Egyptian Capital Research Articles

The Urban Sustainability of the Egyptian Capital

In the last decade, the urban management of the Egyptian capital adopted a comprehensive vision for its urban development sectors. Sustainability indicator results issued by a number of international institutions showed that the Egyptian capital’s ranking dropped after applying this vision. This proves that the capital has deviated from the path for which the vision was created. This research aims to build a general framework that supports achieving urban sustainability in the Egyptian capital, periodically assessing its urban policy, and assisting urban decision makers in correcting the course of their policies if necessary. This framework can be built by reviewing the legacy of urban development policies of the Egyptian capital and determine the urban issues the capital is still facing. This framework is also built by studying international practices of cities whose development plans were likewise based on setting a framework that enabled them to assess the success rate of the urban strategies adopted in achieving urban sustainability. From this, we can form the elements of a general framework for achieving urban sustainability of the Egyptian capital. This research identifies these elements as a group of issues, indicators, criteria, principles, and pillars. These elements observe the local context of the Egyptian capital. The selected issues are fitting to the Egyptian capital and its observance of its international responsibilities. These issues are determined by identifying a group of indicators and principles adopted by international institutions and authorities in assessing cities’ progress towards achieving urban sustainability. The results of this research demonstrate how cities work on building their developmental plans, with an approach based on the exchange of knowledge pertaining to the results of different practices, as well as the principles and indicators endorsed by international institutions and authorities, ensures the achievement of urban sustainability.

Investigating the Effect of Risk Disclosure Quality on Investors’ Reaction in the Egyptian Capital Market

This paper aims to examine the association between the change in the firm’s risk disclosure level and investors’ reaction in the Egyptian capital market. An event study was conducted over two years (2018 and 2019) to capture how investors respond to the Egyptian firm’s reported risk information. The findings revealed that the Egyptian firms’ risk disclosure did not provide new information to the capital market. Hence, investors did not change their expectations regarding the firm's future cash flows and their trading reaction in the capital market.

The city and its martyrs: Cairo as the site of an alternative historiography in Omar Robert Hamilton’s The City Always Wins

Omar Robert Hamilton’s semi-autobiographical debut novel The City Always Wins (2017), presents the most recent fictional depiction of the Egyptian capital. The novel is based on the writer’s personal first-hand experience of the city, which predominantly staged the 2011 Egyptian version of the “Arab Spring”. In this context, it witnessed the people’s euphoric revolutionary spirit, as well as their subsequent sense of disillusionment. In the wake of the Revolution, Hamilton delineates the city as a palimpsestic site upon which the revolutionists attempt to commemorate their martyrs as well as to secure their imprint on its urban locale. The paper envisions Cairo as a city with a double entity, which manifests the contention between the official overpowering voice of an indifferent city, and the repressed “other” voice of the martyrs of the Revolution. The paper, thus, depicts the central character as a historiographer, whose mnemonic rhetoric portrays the martyrs as spectres returning from the dead. Hamilton’s novel, therefore, lends itself to a critique in the light of the concepts of mnemohistory and hauntology, against a challenging urban backdrop, so as to engage with an alternative historiography of the 2011 revolutionary outbreak and its aftermath.

The Violence against pregnant females, situation in Cairo 2018

Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in private or public life as defined by United Nations.Violence against women is a world-wide problem and this study focused on clearing the factors in the Egyptian capital that are associated with this phenomenon during the pregnancy through asking cases who get exposed to violence during this period, and to name the common sequelae and complications due to exposure to different types of violence. Those cases visited the Gynaecology and Obstetric clinic at Kasr -Al Aini hospital during February 2018. There are serious complications of violence during pregnancy but the psychological affection seems to be the main problem after exposure to violence in this special period of female life and of course this needs a lot of support and long-term rehabilitation. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done through spreading a simple formatted questionnaire among 218 women who were receiving antenatal care or those visiting the gynecology outpatient clinic at Kasr Al-Ainy teaching hospital through February 2018. Results: the study showed that the physical form of violence (77.4%) was more common than sexual form. Regarding exposure to physical violence; hematoma was the commonest complication (82.4%). In most of cases (94%), exposure to violence affected the violated women mostly in the form of permanent psychological trauma. Recommendations: more researches on different types of violence against women are necessary in different periods of women life as well as different social levels and more empowerment of women is recommended. KEY WORDS: Gender based violence, violence during pregnancy, suffering to women, complications

Decorated bodies for eternal life: A multidisciplinary study of late Roman Period stucco-shrouded portrait mummies from Saqqara (Egypt).

This study focuses on the multidisciplinary investigation of three stucco-shrouded mummies with mummy portrait from Egypt dating from the late 3rd to the middle of the 4th century AD, corresponding to the late Roman Period. These three mummies were excavated in the early 17th and late 19th centuries in the Saqqara necropolis near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Two of them experienced an interesting collection history, when they became part of the collection of the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland August II in Dresden, Germany, in 1728. The investigation includes information about the mummies’ discovery, collection history and shroud decoration obtained through Egyptological expertise. In addition, information on the state of preservation, technique of artificial mummification, age at death, sex, body height and health of the deceased was achieved through computed tomography (CT) analysis. Research yielded an adult male, a middle-aged female and a young female. Due to the rather poorly preserved bodies of the male and middle-aged female, a specific technique of artificial mummification could not be ascertained. Brain and several internal organs of the well-preserved young female were identified. Wooden boards, beads of necklaces, a hairpin, and metal dense items, such as lead seals, nails and two coins or medallions were discovered. Paleopathological findings included carious lesions, Schmorl’s nodes, evidence of arthritis and a vertebral hemangioma. The study revealed insights on the decoration and burial preparation of individuals of upper socioeconomic status living in the late Roman Period, as well as comprehensive bioanthropological information of the deceased.

Constructed Wetland Parks: A Pathway to Sustainability For Cairo

Cairo is facing a vast number of urban, environmental and social challenges. It is constantly affecting the quality of life in the Egyptian Capital. Water resources are limited and one of the main challenges in Egypt, in addition to the Increasing population, Lack of green spaces, Air and Water pollution rate especially in Cairo. Using untraditional solutions in Egyptian cities now is a critical need, which will help in maximizing the benefits, decreasing projects and operations cost in this developing country. The Nile is the major water source in Egypt, according to recent studies this source is decreasing. UN and the Egyptian government published that Egypt has reached water poverty. Conservation and developing this resource is the cornerstone of academic researches and on the Egyptian government top priorities. Now in Egypt, the importance of recycling water in different methods increased. It is a basic need to cover water demands. Biological water treatment is one of the eco-friendly techniques for water treatment. Constructed wetland now is commonly used as an environmental tool in many countries. It achieves many benefits such as increasing biodiversity, habitats, water treatment and reduces air pollution. In the last decade, this technology was used in Egypt as a tool for water treatment in small-scale projects in The Northern lakes. The multifunction landscape is combining traditional landscape uses with human activities and production. This complexed harmony could achieve a balance between ecosystems with human impacts. Creating a wetland park as multifunction Landscape tool is a new approach in the world. Many countries have success stories in this field. This research will discuss international experiences in constructed wetland parks and local experiences in wetland areas, monitoring challenges and problems facing this technology and main potential elements that will lead to the success of this experiment in Egypt. Recognizing stakeholder complex needs, Ideas, and official plans for developing wetlands in Egypt. Finally, this research provides a framework and action plan to help in adapting the landscape market with this new approach, gives decision makers tools to achieve sustainability in future projects.

Plasmonic color gets a new look

One of the earliest surviving photographs shows the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramses II, located in the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes. The sharp clarity of the image, showing a building with ...

Dissenting Bodies

Abstract This article explores the art of Adham Hafez, an Egypt-based performer, choreographer and music composer, in relation to the political and social turmoil in Egypt leading up to and following the 2011 uprising. Hafez’s work through and on the body highlights how the uprisings themselves were a rejection of various assaults on the body rendered by the Egyptian state, colonialism and global capitalism. By focusing on the ways that Hafez’s performances reconfigure the senses, and relations between the body and language, this article shows how performance can be a site of dissensus that creates potentially transformative resonance between bodies—in Tahrir Square and beyond.

Acciona starts operating New Cairo water supply system

Acciona Agua has started operating the upstream water supply infrastructure in New Cairo, a satellite city about 30 km east of the Egyptian capital.

Alejandría y el conocimiento libresco en las <em>ktíseis</em> de Plutarco y Pseudo Calístenes

Este trabajo analiza de qué manera dos relatos de la tradición indirecta de la vida de Alejandro Magno, Plutarco (Alex.) y Pseudo Calístenes (recensión β), reelaboran el momento de la fundación (ktísis) de la capital egipcia, Alejandría. Se intentará demostrar cómo ambas versiones retrabajan la transmisión de las fuentes e in-scriben en su propio relato la importancia de la letra escrita y del conocimiento libresco (que caracteriza a la ciudad en el período helenístico y romano) en las circunstancias literales y literarias de la fundación. De esta manera, el mundo imperial se pre-dice en el origen de la gran ciudad y favorece una imagen de continuidad con el legado de Alejandro en el imaginario de las Alejandrías literarias.

Understanding Egyptian capitalism through the Muslim Brotherhood’s eyes: the quest for an ‘Islamic economy’ in the 1940s and its ideological and social impact

The following article addresses the intricate issue of contemporary Islamist thought’s relation to the modern capitalist economy, with special reference to the Egyptian case. Islamist thinkers have been vigorously proclaiming for the past decades that the economic prosperity of some Muslim nations stems from the proper adoption of an ‘Islamic economy’, whereas the absence of such a model has been mainly responsible for the crises that other nations faced. At the same time, we witness that the Muslim nations are fully integrated into the global market system. Although their rulers boast about achieving social justice, by economically interpreting Islam, nonetheless poverty and horrific injustices are officially retained and morally accepted, thus, enabling the upper classes to keep performing their pious duties in the name of God. In this regard, it seems that capitalism and piety are intertwined: the first justifies the necessity of the second, while the second humanizes the brutal impact of the first. By referring to the historical example of the Muslim Brothers in pre-socialist Egypt, the article tends to show under which circumstances was capitalism’s relation to religious piety conceptualized in Islamist thought and literature, in addition to the main social, organizational and ideological outcomes of this conceptualization.

The Role of Institutional Investors in the Egyptian Capital Market

The role of institutional investors in capital markets of the Middle East and North Africa region has not been explored, in large part due to the fact that most markets continue to be retail-based, despite the fact that stock exchanges and securities regulators have sought to attract domestic and foreign institutional capital. It is also a result of the fact that institutional investors remain largely passive as judged by the level and quality of their engagement with investee companies.This paper aims to identify the role and the influence of institutional investors on corporate governance and company performance in the Egyptian market, taking a historical perspective and seeking to pinpoint the role of state and private institutional investors in the Egyptian Exchange. To do so, it categorises institutional investors’ strategies in order to highlight the extent of their engagement with the investee companies, in particular the largest listed firms (EGX 30 companies).The paper highlights the role of policymakers in improving the functioning of the capital market and demonstrates that institutional investors’ engagement has not been as significant as expected. We conclude with a number of practical recommendations to policy makers to encourage local institutional investors to play a more active role in the market, based on the international experience but at the same time rooted in the history and recent developments in the Egyptian capital market.

The Impact of Ownership Duality on Firm Performance in Egyptyte

The Impact of Ownership Duality on Firm Performance in Egyptyte Masry, Mohamed Abstract Corporate governance is considered to have significant implications for the growth prospects of an economy. Good corporate governance practices are regarded as important in reducing risk for investors, attracting investment capital and improving the performance of companies. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between corporate governance practices and firm performance in Egypt, as a result of the adoption privatisation since 1996 and the extent of changes to corporate governance practices. During this period, the firms that operated in Egypt were affected by political and economic transformation. The theoretical basis for this study was agency theory, which focuses on the ownership duality and control. The conceptual framework of the study described how the board structure in Egypt impacted on firm performance. In this framework corporate governance were be indicated ownership duality. Ownership duality refers to the separation of the position of chairman and CEO. The research explored the relationship of this variable to firm performance. Firm performance was assessed by Return on equity, Return on assets and Tobin’s Q. This is the first study conducted in Egypt on corporate governance and firm performance during periods of high volatility in the environment due to adverse economic and political conditions after the 25th of January’s revolution. As a result, this study makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge on corporate governance in developing countries and illustrates how corporate governance impacts on firm performance in unstable political and economic environments such as that experienced in Egypt. This study is a comparative analysis to measure the changes to corporate governance practices from 2005 to 2012. A sample of 42 companies was selected from the top 100 listed companies in EGX 100(Egyptian stock exchange). The selection was determined by the availability of data for both years. Data were obtained from annual reports and the Egyptian Capital Market Authority. In addition, key accounting data as well as annual reports were obtained from the following sources: Cairo and Alexandria Stock Market Exchanges (CASE) and financial year book (financial statements from 2005 to 2012).The data were analysed with SPSS to obtain quantitative measures of descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation and analysis of variance. Descriptive statistics from the study showed positive relationship for separate leadership and firm performance based on return on equity. In this study, the positive relationship between corporate governance structures, separate leadership, and firm performance indicate that firms have implemented corporate governance strategies, which have resulted in higher profitability and share price performance. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/ijat.v3n1a4

Disclosure practices in Egypt: what are factors beyond the low level?

In Egypt, as one of the emerging markets, mandatory disclosure of financial information on annual reports has attracted the attention of many researchers. Results of prior studies analysing disclosure level concluded that mandatory financial disclosure in annual reports is low. The purpose of this paper is to shed the light and analyse those factors affecting disclosure level in the Egyptian environment including political and economic conditions, legal system and regulatory framework, nature of the capital market, prevailing culture, and accounting practices. Our analysis suggests that secretive culture is the major reason behind the low disclosure practices found in Egypt overcoming the efforts exerted by regulators. Additionally, the paper provides the reasons that lead to the low disclosure level as follows: 1 presence of uniform, secretive, and conservative accounting practices, 2 absence of a unified law governing Egyptian companies’ activities and transactions 3 lack of strict enforcements imposed by the Egyptian Capital Market Authority on non-complying companies to comply with the mandatory requirements of the Egyptian accounting standards.

'Deep fury' of Egyptian scientists

Michael Harms, director of the Cairo office of the German Academic Exchange Service, offers a view from the Egyptian capital.

Socio-environmental impact of Cairo Metro line 2

The impact of metro projects cutting through densely populated metropolises in developing countries on local communities and inhabitants is investigated. Cairo Metro line 2 is used as a case study. The Egyptian capital is a populous metropolis and the only African and Arab city to operate a fully fledged metro system. This paper aims to determine the socio-environmental impact of the Cairo Metro project and to identify measures to mitigate this impact. Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted with local people living and working close to the project and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a senior official from the client organisation and a senior manager from the contractor organisation. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the interviews gives insight into the actual socio-environmental impact of the project on those living and working close by, including loss of business and fear for the structural safety of homes. The analysis also reveals some locally conceived ideas to mitigate this impact and a need to engage with local authorities and decision makers.

Women’s Piety in Egypt and MexicoPolitics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject. By Sabra Mahmood. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005.Jesus in Our Wombs: Embodying Modernity in a Mexican Convent. By Rebecca Lester. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.

Women’s Piety in Egypt and Mexico<i>Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject</i>. By Sabra Mahmood. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005.<i>Jesus in Our Wombs: Embodying Modernity in a Mexican Convent</i>. By Rebecca Lester. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.

The Survey of Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt: recent developments

The Egypt Exploration Society has been conducting an archaeological survey of the site of Memphis and its surrounding area since 1981. A summary of the aims and achievements of the project appeared in Archaeology International 1999/2000. In the present article the field director reports on the progress made since then and considers some of the contextual aspects of this survey of the ancient Egyptian capital.

Egyptian Textiles and British Capital, 1930-1956

Egyptian Textiles and British Capital, 1930-1956

Dependency Theory and Egyptian Capitalism, 1920 to 1950

Dependency Theory and Egyptian Capitalism, 1920 to 1950