Books by the beach

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

House passes bill reorganizing Mostakbal Misr

☀️ Good morning, folks, and happy weekend. We’re sending you off with a summer reading guide for wherever you’re headed — north, Red Sea, or nowhere in particular. We’re also taking a look at a movie that will tug at your heartstrings, checking out an Asian fusion restaurant worth your time, and looking back at the late Bonnie Tyler’s hits. That and much more.

But first, your weekly recap…

🗞️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

REGULATION-

Parliament gave final approval on Tuesday to the draft law reorganizing Mostakbal Misr following two days of floor debate. The law transfers supervision of the authority from the Defense Ministry, placing it under the direct oversight of the presidency.

The agency will operate outside standard state administrative frameworks. It will be exempt from government wage caps, the Civil Service Act, and public procurement rules. The Treasury will also cover all of the taxes, including VAT and stamp tax, on its behalf.

ECONOMY-

The IMF Executive Board is expected to decide on the seventh review of Egypt’s loan program by mid-August. Board procedures usually run four to six weeks after a staff-level agreement, and Cairo should receive around USD 1.6 bn within days of board approval.

EGX AND INVESTMENTS-

The EGX is shifting when its main-market index reviews take effect, giving investors more lead time. Results of the semi-annual review will now be announced at least two weeks before they take effect and will apply from the first working day of March and September, rather than 1 February and 1 August.

AND- The EGX closed 2Q in the green despite a June selloff that ate into two months of gains. The benchmark index rose 11.4% over the quarter to close at 50.5k points, with travel and education the standout sectors. The bulk of the rally came from April and May, with momentum cooling in June as the EGX30 gave back 4.12% on profit-taking before the month was out.

ALSO- Auditors can now review up to five investment funds at a time, up from three, with the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) able to approve a higher cap upon request. The decision, which came in response to market calls, gives funds and auditors more room while cutting costs.

LOGISTICS AND ENERGY-

The government is set to pay foreign oil firms nearly USD 240 mn a month under a new mechanism designed to prevent another buildup of arrears. The move is part of a broader push to stay current on energy-sector dues.

Danish shipping firm Maersk is bringing back Suez Canal transits on its India-Middle East-US East Coast service. Maersk’s return is an early signal of recovery for our Suez Canal revenues, which rose 23% y-o-y to USD 4.8 bn in FY 2025/26 after dropping sharply during the prolonged Red Sea crisis and subsequent Hormuz disruptions.

REAL ESTATE-

The New and Urban Communities Authority (Nuca) is offering another round of relief for investors and buyers in new cities — cutting assignment fees, waiving some late-payment penalties, and giving stalled projects more time to deliver. The package extends several existing facilitations for another year while keeping Western North Coast land outside most of the breaks.

EDUCATION-

Egypt’s national universities added six foreign academic partnerships, the latest in a push to internationalize a university system now facing its first labor-market test. The National Universities Council approved one cooperation agreement and five MoUs between Egyptian and foreign institutions.

The EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum is back — and this year, we’re giving the full day to the one question on every business leader's mind: What does AI actually mean for your company, your people, and your own job?

Leaders in New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore are asking the same things, and nobody has built a playbook that works yet. We're all figuring it out in real time — and for Egypt, the stakes are unusually high.

Egypt could leapfrog a generation on the back of this technology — or watch AI hollow out the industries and jobs we can't afford to lose. The leaders who get literate early will be the ones who get to decide which road we take.

Every session on stage answers one question: “So, what do I actually do about it?”

Join us on 5 October in Cairo. Seats are limited and attendance is by invitation only.

Request your invitation here.

🌍 AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

This week’s headlines were dominated by the most dangerous stretch of the US-Iran war since the interim truce — a week that moved from a closed Strait of Hormuz to a naval blockade, a cargo fee floated and abandoned in 48 hours, and Washington now pursuing an alternative oil route altogether. Here’s the rundown.

The week opened with Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed after firing a warning shot at a Cyprus-flagged vessel it said took an “unapproved route.” The US responded with its third round of strikes in a week — targeting Iranian radar, missile, and drone facilities — as Iran launched waves of missiles and drones at US military bases across Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and Oman. Oil prices surged as energy markets priced in a prolonged disruption.

By Tuesday, US President Trump announced a naval blockade on Iranian shipping through Hormuz, charging a 20% cargo fee on transiting vessels — implying roughly USD 30 mn per supertanker. Gulf pressure killed the fee within 48 hours, with Trump replacing it with a demand for direct Gulf investments in the US. On Wednesday, the US president threatened to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran does not continue negotiations.

On Thursday, Tehran responded to US strikes by targeting US military bases once again in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Preceding this, the US disabled a commercial tanker bound for Kharg Island after it allegedly violated the reimposed US naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Washington is also in talks with Baghdad, Damascus, and Chevron to revive a long-defunct Iraq-Syria oil pipeline to circumvent Hormuz entirely. The UK, meanwhile, announced plans to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group — following Washington’s lead from seven years ago.

IN OTHER NEWS- Two notable deaths this week. Former Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani — the architect of modern Qatar and the man who transformed the country into one of the world’s largest LNG exporters during his 18-year rule — died at 74. US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and prominent advocate for military intervention in Iran, also died at 71 following a cardiac arrest.

ALSO- The US has imposed a 25% tariff on most imports from Brazil, effective next week, following a year-long investigation by Washington into the country’s alleged unfair trade practices.

CLOSER TO HOME- The Houthi-Saudi informal ceasefire showed signs of strain, with the group launching missiles at Abha Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia — the most serious flare-up between the two sides in four years.

IN THE BUSINESS PRESS- Wall Street’s five largest banks are on track for their highest investment banking fees in four-and-a-half years — USD 11.1 bn — fueled by a 30% y-o-y jump in M&A activity and the SpaceX listing windfall. French b’naire Xavier Niel is set to become Vodafone’s largest shareholder after UAE telecom group e& agreed to sell him its entire 16.2% stake for around USD 6 bn. And Chinese AI models — DeepSeek and Z.ai among them — are gaining corporate clients, with DoorDash, Siemens, and Airbnb among those turning to cheaper, increasingly capable alternatives to US rivals. Also, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced it will invest USD 100 bn in Arizona as part of its US expansion to meet strong customer demand.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-

If your weekend plans are outdoors-first, plan accordingly. Cairo is set to hit highs of 36°C on Friday, climbing to 37°C on Saturday, with overnight lows holding at 26-27°C — no real relief once the sun goes down. Alexandria offers a modest escape from the heat: expect highs of 31°C on Friday and 32°C on Saturday, with lows around 23°C both nights, according to our favorite weather app.

🎤 HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-

Tamer Ashour is set to make his Sahel debut tonight at Cocoon Beach in Sidi Abdel Rahman with an exclusive beachfront concert. The performance kicks off at 7pm, with the singer performing his biggest hits against a sunset backdrop. You can get your tickets on TicketsMarché.

Upcoming Syrian singer Al Shami and Lebanese singer Mohamed Fadl Shaker join the Tiatro Romano festival lineup, set to perform tonight at The Roman Theater in Al Alamein’s Marina 2. The concert starts at 10pm and promises high-energy and hit-filled performances. Tickets are available on TicketsMarché.

Hesham Maged is back with another comedy project for your summer comedy fix, this time with his first-ever play, Khayal Mareed, at Theatro Arkan. Running every day at 8pm until Friday, 24 July, the interactive play stars Mohamed Abdel Rahman, Hanady Mehanna, Ahmed El Rafaie, Dina Diab, and more. You can secure your tickets on TicketsMarche.

🎤 HAPPENING NEXT WEEK-

Standup comedian Ahmed Hassan gets his first-ever comedy special at Teatro 90, presenting The Special 1 on Thursday, 23 July. The show marks his biggest and most personal one to date — expect brand new material and the audience interactions he’s become known for. The show kicks off at 9:30pm, with tickets available on TicketsMarché.

Marwan Pablo and Lege-Cy are taking their unmistakable flow to the North Coast. The rap icons join forces at Porto Golf in Alamein on Thursday, 23 July, to kick off the Porto Golf Summer Festival. Expect an evening of chart-topping hits, booming beats, and enough crowd energy to rival the summer heat. The concert starts at 9pm — tickets are available on TicketsMarché.

Cairo Opera House’s Summer Festival for Music and Singing is back, and kicking it off is a live performance by Ali El Haggar at Alexandria Opera House’s Sayed Darwish Theater on Thursday, 23 July. Experience the great singer’s timeless hits and unmistakable vocals live. The show starts at 8:30pm — tickets are available on Tazkarti.

Books by the beach — the 2026 edition

📚⛱️ Summer reading just hits different. The light is better, the pace is slower, the view is breathtaking, and the books tend to linger — partly because you have time to actually finish them and partly because a good book on a breezy afternoon is a reliable pleasure. Whether you’re heading up north or choosing to opt for the Red Sea, this week’s edition of The Enterprise Guide has a little bit of everything for your summer reading pleasures.

💡 Would you rather spend your time logging classics on Letterboxd? We’ve got you covered with a guide to our favorite film classics.

OR- Staying in Cairo and feel like going bookshopping? Check out our bookworm’s guide to Cairo here.

Summer flings

Not every book needs to earn its place with ideas. Sometimes what a summer afternoon calls for is a well-told love story — with characters you don’t want to kill.

#1- One Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune: Frankie and George are childhood sweethearts — competitive, devoted to one another, but unwilling to fess up when it comes to feelings. When Frankie’s fiancé leaves her at the altar, George concocts a plan to savor the honeymoon anyway. With him for a week in a gorgeous destination, the two of them come face-to-face with the reality of their growing relationship.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 4.05/5

📃 Page count: 410

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon.

#2- Hard Feelings by Jennifer Millikin: First date gone insanely wrong? Been there, done that. Cecily and Dom’s first meeting is going well… until it isn’t. An overheard conversation sends Cecily running for the hills, but eight months later, they’re forced to put aside their differences in Vegas for their friends’ pre-Wedding parties. The kicker? They get drunk and married. Cue the plot of What Happens in Vegas, albeit with a few twists.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 4.03/5

📃 Page count: 409

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon.

#3- The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston: Sometimes summer calls for a little fantasy with a dash of magical realism — this one’s got it. Sophie heads to Maine for a summer job with a ton of baggage (literal and metaphorical). There, she finds a door that randomly appears throughout the estate. Inside, she finds an unfinished garden with a man trapped inside — the rest is history… or is it?

⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.96/5

📃 Page count: 400

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon.

Mythology by the Mediterranean

Old myths by the sea that produced them? Sign us up. This category is for the reader who wants their beach book to have some weight to it — stories drawn from the ancient world, retold by writers who know exactly what they’re doing.

#1- The Wandering Queen by Claire Heywood: Chronicling one of the lesser-known mythologies, Claire Heywood’s latest fantasy follows the daughter of the King of Tyre, Elissa, as she flees her kingdom following her father’s death to become the founder and queen of Carthage (modern-day Tunisia). As is the case with mythology retellings, expect plenty of twists that go beyond what the myths have to say. Heywood is no stranger to compelling female protagonists, having penned 2021’s Daughters of Sparta.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.72/5

📃 Page count: 307

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon. You can also place an order for the hardcover version through The Bookspot.

#2- No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes: Another incredible piece of work by veteran mythology author Natalie Haynes — whose A Thousand Ships remains one of the most-read works of mythological retellings — No Friend to This House follows the legendary Jason and the Argonauts to find the golden fleece, meant to be a fool’s errand. Concurrently, the central figure of Euripides’ tragedy, Medea, takes center stage. Haynes presents an entirely new and fresh perspective on this anti-heroine, a woman long despised and villainized in myth.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 4.04/5

📃 Page count: 369

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon.

#3- Son of Nobody by Yann Martel: By the bestselling author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel returns to the literary scene with Son of Nobody — and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect with Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey making sail toward our screens. Not your average Iliad or Odyssey retelling, Martel’s latest work chronicles the events of the Trojan War through a new perspective, told in varying POVs that span the past, present, and future, proving that the “past is never done with,” as Circe author Madeline Miller puts it.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.55/5

📃 Page count: 352

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the e-book on Amazon.

Deep dives

Not looking for something light for the summer? These selections will need a little more focus on your end, call for an occasional hard grip, and prove unputdownable.

#1- The Wedding People by Allison Espach: Years after Phoebe gets her PhD and marries the man she fell in love with, she realizes she feels unfulfilled with her current life. The book sets off as Phoebe arrives at the Cornwall Inn, fleeing her hometown of St. Louis, and recovering from a divorce from a 10-year marriage. Depressed, lonely, and existential, Phoebe decides to come to her dream hotel to end her life. A chance elevator ride with the bride of a wedding taking place at the inn, Lila, sets off an unlikely friendship and an unlikely recovery.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 4.06/5

📃 Page count: 367

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find a physical copy at Diwan or get the e-book on Amazon.

#2- Wide Sargasso Seaby Jean Rhys: A Jane Eyre prequel about the crazy lady in the attic? Absolutely. First published in 1966, the book tells the story of the woman locked in the attic at Thornfield Hall, told from her own perspective. Author Jean Rhys sets the novel in Jamaica and Dominica in the years following emancipation, exploring colonialism, race, identity, and what it means to be defined by someone else’s narrative. Also, Mr. Rochester may just be the villain in her story — rightfully so.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.59/5

📃 Page count: 176

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the ebook at no cost on the Internet Archive.

#3- Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: Natalie is a mega-influencer with mns of followers and a brand built on being the perfect, traditional religious mother. Behind the scenes are nannies, photographers, and producers manufacturing moments that look spontaneous. Then Natalie wakes up in 1855: same house, same farm, no electricity, no staff, no audience. Burke’s debut runs on two timelines — Natalie’s curated life before, and her attempt to survive the unmediated reality after — and uses the structure to expose the machinery behind an identity constructed entirely for public consumption.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.95/5

📃 Page count: 400

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find a physical copy at Diwan. The e-book is available on Amazon.

Literary beach snacks

Not every mood calls for a full novel. These are the books for when you want to read something complete between swims — short, satisfying, and capable of leaving a mark despite the brevity.

#1- 84 Charing Cross Roadby Helene Hanff: Our first and only non-fiction entry in this guide is one you need to pick up as soon as possible. A slim, charming book made entirely of letters — 20 years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a broke New York writer with eclectic literary tastes, and Frank Doel, the mild-mannered antiquarian bookseller in London who supplies them. What begins as a transactional exchange becomes a genuine friendship conducted through the mail, across an ocean, over two decades. It’s surprisingly wholesome, utterly bingeable, and left us with tears as we faced the reality of the passing of time.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 4.17/5

📃 Page count: 106

WHERE TO GET IT- Available in paperback at Diwan and in e-book format on Amazon.

#2- ICould Be Famous by Sydney Rende: If you’re looking for a book that will have you constantly thinking, “WTF” — this is it. I Could Be Famous is a collection of short stories — with one recurring character — all centered around fame, how far people will go for it, and the downsides they don’t allow us to see. While some stories fare better than others, it’s an all-in-all enjoyable read that can be finished in as little as two sittings. Just keep an open mind.

⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.49/5

📃 Page count: 272 (each story within the 20-30 page mark)

WHERE TO GET IT- E-book available on Amazon.

💡 HONORABLE MENTIONS-

Shahrazad’s Gift by Gretchen McCullough (Diwan);
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman (Amazon).

A film that made us cry more times than we’d like to admit

🎥 Being different is hard enough. Being different in a way you can’t control — and can’t hide — is something else entirely. Written, directed, and produced by British filmmaker Kirk Jones, I Swear is built on the true story of Jonnie Davidson, a Scottish young man who developed Tourette syndrome in the 1980s, amid near-total ignorance of his condition, and went on to become an advocate and community activist raising awareness of the disorder.

The plot: Jonnie (Scott Ellis Watson as a teenager, Robert Aramayo as a young adult) is an adolescent whose life changes when he starts secondary school and the first symptoms of Tourette syndrome appear: involuntary tics, sounds, and the compulsive repetition of profanity that land him in trouble at school and cost him his dream of becoming a professional goalkeeper.

Nobody takes Jonnie seriously at first — his mother (Shirley Henderson) and father (Steven Cree) assume he’s simply acting out — but as the tics continue, the family fractures and his father leaves. Jonnie carries the guilt of what he believes he caused. He is eventually diagnosed, but without meaningful treatment, his social life unravels — until he meets Dottie (Maxine Peake), his friend’s mother, whose unlikely friendship becomes something both of them need.

What we liked: Aramayo delivers an exceptional and entirely unaffected performance. He inhabits Jonnie completely, conveying the physical reality of Tourette syndrome through involuntary movements and tics while expressing the internal psychological struggle with equal honesty. Henderson and Peake add genuine human warmth that deepens the whole film, carrying the weight of what the people around Jonnie go through.

The film’s pacing is also well-judged: Events unfold at a tempo that mirrors Jonnie’s psychological arc, moving from the shock of diagnosis and denial, through family breakdown and guilt, to acceptance and advocacy — without tipping into melodrama. The result is a film that stays with you and quietly prompts you to reconsider how we think about difference and acceptance.

The verdict: This film deserved every bit of recognition it received — from critics and audiences alike to its two BAFTA awards in 2026 — and we’re genuinely disappointed it hasn’t made it to mainstream cinemas in Egypt. If you’re in the mood for a grounded, moving drama that may well make you cry, don’t miss it.

WHERE TO WATCH- I Swear is screening at Downtown’s Zawya. In the mood for a movie night in? You can rent it on Apple TV.

Yū delivers distinct flavors and fresh seafood bites

🍴 Craving an Asian fusion dining experience? While Cairo is no stranger to the concept, the newly minted and traditionally rooted Yū at Waterway 2 brings a flavor-experimental, seafood-forward menu — Japanese, Peruvian, and Asian fusion — and manages to outdo itself in craftsmanship, flavor, and service.

Yū’s menu opens with an attractive and extensive selection of otsumami or appetizer plates for sharing, featuring chicken, beef, and seafood skewers, nori bites, mini toasts, a variety of tartar dishes, wontons, gyoza, and more. Next were the familiar donburis and noodle lineup with tempting concoctions, and then a wide-ranging lineup of nigiri, maki, and temaki sushi rolls. A selection of chicken, beef, and seafood mains also makes its way onto the menu.

What we ordered: Seated in Yū’s colorfully decorated interior, we were met with a more-than-welcoming interior featuring picture frames and graphic prints adorning the walls. The staff quickly attended to us with menus and tableware. Swamped in options from a menu with some unfamiliar specialties, we turned to our waiter for recommendations. We eventually landed on the truffle salmon crudo and tuna toro with black caviar hand roll to start and the baked miso salmon avocado main and creamy tobiko caviar and shrimp udon noodles as our mains.

What we liked: The dishes hit our table in no time, with the truffle salmon crudo making the first impression. Elegantly lined up on a long rectangular plate, the fresh slices of salmon were a light yet indulgent starter, dipped in a citrusy, truffle oil-infused sauce with sprinkles of fresh truffle on top. The tuna toro hand roll, served per piece, packed a generous portion topped with flavorful black caviar, wrapped in crisp, fresh nori. Following a strong appetizer roll out, the tobiko caviar and shrimp udon noodles kept impressing, delivering a creamy shrimp and udon combination that was easily the standout of the evening. The baked miso salmon avocado main served similarly scrumptious salmon, dipped in teriyaki sauce with a side of rice and avocado. Our only gripe? The rice felt bland — potentially reheated.

The verdict: For a restaurant built on the concept of embracing innovative fusions, Yū hit the nail on the head. It was everything we’d hope for from an Asian fusion restaurant. Every dish was thoughtfully crafted, showcasing fresh ingredients and inspired flavor combinations that made for a memorable dining experience.

WHERE TO FIND IT- Yū’s only branch is located at Waterway 2 in New Cairo. You can make reservations through this link.

💵 Per person: EGP 1.5-2k

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes.

Remembering Bonnie Tyler

🎧 Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero, and If You Were a Woman — three songs that have bridged generations, held on strong to pop culture relevance, and slithered their way into our core memories, regardless of age or upbringing. The common thread? The iconic Bonnie Tyler.

Tyler passed away earlier this month in Portugal, following weeks of treatment after an emergency surgery. She was 75. Her death was unexpected, and tributes quickly followed. Following her passing, the UK government called her “one of Britain’s greatest recording artists.”

Born Gaynor Hopkins, Tyler signed to RCA in the mid ‘70s, breaking through with 1977’s It’s a Heartache before her partnership with songwriter-producer Jim Steinman in the ‘80s produced the songs that would define her career and legacy: Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero.

Her magnum opus: Total Eclipse of the Heart — a seven-minute power ballad from 1983 that hit No. 1 in the US and the UK and has sold in the tens of mns since. But its cultural life has been strange — it hasn’t aged into nostalgia so much as refused to leave the scene in the first place. It shows up in film and TV soundtracks on a near-annual basis, gets covered constantly (thank you, Glee), and somehow found its way to Gen Z through TikTok, where an AI-generated extra verse to the song went viral.

Holding Out for a Hero held out too. The Footloose soundtrack gave it life in the ‘80s, and it has stayed a fixture of workout playlists, wedding DJs, and film trailers since. This one, too, never faded into obscurity to be rediscovered — it simply stayed.

Bonnie Tyler was the queen of the ‘80s, even if she was overshadowed by her sonic peers at times. Several of her songs have passed the test of time and then some. Upbeat when the song called for it, reflective and gutturally emotional at others, and confrontational more often than not, Tyler’s discography was diverse yet had a distinct feel that only the Welsh artist could produce. Her husky voice and loud mannerisms made for a sound the world, over decades, couldn’t help but replay.

WHERE TO LISTEN- If you’re feeling nostalgic this weekend, give Tyler’s discography a spin. You can listen on Apple Music, Spotify, Anghami, or YouTube. Keep an eye out on Sherry’s Vinyls for physical pressings.

Engagement Party is the journalism podcast that skips the headlines

👂 Who says a good journalist can’t tell a joke? For more than a decade, audiences knew Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro as the voices behind some of the most serious newscasts on NPR. Away from the newsroom, though, the two built a long friendship and an ongoing conversation about the things that fill our phones and social feeds. From that friendship came Engagement Party, an attempt to answer a simple question: What do journalists talk about when they’re not covering the news?

What to expect: CNN launched the podcast last May, after Shapiro joined the network and reunited with Cornish — this time, away from politics and breaking news. Episodes move between film, television, technology, and social phenomena, in a format closer to a conversation between old friends than a conventional talk show. Their different instincts also give the dynamic an extra dimension; Cornish tends to read events through a social and cultural lens, while Shapiro approaches them as stories about human nature and how people think.

In the most recent episode we listened to, the two start with a question that sounds simple: Can Meta’s smart glasses become a mass-market product? The conversation quickly moves past the product itself to questions of trust in tech companies — whether a campaign fronted by Kylie Jenner can rehabilitate a brand many people have written off, and whether the success of tech products now depends as much on fashion as on innovation.

From there, the episode shifts to the airport theory trending on TikTok, which encourages travelers to arrive at the gate with almost no time to spare. What begins as a discussion of an internet trend gradually becomes something else, a conversation about our relationship with risk, how social media can nudge us into redefining what counts as normal behavior, and where we draw the line between trust and recklessness in everyday life.

What we liked: The podcast’s strength lies in its approach more than its subject matter. Episodes don’t feel like they're chasing trends — they aim to understand why a trend spreads and what it reveals about the culture. The obvious chemistry between Cornish and Shapiro keeps the conversation feeling spontaneous, while their journalistic instincts give it enough depth to prevent it from drifting into small talk. It makes you feel like part of the discussion, not an audience to a lecture.

Our verdict: There is no shortage of podcasts covering popular culture, but few manage to balance sharp analysis with an easy, unforced delivery. What sets this one apart is its instinct for dismantling why some phenomena spread and fade while others leave a lasting mark on how we live.

WHERE TO LISTEN- Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anghami.

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

🗓️ JULY

6-20 July (Monday-Monday): Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Book Fair.

7-24 July (Tuesday-Friday): Khayal Mareed Play at Theatro Arkan.

15-17 July (Wednesday-Friday): El Sahel El Sherir at Porto Theater, Marina El Alamein.

17 July (Friday): Tamer Ashour at Cocoon Beach, Sidi Abdel Rahman.

17 July (Friday): Al Shami and Mohamed Fadl Shaker at Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Al Alamein.

17 July (Friday): Cairo Runners 10k Race at North Square Mall, New Alamein.

18-19 July (Saturday-Sunday): The Stadium at Playa Strip by G Developments.

19 July (Sunday): World Cup Final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

21 July (Tuesday): Tablet El Sitt at Boom Room, Madinaty.

23 July (Thursday): July 23rd Revolution 1952.

23 July (Thursday): Honey Drop Vol.3 Ft. Disco Misr at Beachouse One, Seashell.

23 July (Thursday): Marwan Pablo & Lege-Cy at Porto Golf.

23 July (Thursday): Ahmed Hassan: The Special 1 at Teatro 90.

23 July (Thursday): Ali El Haggar at Sayed Darwish Theater, Alexandria.

24 July (Friday): Medhat Saleh at Premiere Show, Porto Golf.

24 July (Friday): Tamer Ashour at Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Al Alamein.

24 July (Friday): Ramy Sabry at Cocoon Beach, Sidi Abdel Rahman.

24 July (Friday): Ruby Sunset Live Concert at Amarai Beach.

24 July (Friday): Adriatique at the North Coast.

27 July (Monday): Saad El Oud at Open Air Theater, Cairo Opera House.

29 July (Wednesday): Ali El Haggar at El Sawy Culturewheel, Zamalek.

30 July (Thursday): Medhat Saleh at Sayed Darwish Theater, Alexandria.

31 July (Friday): Localine Vol.3: Sharmoofers at Masyaf, Ras El Hekma.

31 July (Friday): Reda El Bahrawy, Rahma Mohsen, and Ahmed Sheba at Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Al Alamein.

31 July (Friday): Shorelines Festival at Almaza Bay.

AUGUST

1 August (Saturday): El Leila El Kebeera at Theatro Arkan.

4 August (Tuesday): Amr Selim at Open Air Theater, Cairo Opera House.

6 August (Thursday): Amr Selim at Sayed Darwish Theater, Alexandria.

6 August (Thursday): Massar Egbari at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

6 August (Thursday): Deep House Bible at North Coast.

7 August (Friday): Ali El Haggar at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

7 August (Friday): Ismailia Mango Festival.

6-15 August (Thursday-Saturday): The Garden Market at Lakeyard, Hacienda Bay, North Coast.

7 August (Friday): Sherine at Porto Golf, Al Alamein City.

7 August (Friday): Cairokee Ft. Disco Misr at D-Bay, North Coast.

8 August (Saturday): Boosh Bshasha Stand-up Comedy Show at Teatro 90.

10-11 August (Monday-Tuesday): Mohamed Helmy Standup at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

14 August (Friday): Mohamed Ramadan at Porto Golf, Al Alamein City.

14 August (Friday): Nawal El Zoghby and Wael Jassar at Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Al Alamein.

16-17 August (Sunday-Monday): Omar Khairat at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

20 August (Thursday): Hisham Abbas at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

21 August (Friday): Black Coffee at Cubix North Coast.

21 August (Friday): Ruby and Rami Aiash at Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Al Alamein.

21 August (Friday): Autostrad at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

22 August (Saturday): Wust El Balad at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

23 August (Sunday): Autostrad at El Sawy Culturewheel, Zamalek.

25 August (Tuesday): Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday.

27 August (Thursday): Jadal at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

29 August (Saturday): Jadal at El Sawy Culturewheel, Nile University, Sheikh Zayed.

30 August (Sunday): Tamer Ashour at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

SEPTEMBER

26 September (Saturday): John Achkar’s Feena Nehke at Theatro Arkan.

OCTOBER

1-4 October (Thursday-Sunday): She Arts festival across Cairo and Alexandria.

6 October (Tuesday): Armed Forces Day.

15-23 October (Thursday-Friday): El Gouna Film Festival.

24 October (Saturday): Blue 25th Anniversary Tour at New Capital.

28-31 October (Wednesday-Saturday): Egypt’s Cheese Festival at Al Horreya Garden, Zamalek.

NOVEMBER

5 November (Thursday): Gala De Danza at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

11-20 November (Wednesday-Friday): Cairo International Film Festival.

19-28 November (Thursday-Saturday): Cairo Design Week.

28 November (Saturday): Shakira at the Pyramids of Giza.

DECEMBER

11-12 December (Friday-Saturday): TheMarakezPyramids Half Marathon at the Pyramids of Giza.

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