The back-to-school bill

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Interest rates held steady for the fourth consecutive time

☀️ Good morning, friends, and congratulations on making it to the weekend. We’re in for a few days of moderately warm weather — so if you’ve been looking forward to some outdoor activities, now’s the time — especially as we near the end of summer and the start of the school season.

Speaking of which: If you’re a parent, you already know what August means. Today, we’re introducing The Spend, our new Weekend Edition vertical that follows the money on the things you’re already buying — the market dynamics, the business models, and the economics behind what lands on your plate, in your wardrobe, and on your household budget. This week, we follow the money on Egypt’s back-to-school season: what parents are actually spending, how prices have changed, and why retailers treat August like a second Black Friday.

Elsewhere in today’s issue: Anne Hathaway’s new film, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness, a Chinese-Egyptian fusion restaurant in New Cairo doing something genuinely interesting with mombar, and more.

But first, your weekly recap…

🗞️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

ECONOMY-

The Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) moved to leave interest rates unchanged for the fourth consecutive time this year, according to a CBE statement, holding rates steady since its last 100 bps cut in February. This leaves the overnight deposit rate at 19.0% and the overnight lending rate at 20.0%, in line with analyst expectations. This follows the country’s annual urban inflation rate speeding up to 14.9% in July — its first acceleration since March, but well below a prediction of 15.6%.

AND- The country’s economy is proving more resilient than expected in the face of the US-Iran conflict, prompting the CBE to slightly raise its growth forecasts and lower its near-term inflation projections. The CBE now sees real GDP growth at 5% in FY 2025/26 and 4.9% in FY 2026/27, up 0.1 percentage points from its previous forecasts for both years, before growth accelerates to 5.4% in FY 2027/28.

BANKING-

Hassan Abdalla will lead the CBE for a fifth consecutive one-year mandate. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a presidential decree renewing Abdalla’s assignment as acting CBE governor for one year, effective from 18 August 2026 to 17 August 2027. Abdalla first took office on 18 August 2022; his assignment has been renewed annually since.

CAPITAL MARKETS-

Four names are graduating to the EGX30, while four drop out under the exchange’s newly overhauled index methodology. Misr Fertilizer Production (Mopco), Alexandria Containers and Goods (ACLN), Cleopatra Hospital, and Sidi Kreir Petrochemicals (Sidpec) will join the bourse’s benchmark index, effective Tuesday, 1 September, replacing Arabian Cement, Egyptian Chemical Industries (Kima), Oriental Weavers, and Orascom Investment Holding.

AND- The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) issued a new rulebook for short selling, five months after the regulator first laid out the rules in March. Brokerages already approved for short selling get one month from the decision’s effective date to have the tech ready. The decision will be published within days and is set to take effect the day after.

INDUSTRY-

The Industrial Development Authority (IDA) opened its first tender under the new lease-to-own system for industrial land on Saturday, offering 540 plots spanning more than 5.7 mn sqm across 20 industrial zones in 15 governorates. Investors have until 31 August to apply electronically through the Egypt Industrial Hub, with results promised 15 days later.

AND- The government is raising prices for plots allocated to investors while expanding payment and tenure options to include ownership, usufruct, and lease-to-own. The increases shown in the new tariff table are generally lower than the 10-250% hikes approved last September, while discounted pricing remains in place for unserviced plots and areas targeted for industrial investment.

ENERGY-

Egypt’s renewable energy buildout has new backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which aims to plug USD 192 mn into the 900 MW Shadwan wind farm owned by Norway’s Scatec. The EBRD’s senior debt financing will go toward the construction and operation of the facility based in Ras Shukeir on the Red Sea.

AND- The government is looking into adding at least two reactors to El Dabaa nuclear power plant, with expansion potentially reaching four additional units. The government will discuss the proposed expansion with Russian state-owned Rosatom over the first two proposed units, but no final investment decision, cost, or timeline have been announced.

IPO WATCH-

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation are reportedly circling a combined 10% stake in state-owned lender Banque du Caire’s (BdC) upcoming float. The two multilateral lenders are looking to buy into the planned IPO, which will wrap up in November. The tranche will be covered within a week of launch.

M&A-

E-finance says it bought an 8% stake in wealth management platform Wilzy for around EGP 100 mn (c. USD 2 mn). The move comes days after the EGX-listed fintech player announced its multi-bn EGP takeover of MSME lender Tamweely, buying out a consortium of international investors, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and British International Investment.

Decoding AI with Tarek Assaad: Past the doom and gloom, what the heck is actually going on with AI?

On this episode of Making It, Tarek Assaad, Managing Partner at Algebra Ventures, joins Patrick to decode the latest in AI.

This is an episode for both the novice and the pro, about what we should make of the recent technological breakthroughs, and what we’re yet to find out.

Listen to the episode on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anghami | YouTube

Sign up to our newsletter to get Making It in your inbox.

🌍 AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

This week’s headlines were dominated by the formal collapse of the US-Iran truce — the 60-day MoU expired Monday with no agreement, no extension, and US President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Oman — alongside fresh fighting across Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, and a surge in global sovereign borrowing costs. Here’s the rundown.

The 60-day US-Iran memorandum of understanding expired Monday with nothing to show for it. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had already slowed to a near halt over the preceding weekend — only five cargo ships transited on Saturday and none on Sunday — as both sides hardened positions ahead of the deadline. Trump ruled out any extension and threatened to strike Oman if the key mediator “gets in the way” of Washington’s plans to reopen the waterway.

Iran declared a “fully offensive” military posture and issued a fresh list of demands — lifting the naval blockade, releasing frozen assets, ending oil sanctions, and halting all military operations. Brent crossed USD 90 / bbl and WTI breached USD 85 / bbl in response. There’s still a thread of ambiguity: Trump said back-channel discussions with the IRGC are underway, while Iran and Oman were still working on a “shipping map” to regulate Hormuz traffic. Meanwhile transit fees remain unresolved, and two more Adnoc vessels were struck in the strait over the weekend. By Wednesday, Trump pulled the plug entirely.

ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION- Yemen’s Houthis struck Mokha port on the Red Sea with more than 25 missiles in recent days — killing seven, causing an estimated USD 16 mn in damage, and forcing a suspension of port operations. Israeli strikes on Gaza and Lebanon killed 11 people, including senior Hezbollah commander Abu Hassan Alaa, while Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner held back-to-back meetings with Hamas leadership in Egypt and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, pushing Washington’s 15-point Gaza peace plan — which the Israeli prime minister has already rejected.

MEANWHILE- Russia launched missiles on Kyiv early Sunday, sparking fires in at least two city districts, in retaliation for one of Ukraine’s largest-ever drone offensives. Moscow claimed more than 800 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight.

AND- A 7.7-magnitude earthquake in eastern Indonesia killed at least 51 people, displaced around 5k, and triggered more than 340 aftershocks.

IN THE BUSINESS PRESS- US national debt hit a record USD 40 tn, rising USD 3 tn in a year, the fastest pace outside the pandemic. Sovereign borrowing costs are surging globally, with 30-year US Treasury yields hitting their highest levels since 2007, driven by Washington’s Iran campaign and tariff volatility — France, Germany, the UK, and Japan all recording sharp rises. Nvidia disclosed a USD 21 bn stake in SpaceX, now worth around USD 17 bn after the post-IPO slide. In addition, Stripe agreed to acquire AI model marketplace OpenRouter for over USD 7 bn, and China’s Unitree, the world’s largest humanoid robot maker by sales, debuted on the Shanghai exchange with shares climbing more than 600%.

The EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum is back — and we’re devoting the full day to the singular set of questions on everyone’s mind: What does AI actually mean for your company, your people, your economy, your own job — and your kids’ future?

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.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-

The warm weather continues this weekend, with sunny highs of 36°C in Cairo today and tomorrow. Overnight temperatures dip to 24°C today and tomorrow. Up North, it’s similarly sunny but milder, with the mercury reaching 31°C today before dropping to a clear 23°C overnight. Tomorrow brings a similar high of 32°C and a low of 24°C, according to our favorite weather app.

🎤 HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-

Up for another summer comedy play? Rising comedy star Mostafa Gharieb takes the lead in Leila Assal, a comedy-packed production showing at Sheikh Zayed’s Theatro Arkan across two consecutive weekends — tonight and tomorrow, Saturday, 21 August, and Thursday, 27 August to Saturday, 29 August. Joining him on stage will be fellow comedy stars Donia Sami, Rahma Ahmed Farag, Ismail Fargaly, and Aly Sobhy. The play starts at 8pm, with tickets available on TicketsMarché.

Feel like heading to Alexandria? Alt band Wust El Balad is heading to the coast tomorrow to perform at Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Open Air Theater as part of the venue’s summer festival. Jamming to the band’s songs against the Mediterranean breeze and backdrop is an experience we’d think you wouldn’t want to miss. The concert starts at 8:30pm — you can get tickets through Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s website.

Revive Heritage Week by Revive Heritage & Arts returns this year from Saturday, 22 August to Wednesday, 26 August, celebrating cultural and architectural preservation across Cairo and Giza, and bridging heritage with contemporary culture. This year’s theme follows “Invisible Layers, untold stories,” and brings together a network of Egyptian cultural and academic institutions, initiatives, and programs for a line-up of workshops, talks, tours, and cultural experiences. Registration for workshops and further information is available through this link.

Back-to-school in Egypt: what the season costs parents and what it’s worth to retailers

🎒 Lunch box? Check. Glitter pens? Check. A4 notebooks with the latest Marvel craze? Double check. Every year come August, parents across Egypt find themselves overwhelmed with a smorgasbord of school-supply requirements that put the average grocery list to shame. Trips to Samir & Aly, uniform vendors, and online escapades across a slew of back-to-school landing pages on any and all e-commerce sites soon follow.

The back-to-school season is an annual ritual — but not just. For parents, the season brings significant expenditure; for vendors and retailers, it yields gains that rival Black Friday. So, how much exactly are Egyptian parents spending, how have prices changed, and why does the season impact retailers?

💡 EnterpriseAM Weekend’s The Spend: You already know where to eat, what to wear, and where to stay. The Spend tells you what’s behind all of it — the market dynamics, the business models, and the economics that determine what lands on your plate, in your wardrobe, and on your household budget. This week, we follow the money on Egypt’s most commercially loaded back-to-school season yet.

It’s a global market worth hundreds of bns

Back-to-school is one of the most commercially reliable spending seasons on the global retail calendar. In 2025, the market was valued at some USD 216 bn — projected to reach c. USD 334.4 by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 4.84%, according to an Imarc report. Uniforms, bags, and shoes accounted for the largest share of spend, followed by stationery and electronics. In the US, families planned USD 860 per child in 2025, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

In Egypt, households have been allocating around 36.8% of annual income to school fees as of 2024: 28.3% on private tutoring, 11.8% on books and supplies, 9.6% on transport, 7.2% on uniforms, and 4.4% on related miscellaneous costs. The July 2026 Capmas CPI report puts annual education inflation at 20% on a national basis — meaning the cost of education across all categories is one-fifth higher than it was in July 2025. Primary education saw the biggest increase at 22%.

Tuition fees alone are stretching budgets thin: Private and international schools have put forth increases of 30-40% for the 2026/27 academic year — before the education Ministry set the ceiling, as we previously reported. The result? Parents are actively hunting markdown fairs for lower supply prices.

The retail window

Black Friday tomorrow, back-to-school today: Egypt’s e-commerce platforms have long — and particularly as of late — identified the season as the major commercial window it is. In September 2025, Amazon Egypt’s ad awareness rose 7.9 percentage points in a single month, according to the YouGov BrandIndex — the largest jump of any brand tracked by the index. The drive? Its back-to-school campaign. The season generates advertising investment comparable to Ramadan or the November sales period.

The campaigns are already in motion for this year’s back-to-school season. Amazon Egypt is kicking off its 2026 sale on 24 August, offering significant markdowns across the category. Jumia already went live, with price cuts of up to 40% on stationery, lunch boxes, and undergarments and basic fashion. Carrefour — online and offline — is also running cuts of up to 70% on its school-related products. That’s just to name a few. Parents want the best for the least, and the retailers know it (even if, in most cases, psychological pricing comes into play).

Egypt’s e-commerce market is worth an estimated c. USD 11.5 bn in 2026, projected to jump to USD 20.15 bn in 2031, according to a market analysis by Mordor Intelligence. Amazon leads the charge, with Jumia not far behind. Back-to-school is one of the few moments in the year when that market sees concentrated and predictable demand, the kind that justifies dedicated landing pages, significant campaign budgets, and promotional coordination with brands.

How Amazon handles the season

“Back-to-school is one of our fastest-growing campaigns on Amazon.eg and ranks among our top five shopping moments, alongside Ramadan and White Friday. What sets it apart, though, is the cultural and emotional connection with Egyptian families,” Omar El Sahy (LinkedIn), Amazon Egypt general manager, tells EnterpriseAM. “What we focus on is making sure Amazon.eg has the right selection, the right value, and the convenience to take the pressure off families when it matters most,” El Sahy adds.

During the season, the categories that drive the most volume on Amazon Egypt, naturally, include stationery, but demand for other categories has been expanding over the years as well, including Electronics, clothing, and home office furniture, El Sahy tells us. “The shopping mission has become holistic,” El Sahy tells us, and so Amazon became a one-stop shop for the season.

“We have seen year-on-year increases in both search and purchase activity. Parents are starting their shopping earlier, exploring broader categories, and coming back because the experience delivers; the selection is there, the value is real, and flexible payment options make it accessible,” El Sahy says. And with the launch of Amazon now, that shopping experience can be made even easier, he adds.

Ahead of the back-to-school season, Amazon provides training programs for vendors, account management support, advertising tools, and more fulfilment solutions to keep up with the demand. “The result is a curated experience where both local and international brands show up with meaningful savings, whether it is up to 60% off school bags from Adidas and Puma, or up to 50% on stationery from Samir and Aly,” El Sahy says.

Consumer behavior is changing, and Amazon plans around it: “What is happening is people making very deliberate choices; comparing options, reading reviews, looking for the right [bargain]. Some buy a more affordable brand in one category so they can invest more in another. The key is giving them the information to make those tradeoffs confidently: price, selection, and convenience,” El Sahy adds. That, in his view, is what makes the real difference when budgeting for several kids for the year ahead.

Back-to-school preparation on Amazon.eg now mirrors the advance planning sellers put into Ramadan. Sellers — both local and international brands — begin stocking up and aligning their catalogues weeks ahead of the season, with more experienced operators drawing on prior-year data to anticipate demand. Electronics, stationery, school bags, uniforms, and household essentials all see early inventory build-up, and sellers who prepare in advance consistently outperform those who don’t.

Participation from Egyptian sellers has grown, with local brands that are traditionally anchored in physical retail moving online to extend their reach, El Sahy tells us, a move supported and encouraged by Amazon.

Beyond the online storefronts, for many Egyptians, the offline market remains the way to go. Prime amongst these offline markets is El Faggala, which has become Egypt’s premier destination for wholesale school supplies (watch, runtime: 6:21). The government also has its own annual fair in place — Ahlan Madares — offering supplies at below-market prices.

…But the spend isn’t all monetary

While supplies and uniforms are indeed a time-sensitive priority, making sure your children are mentally prepared to take on the new year is just as pivotal. From checking in on your children and asking the right questions to dealing with bullying and establishing trust, our Enterprise Guide to your child’s first week back in school provides answers to questions that should be on your radar.

The End of Oak Street explores the human psyche in the face of unfathomable disaster

🎥 Fear and survival take center stage in The End of Oak Street. In his new film, American writer-director David Robert Mitchell shifts away from extraordinary characters and conventional horror tropes, focusing instead on ordinary people thrust into a sudden clash with the unknown. Mitchell deftly embeds dread in the rhythm of daily life, crafting a portrait of familial dysfunction and reconciliation through simple human details without relying on heavy-handed exposition or empty visual effects.

The plot: Set in the 1980s, the Pratt family lives in a quiet suburban neighborhood that’s suddenly ripped from its reality by a mysterious cosmic event and transported into an unfamiliar world with no clear rules. Basic survival becomes a precarious ordeal, especially as predators invade their familiar routine and turn everyday existence into a gauntlet of volatile surprises. As the family navigates a dual struggle for survival and a way back home, external threats test the bonds between husband and wife, as well as parents and children, turning their house into a temporary sanctuary in an unpredictable world.

What we liked: The strength of the film lies in its calm, assured writing, which allows a massive sci-fi premise to enter the narrative without eclipsing the emotional weight of its characters. Dinosaurs and cosmic turmoil are not treated as mere spectacle; instead, they serve as catalyst points directly shaping character choices and relationship arcs, ultimately forcing the family to rediscover the core of their bond through shared peril.

The film successfully builds grounded, relatable characters burdened with real human flaws and everyday anxieties. As a result, their survival instincts feel genuine and resonant, born out of raw fear and affection rather than artificial tropes or melodramatic beats. Anne Hathaway delivers one of her most mature, commanding performances to date, imbuing the matriarch with a blend of vulnerability and crisis-tested strength. Ewan McGregor offers a steady, nuanced portrayal of a father striving to protect his family under pressure, while Maisy Stella adds an authentic layer of emotional complexity that captures the friction and growth within her generation.

Our verdict: The film avoids leaning on sci-fi gimmicks or hollow disaster tropes, opting instead to use chaos as a lens to unpack human emotion. Through this approach, Mitchell delivers a deeply human film that blends suspense and dread with themes of sacrifice and resilience under pressure.

WHERE TO WATCH- Catch the film at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and City Center Alexandria. The film is also screening at Stars Cinema (City Stars), Scene Cinema (Cairo Festival City and District 5), and Premiere Cinemas (Cima Arkan and P90). Watch the trailer on YouTube (Watch, runtime: 2:22).

Fooled by Randomness explains the fine line between skill and serendipity

📚 How much of your success is actually yours? It’s an uncomfortable question, particularly in a world that loves a success story — preferably one with a tidy beginning, middle, and triumphant end. In Fooled by Randomness, Nassim Nicholas Taleb asks us to consider a less flattering possibility: sometimes what looks like skill is simply luck wearing a very convincing suit.

The premise: Taleb makes a deceptively simple argument: humans are remarkably bad at recognizing the role randomness plays in our lives, particularly when the outcome is flattering. A trader makes a fortune, and we call them brilliant; another loses everything, and we call them reckless. But what if both were simply playing a game in which chance had more to say than either would like to admit?

Through ideas like survivorship bias and his “Lucky Fool” theory, Taleb dismantles our tendency to construct neat explanations after the fact. The survivors become our experts; their successes become evidence of their abilities, and the countless people who made the same decisions and failed quietly disappear from the story.

What we liked: Taleb’s greatest strength is making an abstract problem feel personal. His examples — particularly his thought experiment involving Russian roulette — expose how easily we confuse a favorable outcome for a sound decision. For investors, founders, executives, or, frankly, anyone who has ever congratulated themselves on being “good at something,” the book is a useful exercise in intellectual humility.

What we didn’t like: The book can, however, be a demanding read. Taleb has little interest in making his arguments cozy, and the book occasionally wanders into philosophical territory that feels heavier than necessary. Still, that friction is part of its appeal.

The verdict: This is a book about becoming better at recognizing when luck was already doing the heavy lifting. Its most valuable lesson is perhaps the simplest: judge decisions by their process, not merely by their outcomes. In business, and in life, that distinction can be the difference between learning from a victory and being fooled by it.

WHERE TO FIND IT- Fooled by Randomness is available in Diwan and on Amazon, and you can get the ebook on Kobo.

New Cairo’s Octoba puts an Asian spin on Egyptian comfort food

🍴 Egyptian and Asian cuisines might not seem like obvious bedfellows, but Octoba is wagering on that with a new fusion concept. Owned by the chefs behind Peking, the restaurant combines Egyptian-inspired dishes with distinctly Asian flavors, all served in a cozy space with particularly attentive service.

First impressions were strong. The indoor space is intimate, with lighting that gives it a warm, cozy feel, while the more spacious outdoor seating offers an alternative for anyone who prefers dining al fresco. The service was another early standout. The team was warm, patient, and more than happy to walk us through the menu, explain the Egyptian-Asian fusion concept, and make recommendations. Dishes also arrived remarkably fast, with everything hitting the table within 10 minutes.

What we liked: The MomShang, essentially mombar with a kung pao-inspired sauce, was easily one of the night’s highlights. The combination of the mombar’s familiar savory flavors with the sauce’s sweet-and-spicy profile worked beautifully, although spice-sensitive diners may want to proceed with caution. The Tansukia, or sweet and sour chicken, was another standout. Instead of the irregular, heavily fried chicken pieces typical of fast-food versions, Octoba serves cubes of high-quality chicken breasts wrapped in a crisp panko coating. Walnuts and carrots add texture, while a creamy, nut-based porridge underneath gives the dish an Egyptian twist.

The MianTuta XiaXia shrimp noodles were simpler but still well executed. The handmade noodles, fresh shrimp, vegetables, and mushrooms made for a solid dish, even if it didn’t steal the show. The Han Beef Dumplings were perhaps the least convincing dish. While the filling was flavorful and the sweet-vinegary soy dipping sauce paired nicely with it, the wrappers were noticeably thick and chewy. The beef itself also leaned toward Egyptian kofta-style seasoning, which felt slightly at odds with the dumpling format, but it was delicious all the same.

The downside: The fusion didn’t always land. The biggest issue isn’t that Octoba plays with familiar flavors — it’s that some of the combinations work much better than others. The creamy nut sauce accompanying the sweet and sour chicken was texturally interesting but lacked much of the flavor promised in its description. The Cinnamon Piña Colada also divided opinion. While creamy and freshly made, it was noticeably sweeter than expected, with the cinnamon adding a slightly medicinal note.

Our verdict: Octoba is at its best when it embraces the weirdness of its premise. Several dishes are proof that Egyptian and Asian flavors can work surprisingly well together, while others show that familiar mall favorites can be given a more elevated treatment. If you’re looking for a midweek excuse to linger, Octoba also hosts its weekly Hungry Ghost Table every Wednesday, featuring a tapas-style spread and unlimited drinks until 11pm, a nice option for anyone looking to turn their dinner into more of a night out.

WHERE TO FIND IT- Octoba is located at Eastlane Mall in New Cairo.

💵 Per person: EGP 700-1k

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: Yes

🦽 Accessibility friendly: No

Behind the Bastards is a deep dive into history’s villains — and its two-part series on Palestine is some of its best work

👂 Our endless fascination with history’s bad guys has found yet another home in the podcast world: iHeartPodcasts’ Behind the Bastards. Hosted by journalist Robert Evans, the podcast dives deep into modern and historical villains, exposing the bizarre lives they led and tracing their villain arcs — from poster villains like Hitler to lesser-known figures and groups that have left their mark on history.

What to expect: Mirroring the sheer expansiveness of history itself, Behind the Bastards is not exactly an on-the-go listen. Episodes can run for an hour or more, often stretching across multiple parts and packing in plenty of research. Evans does much of the digging himself, while also inviting experts and academics to add insight and more context to the stories. The podcast also has a separate It Could Happen Here weekly series, where Evans takes on more current affairs with experts in hefty 3-4-hour episodes.

The origins of terror in Palestine: Two episodes take a long look at a less-trodden part of Palestine’s history: the rise of militant groups and the breakdown of communities in the Holy Land. Part one unpacks the nuanced history of Jews in Palestine and the development of Zionism from the 1880s through the Nakba in 1948. Speaking with academic and Palestinian and Arab politics researcher Dr. Dana Al Kurd, he highlights the context of the Ottoman Empire, which shaped much of the inherent differences between Palestinians of all religions and European Jewish immigrants — mainly a nationalist tension, not a religious one. They also discuss the longstanding presence of Arab and Sephardic Jews in Palestine before the major waves of European immigration associated with the Zionist movement.

Part two traces the emergence of anti-Zionism among Palestinian and Arab leaders as both Palestinian and Zionist defensive and offensive organizations start to form. Overall, the two-part series digs into the deeper political conditions that produced decades of violence and armed struggle in Palestine. It leaves very little untouched in Palestine’s complicated political history, touching on nationalism, displacement, resistance, the failure of diplomatic solutions, and much more.

What we liked: The episode is a true history crash course. Evans draws on different historical accounts and perspectives to paint as comprehensive a picture as possible. He’s an engaging and lively narrator with enough personality to chime in with funny or sarcastic comments and his own informed takes. Although Evans carries most of the episode, Al Kurd’s commentary comes in at pivotal moments, adding another perspective and giving the show a more conversational tone.

The verdict: Behind the Bastards is for anyone curious about the darker corners of history. The episodes are immersive and packed with information, accounts, and details, opening up deeper, often overlooked stories behind some of the world’s worst figures. It’s perfect for when you want to settle in for a couple of hours with a fascinating, often eye-opening story in your ears.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can tune in on Apple Podcasts | Anghami | iHeart | Spotify.

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

🗓️ AUGUST

1 August - September 15 (Saturday-Tuesday): El Alamein Book Fair.

15-24 August (Saturday-Monday): The International Citadel Festival for Music at Saleh El Din Citadel.

20-29 August (Thursday-Saturday): Leila Assal at Theatro Arkan.

20-26 August (Thursday-Wednesday): I Want a Pet Dinosaur at Rawabet Art Space.

21 August (Friday): Ain Gamal at Al Anfoshy Cultural Palace, Alexandria.

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

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

21 August (Friday): Autostrad at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

22 August (Saturday): Esseily at O by Michel Fadel, Marassi.

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

22 August (Saturday): Athar Lina Al-Sultan Hassan Treasure Hunt at the Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrasa.

22-26 August (Saturday-Wednesday): Revive Heritage Week.

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

23 August (Sunday): Ali El Haggar at Mahka Theatre, Salah El Din Citadel.

24 August (Monday): Medhat Saleh, Amr Selim, and Nesma Abdel Aziz at Mahka Theatre, Salah El Din Citadel.

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

26 August (Wednesday): Ghostly Kisses album release event at CJC 610.

27 August (Thursday): Jadal at Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

28 August (Friday): Ramy Sabry at Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Al Alamein.

28 August (Friday): Hamaki at Porto Grande New Alamein.

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

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

SEPTEMBER

4 September (Friday): Ehab Tawfik at Premiere Show, Golf Porto.

4 September (Friday): Abyusif and Shehab at Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria.

4 September (Friday): The High Five: In & Out Vol.3 at Al Anfoushy Cultural Palace, Alexandria.

6-9 September (Sunday-Wednesday): Khayal Mareed at Theatro Arkan.

10 September (Thursday): Adonis at Teatro 90.

11 September (Friday): Ahmed Hassan at El Anfoushy Cultural Palace.

10-14 September (Saturday-Monday): MedFest Egypt at AUC Tahrir Square.

18 September (Friday): Aida El Ayoubi at Ewart Memorial Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

22 September (Tuesday): Shawn Chidiac at CJC 610.

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.

17 October (Saturday): Konnect Summit at The Greek Campus, El Tahrir St.

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.

2-7 November (Monday-Saturday): Barbara O’Neill Wellness Journey at Sheraton Miramar Resort, El Gouna.

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

13-14 November (Friday-Saturday): Max Amini at St. Regis, New Capital.

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

21 November (Saturday): El Gouna Half Marathon.

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

DECEMBER

4 December (Friday): Ghostly Kisses at Zed Park, Sheikh Zayed.

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

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