Despite its rapid expansion, Cairo faces a critical shortage of public parks and green spaces. Historical trends in the city have prioritized commercial infrastructure, highways, and extensive real estate developments, while the vital role of parks and recreational areas in fostering health and sustainability has been forgotten.  Current statistics reveal a stark reality: Cairo possesses only 0.74 square meters of green space per person, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum of nine square meters per resident – an amount considered necessary to support basic public health benefits such as physical activity, mental well-being, and environmental quality – with an ideal target closer to 50 square meters per person to maximize these urban health and ecological benefits. The loss of over 2.1 million square meters of green spaces since 2006 shows the urgency of this crisis, particularly when considering public health outcomes. Research has consistently shown that access to parks and greenery has a direct impact on physical health.  Why Green Spaces Are So Rare in Cairo Part of the challenge lies in geography and economics. Egypt is a predominantly desert country where maintaining large green spaces requires…

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The post The Green Space Crisis in Cairo: a Public Health and Urban Sustainability Challenge first appeared on Egyptian Streets.

By Sophie Spigno I arrived in Egypt in March 2025, travelling to Alexandria to spend Ramadan with my closest friend and her family. It was early morning in Cairo, the sky still a pale, washed-out blue, when I climbed into a taxi after a long overnight flight. The streets were almost silent. The driver adjusted his mirror and, in the reflection, I caught myself: dishevelled, half-asleep, yet unexpectedly calm.  Then the first notes of the adhan rose across the city. Clear, steady, and unhurried, they shifted the atmosphere, as if giving the morning its purpose. Before I could fully absorb it, the driver reached into the console and handed me a cold bottle of water, insisting I drink. My friend beside me, fasting, quietly pushed a snack into my hand. Both were beginning a day without food or water, yet their first instinct was to make sure I had something after travelling.  It was a small gesture, but it captured something deeply Egyptian: generosity offered without hesitation, even from what one is abstaining from. In that taxi at dawn, I understood why Ramadan here feels so communal. Hospitality is not…

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The post How Ramadan in Egypt Reshaped My Understanding of Hospitality  first appeared on Egyptian Streets.

  During a recent Egyptian Family Iftar held at the Air Force House in Cairo on Saturday, 14 March, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi addressed the challenges facing Egypt in light of regional conflicts and their subsequent impact on the national economy.  He revealed that the Suez Canal has incurred losses amounting to USD 10 billion (EGP 522 billion), attributing this decline to global supply chain disruptions  amid the war on Gaza and Iran’s war with Israel and the United States.  In his speech, Al-Sisi defended the government’s recent decision to raise domestic fuel prices, deeming it an “inevitable” measure necessary to protect the economy.  Acknowledging the negative sentiments among the public regarding these increases, he emphasized that such steps were taken out of necessity to prevent more severe repercussions in the future.  He explained that Egypt consumes approximately USD 20 billion (EGP 1 trillion) worth of petroleum products annually, primarily for powering electricity generation. Had the government opted to charge citizens the actual cost of production, electricity bills would skyrocket to four times their current rates. Furthermore, Al-Sisi addressed the necessity of a new social protection initiative aimed at supporting…

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The post President Al-Sisi Addresses Economic Pressures and Regional Conflicts first appeared on Egyptian Streets.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi held a phone call on Friday 13 March with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian amid rising regional tensions, reaffirming Egypt’s rejection of attacks targeting several Arab states and urging an immediate return to diplomacy. According to Presidential Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El‑Shennawy, President Al-Sisi stressed Egypt’s “categorical condemnation and rejection” of Iran’s targeting of Gulf countries, as well as Jordan and Iraq. The Egyptian leader emphasized that these states neither supported nor participated in the war against Iran, but instead worked to reduce tensions and support negotiations between Iran and the United States aimed at resolving the crisis diplomatically. During the call, President Al-Sisi underscored Egypt’s commitment to the principle of good neighborliness and called for an immediate halt to attacks in order to prevent further destabilization across the region. He also voiced Egypt’s regret over the current escalation and warned of its potential consequences for regional security and the welfare of the Middle East’s populations. The Egyptian president highlighted Cairo’s ongoing efforts to contain the crisis and steer all parties back to negotiations, stressing the importance of flexibility in order to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough. On his…

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The post Cairo Pushes for De-Escalation as Al-Sisi Speaks with Iranian President Pezeshkian first appeared on Egyptian Streets.

  In today’s world, it is easy to scroll through constant war updates from Lebanon and the broader region, feeling helpless or overwhelmed. However, instead of just consuming headlines, you can directly support displaced families, create jobs for refugees, preserve centuries-old culture, and help others understand the region’s deep history. Below is a simple guide focused on Lebanon, which hosts over 1.5 million Syrian refugees, as well as its own displaced communities, and benefits the wider region. Provide Immediate Relief Embrace is one of Lebanon’s most well-known mental-health organizations, working to make psychological care accessible to everyone. The organization runs the National Mental Health Lifeline and provides counseling, crisis support, and community outreach programs that help people facing depression, trauma, and other mental-health struggles.  For immediate relief, American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), delivers bedding, hygiene kits, food, and healthcare to displaced Lebanese and refugees through local partners like hospitals and community centers. They now serve at least 50 percent Lebanese families alongside refugees. Girls of Liban is a new grassroots community initiative providing immediate, on-the-ground support to people in Lebanon. Through their volunteer network, they focus on urgent humanitarian…

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The post Ways to Support People in Lebanon and Refugee-Led Businesses first appeared on Egyptian Streets.

Egyptian authorities arrested a man after a video circulated on social media showing him verbally abusing and attempting to assault another individual who confronted him about smoking during Ramadan in Abbasiya, Cairo, according to an official statement issued on Thursday, 12 March. During Ramadan in Egypt, many Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, refraining from food, drink, and smoking during daylight hours. While the practice is widely observed, it is not illegal to eat or smoke in public during fasting hours. According to the statement, no official police reports were initially filed regarding the incident. However, security services launched an investigation after the video began circulating online. The individual who filmed and posted the video was later identified as a resident of North Sinai Governorate. During questioning, he said the incident took place on 8 March, when a man verbally insulted him and attempted to physically assault him after he objected to the man smoking during Ramadan. Authorities later identified and arrested the suspect, who resides within the jurisdiction of the Sahel Police Station. During questioning, the suspect reportedly confessed to the incident. Legal procedures have since been initiated….

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The post Man Arrested After Alleged Assault Over Smoking During Ramadan in Cairo first appeared on Egyptian Streets.