age.
The EVERST study, which underwent extensive international peer review before publication, reinforces Egypt’s growing role in global medical research and innovation. It also highlights the potential of repurposing affordable antiviral drugs to address emerging diseases.
The Supreme Council of Culture (SCC), headed by Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hano, has officially revealed the recipients of the 2025 State Awards.
The announcement, made via an official statement on the Ministry of Culture’s Facebook page on Tuesday, follows a comprehensive voting process that recognised individuals for their profound impact on Egypt’s cultural and intellectual spheres.
The distinguished awards include the Nile Award, the State Appreciation Award, the Excellence Award, and the Encouragement Award.
The selection process involved a meeting attended by leading intellectuals, academics, heads of cultural institutions, and representatives from professional unions.
Nile Award
The prestigious Nile Awards were granted to:
Arts category: Architect Dr. Saleh Lamai
Literature category: Dr. Ahmed Darwish
Social Sciences category: Dr. Ahmed Zayed
Nile Award for Arab Creators: Palestinian artist Suleiman Anis Mansour
Appreciation Award
The State Appreciation Awards were granted to:
Arts category: Theatre director Shaker Abdel Latif, visual artist Abdel Wahab Abdel Mohsen, and cinematographer Samir Farag.
Literature category: Poet Ahmed El-Shahawi, critic and writer Dr. Khayri Douma, and writer Fatma El-Maadoul.
Social Sciences category: University professors Dr. Anas Gaafar, Dr. Mohamed Sameh Amr, Dr. Mona Haggag, and Dr. Nevine Massad.
Literature category: Poet Masoud Shoman and Dr. Khaled Abou El-Leil.
Social Sciences category: Dr. Samah Fawzy, Dr. Atiya El-Tantawy, and Dr. Nahla Imam.
Encouragement Award
When it comes to the 2025 Encouragement Awards, 32 creatives were honoured across arts, literature, social sciences, and legal/economic studies.
Arts Category (8 prizes; 6 awarded, 2 withheld)
Piano Performance: Naghamaya Safwat for her rendition of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra.
Film Script: Mahmoud Zein for Wala Azaa’ Lil Sayedat.
Children’s Book Illustration: Heidi Fawzy for Ta’aqqal… Ya Marah.
Theatrical Scenography: Nehad El-Sayed for Shatat.
Digital Media & Architecture: Mostafa Salem for an awareness series on heritage preservation.
Painting: Dr. Islam El-Reihany for The Music of the Body.
Withheld: Prizes for “E-marketing for handicrafts” and “Fiber Art”.
Literature (8 prizes)
Historical Novel: Doaa Gamal El-Bady for Crows That Don’t Eat the Dead.
Short Story Collection: Ahmed Yasser Fathy for A Very Lonely City.
Classical Poetry: Mohamed Refai for The Cry of a Coin.
Colloquial Poetry: Ibrahim Abou Samra for Balta Shi’r.
Computational Linguistics: Marwa Mostafa Amin for Functions of the Electronic Dictionary.
Narrative Criticism: Aly Kotb for Singing and Music in the Literature of Naguib Mahfouz.
Translation (Turkish-Arabic): Sousana Sayed Mohamed for A Strange Woman by Leyla Erbil.
Translation (Arabic to Asian/African languages): Shared by Dina Mohamed Bayoumi (Suspense and Horror Between China and Egypt) and Mohamed Abdelrahman Farag (Al-Mukhtasar Al-Shafi fi Al-Iman Al-Kafi).
Social Sciences
History, Archaeology & Heritage (shared):
Dr. Ahmed Ma’arouf for Walls with Gates: Political Borders in Islamic Historical Heritage.
Dr. Sherif Imam for Saad Zaghloul in Gramsci’s Mirror.
Geography & Environment: Dr. Shaimaa Mohamed Wehba for research on water pollution and income inequality in Egypt.
Philosophy & Anthropology: Irene Samir Hakim for The Many Faces of Female Genital Mutilation.
Educational Sciences: Dr. Mohamed Abdel Khaleq for Dimensions of Global Education in Stoic Philosophy.
Media: Student team (Ramaj Osman, Gharib Reda, Farah Abdelkarim, etc.) for the film Hayy Falasteen, directed by Martina Wagdy.
Administrative Sciences: Dr. Islam Abdel Bari for Decoding Buy Now, Pay Later in Egypt.
Documentation & Publishing: Dr. Alaa Jaafar Al-Sadiq for research on local journal indexing.
Digital Culture: Dr. Ahmed Magdy for How AI Has Changed the Film Industry.
Legal and Economic Sciences (6 prizes awarded, 2 withheld)
Inflation in the Egyptian Economy: Dr. Gehan Abdel Salam Mahmoud for Tackling Inflation amid Global Crises.
Climate Change: Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Okasha for Climate Change and Economic Sustainability.
Russian–Ukrainian War & International Relations: Shared by Dr. Raghda El-Beheiry, Dr. Adnan Moussa, and Mr. Mahmoud Kassem.
Geopolitical Shifts: Ahmed Abdel Fattah Askar for Strategic Transformations in the Horn of Africa (2020–2024).
Right to Privacy: Dr. Mohamed Mesbah El-Naghy for Constitutional Guarantees for Genetic Privacy.
Cultural Diversity Management: Dr. Mahmoud Hussein Abou Seif for The Principle of Non-Refoulement in European Human Rights Law.
Withheld: Prizes for “Personal Data Protection under Cyber Law” and “Citizenship Through Investment”.
Minister Hano emphasised that these awards represent one of the highest forms of recognition granted by the Egyptian state, describing them as the culmination of long and distinguished careers marked by creativity and dedication.
Hano reaffirmed the state’s continued commitment to supporting intellectuals and creators who contribute to strengthening Egypt’s cultural identity and promoting values of diversity, openness, and awareness, the statement pointed out.
He played the Devil, challenged shame, and made Arab cinema speak. On his birthday, we revisit Youssef Wahbi – the man who dared to redefine the rules of the screen and stage.
Youssef Wahbi broke every mould – actor, director, and pioneer of Arabic cinema. On his birthday, we honour a legend who shaped generations of stage and screen.
Wahbi’s love for acting started when he first watched the Lebanese artist Salim Al-Qardahi’s troupe in Sohag. Since then, he started delivering monologues and performing theatrical acts at Al Ahly Club and at school. But at the time, acting was seen as shameful, and his father disapproved. Refusing to bend, Wahby fled to Italy and studied acting under the Italian actor Cantoni. He didn’t come back until after his father’s death in 1921 and used all his inheritance to establish a theatrical troupe named Ramses, which was also the name given to him during his stay in Europe.
In 1923, the troupe premiered with a successful play called ‘Al Magnoun’. But Wahby wasn’t done breaking ground. Later, in 1930, he established his film production company, Ramses Film, which produced the very first speaking film in the history of Arabic cinema, ‘Awlad El Zawat’. The movie was adapted from one of his successful plays, as he wrote the script and starred in the film.
Throughout his prolific career, Youssef Wahbi wrote, directed, or starred in over 300 theatrical plays and contributed to more than 60 films. Among this vast body of work, a few standout titles have become milestones in the history of Arabic drama and cinema…
Awlad El Zawat (1932)
‘Awlad El Zawat’ tells the story of Hamdi, who marries a French woman only to discover she’s cheating on him. In a powerful scene, he confronts her with the line: “You woman of all men… you garbage of history.” In a rare interview, Youssef Wahbi revealed that he insisted on making ‘Awlad El Zawat’ as the first Arabic-speaking film to defend the image of the East, after Western narratives described the region as barbaric and trivial, particularly during the trial of a woman who had murdered an Egyptian young man.
Safir Gohannam (1945)
‘Safir Gohannam’ follows Abd Elkhallak, a humble professor worn down by life’s hardships and became a bitter and resentful man. His shaky faith opens the door for the Devil (played by Youssef Wahbi) to lead him astray, tempting him with a false paradise to ruin his life, destroy his children, and tear his family apart. The film marks the first-ever portrayal of the Devil in Egyptian cinema.
Bayoumi Effendi (1949)
‘Bayoumi Effendi’ is considered one of Wahbi’s most powerful socially driven films, tackling the issue of children born out of wedlock. The film calls for compassion toward these individuals, emphasising that they should not be treated as criminals for a sin they did not commit.
Hayah Aw Mout (1954)
‘Hayah Aw Mout’ – one of the most famous films in Egyptian cinema – follows the story of a man who suffers a heart attack and sends his daughter to fetch his medicine, only for the pharmacist to realise he accidentally gave her poison. As the police, led by Wahbi’s character, race to save him, a dramatic city-wide radio broadcast becomes his only hope. This is the film that gave us the famous line: “لا تشرب الدواء الذي أرسلت بنتك لشرائه…الدواء فيه سم قاتل.” (“Do not drink the medicine your daughter was sent to fetch; the medicine contains deadly poison.”)
Esha’et Hob (1960)
‘Esha’et Hob’ is one of the most memorable comedy films in Egyptian cinema. Starring Omar El Sherif, Soad Hossny and Youssef Wahbi, it follows the story of Hussein, a shy young man in love with his cousin Samia, who prefers her charming cousin Lucy ‘Ibn Tante Fakeeha’. To help him win her heart, Hussein’s uncle Abdel Qader comes up with a clever plan: spread a rumour about a love story between Hussein and the famous actress Hind Rostom.
Egyptian physicist Kerolos Mousa played a role in a Harvard breakthrough using metasurfaces to control light at the photon level, which may pave the way for major advances in quantum technologies.
Kerolos Mousa, an Egyptian PhD student who hails from Minya, has contributed to a breakthrough in quantum physics at Harvard University, where a team of physicists developed a device capable of controlling the shape and path of individual photons with unprecedented precision.
The innovation is based on metasurface technology, engineered materials that can manipulate electromagnetic waves, and represents a major advancement in the way light is handled within miniature optical environments. Mousa led efforts to design the nanostructures critical to regulating photon behaviour.
The research, conducted at Harvard’s Applied Physics Lab and supported by leading US scientific institutions, was published in Nature, a top US science journal, and Science, a leading British publications. It was also featured on the university’s official channels.
The advancement is hoped to significantly impact fields such as quantum communication, quantum computing, and the development of next-generation smart optical devices.
19 June marks 7th death anniversary of Amal Farid (1938-2018), an iconic Egyptian actress who captured hearts with her elegance and innocence.
Amal Farid was born on 12 February 1938 in Cairo’s Abbassiya district.
Farid’s career was launched at the hands of Baba Sharo (Mohamed Mahmoud Shaaban) in the early 1950s, when she was hired to work on his children’s radio show.
She was recommended by writers Mostafa Amin and Anis Mansour to appear in her first movie Mawed Maa El-Saada (A Date with Happiness), with mega star Faten Hamama in 1954.
This was soon followed by roles alongside the greatest stars of her time—most notably Abdel Halim Hafez, with whom she shared the screen in the classic film Layali El-Hob (Nights of Love, 1955), marking beginning of a connection that stirred rumors of a relationship between the two.
The starlets for whom Abdel-Halim sang in movies were very few. Amal Farid was among them, however, and she was envied by almost every girl in the Arab world for decades after Abdel-Halim sang Kefaya Norak Alaya in the film, where he and Farid danced in an iconic romantic scene.
Farid said in interviews that it was Abdel-Halim who asked for her by name to star alongside him in the movie.
Farid, who was known for her elegant and convincing acting style, worked most frequently alongside Ahmed Ramzy and the famous comedian Ismail Yassin.
She was fortunate to find directors who were able to utilise her talent in various roles. Such directors include Fateen Abdel-Wahab, Salah Abou Seif, Kamal El-Sheikh and Hussein Helmy El-Mohandes.
Farid was not always the main starlet in movies, but her presence was always felt, and she always made her mark with her convincing performance.
Director Henry Barakat brought Farid out of the pure girl role in Banat El-Yom (1957), where she embodied the personality of a spoiled, selfish girl. In the film, she provokes the hatred of the audience when she tries to spoil her sister’s love affair a nobleman played by Abdel-Halim, whom she accuses of trying to rape her out of jealousy.
The role was a surprise when the movie came out in 1957, but critics appreciated her performance and recognised the talented, capable and credible actress.
Farid’s filmography includes Banat El-Yom (1957), Seraa Maal Hayat (1957), Min Agl Emraa (1959), Ismail Yassin Fil Tayaran (1959), Banat Bahri (1961), Zekrayat El-Talmaza (1965), and Geziret El-Oshak (1968).
Farid gave up on her acting career in the late 1960s and moved to live with her husband in Moscow. She returned to Egypt a decade later and received a number of smaller roles, but her film career never picked up with the same strength.
Farid spent her final years in a home for the elderly in Cairo, and went through surgery months before her passing on 19 June 2018 at the age of 80.
The Egyptian composer is once again working with Marvel Studio following his score on ‘Moon Knight’.
News of a second season of ‘Moon Knight’ may be scarce, but it doesn’t mean Marvel Studios has stepped away from tapping Egyptian talent to tune up their work. Award winning composer Hesham Nazih has been selected to write the score for Marvel Studios’ newest animated series ‘Eyes of Wakanda’.
Nazih’s score for the 2022 live action series ‘Moon Knight’ received international attention for incorporating elements of Egyptian musical heritage into a modern orchestral framework, and has received multiple nominations and awards, including Best Original Score for a Television Series at the 2023 International Film Critics Award.
He also composed the music for Egypt’s Pharaohs’ Golden Parade in 2021, and has worked on a number of Egyptian blockbusters including ‘Kira & El Gin’, ‘Welad El Rizk’, ‘The Blue Elephant’, ‘The Originals’, and ‘Ibrahim Labyad’. He was the first composer to have ever received the Faten Hamama Excellence Award by the Cairo International Film Festival in 2018.
‘Eyes of Wakanda’ is part of Marvel’s animated expansion and is a spin-off from the Black Panther franchise. The series follows Wakandan warriors throughout history as they search for vibranium artefacts across the globe, and is scheduled for release on August 6th, 2025 on the Disney+ streaming platform.
On 25 April, Egyptian author Mohamed Samir Nada was awarded the 2025 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) for his novel The Prayer of Anxiety, a darkly allegorical tale set in a secluded village in Upper Egypt.
This marks the third time an Egyptian writer has won the prestigious literary award, following Youssef Zidan’s Azazel in 2009 and Bahaa Taher’s Sunset Oasis in 2008.
Nada’s novel, published by the Tunisian press Masciliana, was chosen from a six-title shortlist.
In a televised interview earlier this year, Nada revealed that he had turned to Masciliana after three Egyptian publishers declined to print the manuscript.
Set in the fictional hamlet of Nag’ Al-Manassi — literally “the village of forgetfulness” — the novel unfolds in a reality suspended in misinformation and fear.
Its inhabitants believe a minefield surrounds them and are still at war with Israel decades after the 1967 conflict.
Their only contact with the outside world is Khalil Al-Khoja, a local authority figure who produces the village newspaper, controls access to goods and maintains the illusion of unending war.
When a mysterious object falls from the sky, triggering an illness among villagers, the local sheikh responds by creating a new ritual prayer—The Prayer of Anxiety.
The plot evolves against the backdrop of national icons, culminating in the 1977 death of Abdel-Halim Hafez, a singer synonymous with the era of Gamal Abdel-Nasser.
Told through eight character “sessions,” each beginning with a nightmare and dreamlike awakening, the novel functions as both a dystopian fable and a meditation on collective delusion.
Nada’s characters offer confessional narratives haunted by guilt and helplessness. The result is a richly layered text that explores how fear and propaganda can distort memory and shape reality.
Mona Baker, chair of this year’s IPAF judging panel, praised the novel for “transforming anxiety into an aesthetic and intellectual experience that resonates with the reader and awakens them to pressing existential questions.”
Yasser Suleiman, Chair of the IPAF Board of Trustees, highlighted the novel’s “gripping poetic language” and its “clever use of symbolism,” calling it a powerful reflection on life under tyranny and the mechanisms that uphold it.
Yet the novel’s success has not gone without controversy.
Some critics have criticized its handling of Egypt’s modern history, especially its allusions to Abdel-Nasser’s legacy.
Literary critic Reda Attiya publicly dismissed The Prayer of Anxiety as “poorly structured” and accused the prize committee of rewarding a novel that “takes aim at Nasser,” calling it a “conspiracy against Egypt.”
Others pushed back. Novelist Mohamed Mawafai likened such attacks to the 1994 stabbing of Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz by a young man who admitted to never reading his work.
“Both are acts of incitement,” Mawafai said. “There is no difference between one and the other.”
Nada’s novel joins a growing wave of dystopian fiction in the Arab world.
In a recent study of the genre, Syrian novelist and critic Shahla Al-Ogaily argued that dystopian literature has gained traction in post-2011 Arab societies to confront painful political and social realities.
“This genre represents the inability to forgive,” she wrote, “and a confrontation with the hallucinations and phobic fears that emerged after the revolutions failed to deliver on their promises.”
Al-Ogaily traced the rise of Arabic dystopian writing to the translation of authors like Franz Kafka and George Orwell, whose works explored the horrors of surveillance, repression, and modernity.
The influence is evident in Nada’s novel — from Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, echoed when a village sheikh wakes up to find his head missing, to Orwell’s 1984, in the depiction of total narrative control and a fearful, manipulated public.
At its heart, The Prayer of Anxiety critiques political, religious, and media-driven systems that manufacture obedience and stifle thought.
Through poetic language and surreal events, Nada lays bare the quiet complicity that enables authoritarianism.
One of the novel’s characters voices the core dilemma:
“How many shooting stars must fall before we gain a new memory? How many men must die in war for old women to tell a different story?”
Despite occasional tonal inconsistencies—particularly between the elevated language and the characters’ rural backgrounds—the novel’s literary ambition, conceptual depth, and striking imagery have resonated widely.
The IPAF, launched in 2007 with support from the Emirates Foundation, awards $50,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each shortlisted author. This year’s judges included Said Bengrad, Maryam Al Hashimi, Bilal Orfali, Sampsa Peltonen, and chair Mona Baker.
With The Prayer of Anxiety, Nada has delivered a novel that provokes, unsettles, and — crucially — invites deeper engagement with the structures of power that shape the Arab world’s past and present.
Chef Mostafa Seif of Khufu’s has been awarded the Skillet of Distinction by The Best Chef Awards, becoming the first Egyptian chef to receive the accolade. The award follows Seif’s recognition last year as the first Egyptian to earn a one-knife “Excellent” rating under the awards’ updated tiered system.
The Best Chef Awards, which moved away from its traditional top-100 ranking in 2023, now recognises chefs through one, two, or three “knives,” denoting levels of excellence. Seif’s one-knife placement in Dubai was the first for an Egyptian chef and signalled growing international attention to his work.
At Khufu’s – founded by Pier 88 Hospitality’s Giovanni Bolandrini – Seif leads a kitchen grounded in technical discipline and regionally sourced ingredients. His cooking is rooted in Egyptian culinary traditions but avoids nostalgia or showmanship, favouring clarified broths, cured seafood, and slow-roasted meats that reflect a restrained, detail-oriented approach.
In January, Seif participated in The World’s 50 Best Signature Sessions in Abu Dhabi, where he co-hosted a dinner with Argentinian chef Sergio Cabrera at MouzMari. He also joined 50 Best Talks for a panel titled Memory on a Plate, exploring the role of food in cultural and personal memory.
The Skillet of Distinction acknowledges Seif’s consistency in the kitchen and his contribution to platforming Egyptian cuisine in international settings – through technique rather than adaptation.
