Why more Egyptian hotels are going green every year

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Monetary Policy Committee leaves key policy rates unchanged

☀️ Good morning, friends, and happy weekend. It’s been a busy week in the news, and we have the full round-up below. But first, here’s what we have in store for you today:

The Spend this month goes behind the scenes of Egypt’s hospitality industry: how the country’s green certification system works, what hotels actually have to do to earn and keep their stars, and whether any of it translates into something tangible for the business, for the guest, and for the environment.

Elsewhere in today’s issue: a World War II film that comes at D-Day from an angle we haven’t seen before, following the Scottish meteorologist whose weather forecasts determined whether the Allied landings got the go-ahead.

With less than 60 days to GTA VI, we’re revisiting Red Dead Redemption, the one Rockstar title that has nothing to do with cars and everything to do with whether a man can outrun his past. We also have a Lebanese restaurant, a linguistics podcast that spends a single episode on a single word, and everything that happened in the world this week.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in…

🗞️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

ECONOMY-

For the fifth consecutive time this year, the Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) Monetary Policy Committee left interest rates unchanged at its meeting yesterday, according to a CBE statement. This, once again, leaves the overnight deposit rate at 19.0% and the overnight lending rate at 20.0%, in line with analyst expectations, despite consensus cracking this time around, with HC Securities’ Heba Monir having anticipated a hike.

This comes after August urban inflation unexpectedly slowed to 14.5%, undershooting the 15.5% Reuters consensus of 17 analysts, the CBE’s own guidance of a 3Q pickup, and an EFG Hermes 15.8% projection.

EGX-

Another 6.5% of Gourmet changed hands just seven months after its blockbuster IPO, with B Investments Holding selling 26 mn shares for EGP 416.2 mn, cutting its stake in the premium grocer to 33.5%. The sale prices the shares at EGP 16 apiece, more than double Gourmet’s EGP 6.90 final IPO price, and takes B Investments below the 40% stake it came out of the listing with.

ALSO- Local steelmaker Metad Helwan for Metal Rolling is eyeing an EGP 1 bn IPO on the EGX in 2H 2027, with plans to offer a 15-30% stake. The company is still studying the transaction and has yet to appoint a financial adviser or bookrunner. Taken at face value, the targeted proceeds and stake range imply a valuation of anywhere between EGP 3.3 bn and EGP 6.7 bn.

BANKING-

The African Export-Import Bank is planning to connect its Pan-African Payment and Settlement System to Egypt’s InstaPay app, and six local banks have already applied to the Central Bank of Egypt for final integration approval. The link-up would let Egyptian traders settle with African counterparts in local currencies rather than relying on USD, cutting the cost and time it currently takes to route a payment through a correspondent bank. We dive into what that means, how it works, and what’s in it for Egypt here.

INVESTMENT-

Alam Al Roum is moving toward investment-zone status after the Madbouly cabinet approved a draft prime minister’s decree last week to designate the 4.9k-feddan Qatari Diar development as an investment zone. The zone runs along the Alexandria-Matrouh coastal road in Matrouh Governorate and will accommodate residential, tourism, commercial, administrative, and service activities.

TOURISM-

EgyptAir was named the World’s Most Improved Airline at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, ranking first globally ahead of Air India, Royal Jordanian, and American Airlines. The airline also jumped 22 spots in Skytrax’s global Top 100 rankings, climbing from 68th to 46th, its first-ever placement inside the world’s top 50.

REAL ESTATE-

Nawy Shares and CI Capital Asset Management (Ciam) signed an agreement to set up and manage real estate investment funds. First subscriptions are targeted for early next year, pending regulatory approvals. The proposed funds would invest in projects under development and completed income-generating assets, with the option to structure individual issuances around specific projects.

AND- Talaat Moustafa Group’s (TMG) Saudi arm inked a preliminary agreement with Roshn Group, a subsidiary of KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), to develop a mixed-use project in Riyadh. The proposed joint venture — 51% owned by TMG — is exploring a 55k-home development in the Saudi capital, alongside retail, offices, hotels, entertainment, healthcare, education, parks, and public spaces. No timeline, project value, or plot size details were given.

STARTUPS-

Cairo-born fintech Paymob landed a USD 35 mn pre-Series C round co-led by Abu Dhabi sovereign investor Mubadala and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

M&A WATCH-

E-finance received shareholders’ approval to buy 99.32% of MSME lender Tamweely Financial Services at an extraordinary general meeting late last week. E-finance will raise its capital by about EGP 73 mn to EGP 1.81 bn by issuing 146.1 mn new shares, all of them going to Turin Egypt, Tamweely’s principal shareholder, which ends up with about 4.04% of the enlarged company.

Inside the NBFI firestorm with Hazem Moussa: For a few months, alarms have sounded across the board, cautioning of an impending credit bubble. Are they warranted?

On this episode of Making It, Hazem Moussa, co-founder of Contact Financial Holding, joins Patrick to break down how a bubble in the credit industry actually forms, what regulators should watch out for, the risks on both sides, and the responsibility that lies on the client side — us, the consumers.

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

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🌍 AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

This week’s headlines were dominated by a German governing party’s historic collapse and Trump’s escalating war with the press — all playing out against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly in New York. Here’s the rundown.

The UN General Assembly delivered the week’s most significant diplomatic development: a three-hour meeting between US and Iranian envoys — the first direct contact since June — which US President Donald Trump characterized as productive despite his repeated threats to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic. Iran made an offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days conditional on the US scaling back military pressure and lifting its blockade on Iranian ports. The economic squeeze tightened further: US Treasury Secretary Bessent announced all Iranian airlines would be shut down worldwide from Wednesday, with Oman, Azerbaijan, and Iraq all moving to ban Iranian flights within hours. A G7 joint statement separately called on Tehran to end its arming of the Houthis in Yemen.

IN POLITICS- Germany’s governing coalition took a historic blow: Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union failed to clear the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — its worst regional result in post-war Germany — with Merz calling it a “disaster” while vowing to stay in office.

AND- The Trump administration moved to sanction the International Criminal Court — prohibiting most transactions with the institution after a six-to-seven-month grace period — in retaliation for its arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

IN WASHINGTON- CNN, Politico, and MS Now sued the Trump administration over the revocation of press credentials without notice or due process as major networks — ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC — announced a halt to video coverage of the president. Trump responded by launching Trump TV, a White House-run 24/7 livestream. Trump also announced the creation of AI Force, a new military unit dedicated to AI, as a bipartisan congressional bill requiring an AI “kill switch” for rogue systems stalled shortly after introduction.

Speaking of AI, an OpenAI agent breached an Australian government health portal in June — with the startup acknowledging unintended actions affecting multiple government websites, though finding no evidence of patient records accessed — adding to the week’s mounting AI safety concerns.

IN TRADE- The US and China extended their trade war truce by two months to 10 January as President Xi Jinping arrived in the US for his first stateside visit in 11 years. The one-year arrangement buys both sides more time to negotiate a longer-term settlement.

IN THE BUSINESS PRESS- The US and Denmark settled their Greenland standoff with a pact barring rival states from establishing a military presence on the island — Trump claimed it gives Washington “permanent control,” while Copenhagen and Nuuk said sovereignty is unchanged. The Trump administration is now reportedly looking to open two military bases in Greenland as part of a trilateral agreement with Denmark and the Greenlandic government.

We’re honored to have Ahmed Ali Abdelrahman join us as a guest speaker at the 2026 EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum — the AI edition.

Ahmed Ali Abdelrahman is a private equity and investment banking executive with over 30 years of experience across Egypt and the GCC, with a track record spanning deal origination, IPO and M&A execution, and building direct-investment platforms from the ground up. He currently serves as Managing Director and CEO of Post For Investment (PFI), where he oversees a c. EGP 17 bn (USD 340 mn) direct-investment portfolio and structured the firm’s first landmark exit in 2024. Previously, as Group Deputy CEO and CIO of Beltone Financial, he launched three new lending verticals, building an aggregate portfolio of EGP 2 bn within three years.

Join us on 5 October in Cairo. Attendance is by invitation only, and we're close to full capacity.

Request your invitation here.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-

We’re in for even cooler weather this weekend, with temperatures peaking at 32°C before dropping to 21°C overnight. Tomorrow will bring less humidity, with a high of just 31°C and a low of 22°C, according to our favorite weather app.

🎤 HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-

Care for a magical musical evening? Omar Khairat is heading to El Sawy Culture Wheel at Nile University in Sheikh Zayed tonight at 8pm for an evening of his iconic piano arrangements. You can get tickets through El Sawy Culture Wheel’s website.

Ever wondered what happens to a donated piece of clothing that’s deemed unsuitable for reuse? The Egyptian Clothing Bank is inviting you to its sustainable design experience, From Waste to Good Taste (FWGT), as it returns for its fourth year at The Factory, Al Nabrawi, Downtown Cairo today and tomorrow. The exhibition transforms the ECB’s donated waste — from garment to scrap — into a curated material system, sorted by color, texture, and pattern, tracing each piece’s journey from repair to distribution.

The event also features curated art installations, hands-on workshops, a shopping floor from Almah, and more. FWGT kicks off at 3pm on Friday and 1pm on Saturday, running until 11pm on both days. You can book your tickets here.

Lebanese comedy sensation John Achkar is landing in Egypt tomorrow as part of his ongoing global tour: Feena Nehke? The stand-up comedian is taking the stage at Theatro Arkan with a more personal Arabic-language special. Tickets are available on TicketsMarché — you can get tickets for the early show kicking off at 6:30pm here and the late show at 9:30pm here.

Diwan is celebrating the Palestinian literary icon Mahmoud Darwish on his specially dedicated Poetry Day established by the Institut du Monde Arabe, with an event at their Heliopolis branch. Happening tomorrow, 7-9pm, expect a rich discussion on how the poet’s words continue to resonate across different times, cultures, and geographies.

🎤 HAPPENING NEXT WEEKEND-

Please, sir, we want some more. Fabrica Musical Theatre’s Oliver is back for season 3, bringing the beloved Dickensian musical in Arabic back to Teatro 90 in New Cairo for three consecutive nights from Thursday, 1 October to Saturday, 3 October for another round of big songs, big personalities, and plenty of Victorian-era drama. Whether you’re a longtime fan or meeting young Oliver Twist for the first time, expect a theatrical evening packed with mayhem and musical numbers you’ll be humming long after the curtain falls. The show begins at 8pm — tickets are available through TicketsMarché.

The business case for hotel eco-certifications in Egypt

🛎️🌳 Sustainable hospitality has become a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of strategy for hotels and resorts — an obvious upside for more eco-friendly operations, but also an increasingly valuable marketing advantage for driving guest loyalty and attracting business.

💡 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 look at what it actually takes for Egypt’s hotels and resorts to go green and what that’s worth.

Let’s look at the numbers: Some 36% of travelers say they choose eco-certified accommodations, according to a 2026 report from Booking.com, and 41% say clearer communication around sustainable choices would make them more likely to choose a sustainable option. The report also shows that 83% of travelers believe sustainable travel is essential. In 2025 alone, more than 100 mn rooms globally were booked at eco-certified properties, with the supply for sustainable stays growing y-o-y by 22% on the platform.

While individual travelers increasingly seek sustainable stays, global distribution markets are turning certifications into a baseline expectation. “Now, tour operators worldwide, like TUI, for example, this is a big name, request from hotels that they be certified as a Green Hotel. This incentivizes hotels to take the certificate so that they can [accomplish] resource efficiency and reduction, in addition to making more savings,” Green Star Hotel (GSH) Program Manager Ahmed Khaled (LinkedIn) tells EnterpriseAM.

That being the case, Green Star ratings can be an invaluable asset for hospitality businesses. A sustainability or green certificate provides a clear indication of credible practices and sustainable performance. It is “something tangible, visible and measurable,” according to leading French hospitality company Accor, helping build trust and improve demand.

While Egypt’s primary tourism governance framework — Law No. 8 of 2022 on Hotel and Tourism Establishments — sets baseline requirements around areas like health, safety, civil defense, and environmental impact for licensing, Green Star ratings have become an increasingly important business consideration. So, where do Egypt’s hotels stand?

Getting certified is cheaper than most hotels think

In Om El Donia, the Tourism Ministry, in collaboration with the Egyptian Hotel Association, promotes the GSH program, Egypt’s national certification framework for sustainable hospitality. But as European ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) requirements increasingly shape the expectations of international businesses and tourism partners, sustainability credentials can carry weight well beyond our borders.

For Egyptian resorts and hotels looking to maintain relationships with European institutional tour operators, a GSH certification can serve as a valuable signal of their eco-friendly standards — and a useful mark of credibility in a sustainability-conscious market.

We’re doing quite well on that front: The GSH currently awards Green Stars to 200+ hospitality companies across Egypt, with a significant concentration in El Gouna and Hurghada. Some hotels also hold dual accreditation from other sustainability programs, including Travelife, Green Globe, EarthCheck, and Green Key.

What are the criteria for being under GSH? The core standards are 11, including:

Energy management: transition to LED lighting, automated HVAC controls, and regular equipment servicing;
Water conservation: smart sub-metering, low-flow fixtures, and graywater treatment for landscaping;
Waste reduction & recycling: on-site waste sorting, composting, and single-use plastic elimination;
Health, safety, & occupational welfare: emergency response systems and staff protective measures;
Social responsibility: community engagement, charitable partnerships, and local hiring priorities;
Environmental impact assessment: continuous monitoring and guest/employee awareness campaigns;
Sustainable human resource management (SHRM): embedding sustainability into job descriptions, hiring, training, performance appraisals, and rewards.

“Under each one of these criteria, there are sub-criteria. Some are mandatory, others are optional for a hotel to obtain our certificate. In addition, a hotel can take at least 30 points from the optional criteria to be able to reach the 3 Green Stars, which is the lowest level,” Khaled explains.

Certification also comes in different levels, depending on the level of compliance with GSH and ESG criteria. Silver status, or 3 Green Stars, recognizes hotels that apply fundamental environmental standards alongside good performance; Gold status, or 4 Green Stars, indicates an advanced level of compliance with sustainable tourism standards, and Diamond status, 5 Green Stars, is awarded to hotels that actively comply with all standards and are innovators within the field of sustainability.

The global payoff: Obtaining a Green Star certificate aligns businesses with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) — which recognizes GSH — a connection that can make way for greater international visibility and support their positioning with partners and travelers.

Achieving certification doesn’t require an immediate significant upfront investment; instead, the financial reality of compliance allows for flexibility. “The cost depends on what the hotel wants to invest in and how much. There are things that are low-cost actions, which a hotel can reach 3 stars with. But if a hotel wants to reach 5 stars, it can invest up to mns, through the installation of solar panels, solar water heaters, and so on,” Khaled explains.

This is also the case around the world: In Malta, eco certification criteria — supported by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council — require little to no investment for some measures such as creating a sustainability policy, setting environmental goals, appointing an ECO coordinator, attending training seminars, and informing guests about the hotel’s environmental management program.

What’s the ROI — for the bottom line, brand, and employees?

Besides the marketing edge, does adopting sustainability practices actually bear fruit for businesses? Yes — and some of the returns can come within just a few years. In the US, a study by Just Capital found that companies that outperform their competitors in environmental performance see a 3% higher median return on equity than their peers.

Prioritizing efficiency can also cut costs. While some certification criteria require varying levels of financial investment, many of these measures eventually pay for themselves over time. Small investments in LED lighting, motion-sensor controls, and automated energy management systems, for example, can reduce operating costs, while larger upgrades like improved insulation, smart HVAC systems, and renewable energy sources can deliver longer-term efficiency gains.

Energy management can generate average savings of up to 20% as a start, while water conservation can deliver savings of 20 to 25%, according to Khaled. For guests, these operational savings can help keep booking prices competitive — a plus for travelers who are already after businesses that prioritize energy efficiency.

A resort in Sharm El Sheikh, as cited by OSS Middle East Certification, offers a more concrete example of this in practice: Within five months of implementing GSH standards and working toward a green certification, it cut energy consumption by 18% and water consumption by 20%, thanks to measures like graywater recycling and LED retrofits. The resort also saw customer ratings on booking sites rise by 0.7 points, while its summer bookings increased by 12%.

Employees are part of the equation too. Empirical data from a 2022 study published in the journal Sustainability underscores the importance of sustainable human resource management (SHRM). The study surveyed 26 hotels across El Gouna and Hurghada and more than 240 green-certified hotel managers, finding that sustainable HR practices and environmental strategies were significantly associated with lower operational costs and more positive business outcomes — including improved waste management and fewer guest complaints — in 83.4% of the cases examined.

The takeaway: Going green costs Egyptian hotels less than what is generally assumed, pays back faster than most expect, and is increasingly becoming a baseline expectation. For guests, this means the hotel with the green certification isn’t necessarily the one charging more; it may just be the one that can afford to charge less. So next time you’re booking, do keep that in mind.

Brendon Fraser and Andrew Scott deliver a skillful WWII drama in Pressure

📽 Are World War II cinematic retellings your thing? Brendon Fraser and Andrew Scott take on a fresh adaptation of the historic 1944 D-Day landings in Australian director Anthony Maras’ Pressure. The largest seaborne invasion in history has been retold aplenty, but Pressure comes at it from a new behind-the-scenes angle: the meteorological forecasts that the choice of launch day hinged on — and the Scottish meteorologist James Stagg, whose predictions helped determine whether the Allied forces would get the green light to hit the Normandy beaches.

The plot: Against the background of an Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Normandy, Stagg (Scott), a renowned meteorologist, is called in as Chief Meteorological Officer to assess the weather conditions for 5 June when the D-Day landing is scheduled. He reports to Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, aka Ike (Fraser), and works alongside Ike’s trusted American meteorologist Irving Krick (Chris Messina). The two meteorologists lock horns, to say the least — Stagg’s data points to severely poor weather conditions on 5 June, while Krick’s pattern-based predictions suggest sunny and calm skies. As Chief Meteorological Officer, Stagg has the final say, but the Allied base is far from pleased at the prospect of a delay — and the tension starts to build.

What we liked: Pressure is a well-executed, thoroughly enjoyable, and suspenseful watch. The high-stakes tension is palpable, the dialogue keeps the plot moving, and the premise offers an intriguing look at an often-overlooked side of war logistics. But the true standout of the movie is easily its stellar performances, particularly from the two leads. Fraser is an unsurprising strong on-screen presence, portraying an intense and commanding Eisenhower, while Scott is the movie’s rock, delivering an impressively nuanced portrayal of an internally conflicted Stagg. The plot marker may at times feel a little tacky or overdone, but overall, the movie delivers an emotionally engaging and solid drama.

The verdict: World War adaptations can easily fall into cheesy, stale territory, but Pressure manages to evade that with its sharp, multi-faceted, and fresh take on the historic day. In under two hours, the movie grapples with touching themes of guilt, personal responsibility, courage, and the value of human life, while giving its characters depth and engaging arcs. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, yet feels familiar enough to make for an easy watch that lingers with you a little.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can catch Pressure at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and City Center Alexandria. The film is also screening at Scene Cinemas (Cairo Festival City and District 5), at Renaissance Cinemas (Madinaty, Alexandria, 6th of October, and Banha City), and Premiere Cinemas. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:45).

Enab Beirut remains a solid Levantine dining experience with Nile views to spare

🍴 A slice of Beirut on the Nile: Zamalek is home to an eclectic dining scene with picturesque river views, and Enab Beirut sits comfortably right in the mix. The restaurant brings an authentic Levantine culinary experience to the heart of Cairo, leaning heavily into Lebanese classics — a fitting mandate for a venue bearing the name of Lebanon’s capital.

First impressions: Nile views add a touch of magic to both its indoor and outdoor seating areas. The decor is low-key and unpretentious. Although the place was fairly packed during our visit, the atmosphere remained perfect for a quiet meal and good conversation, making it an easy recommendation for families and groups of friends. The staff was warm and attentive, with efficient service that got our food to the table in under 15 minutes despite the rush.

What we tried: The menu features a wide selection of grilled meats, appetizers, salads, desserts, and beverages. We opted for a mixed grill platter alongside a spread of classic Levantine sides, including hummus, fattoush, and batata harra. The grill platter arrived with beef kofta, chicken kofta, and shish tawook, paired with grilled vegetables and crispy pita bread. To wash it all down, we went with a fresh berry-banana smoothie.

What we liked: The beef kofta was the undisputed star of the meal — expertly seasoned, perfectly charred, and worthy of center stage at the table. The hummus was smooth with a rich texture that complemented the olive oil, while the shish tawook was cooked to perfection with a distinct Lebanese flair. The crispy bread made a fantastic companion to the starters, and the berry-banana smoothie provided a light, refreshing finish.

What didn’t land: The chicken kofta was decent, though it fell short of the high bar set by the beef. The batata harra sat at a moderate spice level, but a heavy dose of garlic dominated the dish, which might not suit every palate. While the vegetables in the fattoush were crisp and the toasted pita was crunchy, the dressing leaned a bit too acidic, overpowering the pomegranate molasses.

The final verdict: Enab Beirut offers a well-above-average Levantine dining experience that pairs classic flavors with a family-friendly atmosphere and great views. Even with a few minor missteps on select dishes, it’s a spot well worth visiting.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find Enab Beirut at City Centre Almaza, Madinaty’s The Strip Mall, CFC Mall, and Zamalek’s Nile City Boat.

💵 Per person: EGP 1.2-2k

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: No

Rockstar’s other open world holds up just fine, 16 years later

🎮 With less than 60 days left till the long-anticipated launch of GTA VI — Rockstar Games’ most ambitious project to date — we’re revisiting some of the gaming studio’s most classic titles. The game is set to be its magnum opus, pulling together everything that has made all its games iconic, alongside exciting new features. Last month, we revisited GTA Vice City, where VI will take place. Today, we’re leaving Grand Theft Auto behind for a bit to take a look back at its sibling franchise: Red Dead Redemption (RDR) — released in 2010 — which bears plenty of similarities in terms of gameplay... just without the automobiles.

The storyline: It’s 1911, the American frontier is dying, and former outlaw John Marston just wants to go home to his family. The federal government has other ideas: Marston’s wife and son have been taken hostage, and his freedom depends on hunting down the surviving members of his old gang. What begins as a manhunt across the dusty borderlands of the American Southwest — and into a Mexico consumed by civil war — becomes a story on loyalty, complicity, and whether redemption is ever really possible for men like Marston.

What we still love about Red Dead Redemption, 16 years later: Similar to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, RDR immerses the player in an open world that is genuinely entertaining to explore. Where it tops GTA is how interactive everything is: NPCs have more personality, graphics and physics saw a notable uptick compared to all the GTAs that came before, and a new historical setting hitherto unexplored by Rockstar. The game might be a tad restrictive at times, where veering off the mission script — even if minimally — can cost you the mission. The game introduced a slew of character features, new nature settings, animals, and modes of transportation that are — given the temporal setting — slower, giving you time to explore the game. The gameplay is enjoyable, if repetitive at times, but the open-world exploration never loses its charm. Much like GTA, you can also use cheat codes and go haywire if you’d like to let off some steam.

A decade and a half later, the game still holds its own. Graphics are solid, even if outdated compared to RDR2 and GTA V; cutscenes are worth watching in full; and the game leaves you with plenty to do beyond missions. The game being available on mobile, through Netflix Games, is certainly also a point in its favor.

💯 Rating: 95/100 on Metacritic

⌛ Hours of gameplay: 17-20 hours for the main story; 40+ for completionists; unlimited open-world exploration

🔁 Replay value: 8/10

👾 Platforms: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC (via emulation), Netflix Games (mobile)

💵 Price: Mobile at no cost through Netflix; USD 20 on console

The Allusionist traces the origin of words

👂🎧 Have you ever wondered how certain words make their way into our daily lexicon over the years? For over a decade, British host and content creator Helen Zaltzman has dedicated her podcast The Allusionist to tracing the origins of words. Each episode focuses on a single word or a specific linguistic concept, tracking its trajectory through history with an engaging narrative that turns abstract linguistics into an immersive storytelling experience.

What to expect: Joined by expert guests, the topics range from the components of an effective apology and the meaning behind the podcast’s name itself to the potential benefits of swearing and the invented languages in Game of Thrones. The show earned the title of Best New Podcast of 2015 on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) in the UK, and its episodes — which have since surpassed 230 — are known for being concise and focused.

Where did phobias begin? In her latest episode titled “Phobia,” Zaltzman hosts American presenters Deboki Chakravarti and Sam Jones — hosts of the science podcast Tiny Matters — to explore the language of fear, specifically the origins of phobia-related terms, how they formed, and the reason behind the strikingly specific nature of some. Zaltzman led the episode with curiosity, asking, for example, whether phobias could be contagious, citing the surge of people identifying with coulrophobia (fear of clowns) around the time of infamous American serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

What we liked: Zaltzman gives the show its intellectual weight and distinctive standing in the audio world through her sharp wit, intellectual honesty, and total readiness to debunk an intriguing story if it lacks factual evidence. Her brilliance also shines through her diverse choice of topics, never neglecting to cite sources and references that listeners can look up later. Since we may often find it difficult to enjoy long-form science shows, this podcast offered us exactly what we were looking for: insightful content in episodes that rarely exceed half an hour.

Our final verdict: We can confidently say this podcast has quickly joined our list of favorites among similar shows. Our only critique is that the podcast focuses heavily on English culture, so it might not suit all listeners. However, if you share our curiosity about language and its secrets, you’ll definitely find enjoyment in this podcast.

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

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

🗓️SEPTEMBER

6 September - 30 October (Sunday-Friday): Khayal Mareed at Theatro Arkan.

17-26 September (Thursday-Saturday): El Gouna Water Sports Festival.

21 September - 20 October (Monday - Tuesday): International Flower Exhibition at Al Horreya Garden, Zamalek.

25 September (Friday): Tamer Hosny at BDP Beach Marassi.

25 September (Friday): Disco Misr at The Village, Sheikh Zayed.

25 September (Friday): Ma yatlboho el mostame3oun with Ehab Tawfik at CJC 610.

25 September (Friday): Omar El Gamal at Teatro 90.

25 September (Friday): Omar Khairat at Nile University, Sheikh Zayed.

25 September (Friday): Zamalek 5k Run by The TriFactory at Mamsha Ahl Misr.

25-26 September (Friday-Saturday): From Waste to Good Taste by the Egyptian Clothing Bank at The Factory, Al Nabrawi, Downtown Cairo.

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

26 September (Saturday): Mahmoud Darwish Poetry Day at Diwan, Heliopolis.

OCTOBER

1-3 October (Thursday-Saturday): Oliver season 3 by Fabrica at Teatro 90.

1-4 October (Thursday-Sunday): She Arts Festival at Ewart Memorial Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

2 October (Friday): Alaa El Sheikh’s Play Crowd at Theatro Arkan.

2-3 October (Friday-Saturday): Oktoberfest by Work Afters at Tenaya Riverside Dining, Maadi Al Corniche.

4-5 October (Sunday-Monday): Omar Khairat at Cairo Opera House.

5 October (Monday): EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum.

6 October (Tuesday): Armed Forces Day.

8 October (Thursday): Ragheb Allama at Porto El Sokhna.

8-10 October (Thursday-Saturday): Genre-crossing workshop: We Are Not Afraid to Love with Nur Turkmani and Mai Serhan at Ardi, Dahshur.

8-11 October (Thursday-Sunday): Starlight Festival in partnership with Visa at The Great Pyramids of Giza.

9 October (Friday): Abdelrahman Mohamed’s Man3an Lel Ehrag at Teatro 90.

11 October (Sunday): Tamer Ashour Fundraising Concert at Al Qubaah Palace.

11 October - 8 November (Sunday-Sunday): Cairo International Art District by Art D’Egypte at Downtown Cairo.

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

16 October (Friday): Tul8te at Al Manara Arena.

16-17 October (Friday-Saturday): Ultra Relay Run by The TriFactory at AUC, New Cairo.

16-17 October (Friday-Saturday): Egypt Coffee Festival at Common Grounds in Obour.

17 October (Saturday): Amr Selim at Teatro 90.

17 October (Saturday): Steps Summit at Sodic Sports Club, Sodic Eastown.

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

23-24 October (Friday-Saturday): Sukun’s Tulua Wellness Festival at IL Monte Galala, El Sokhna.

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

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

29 October (Thursday): Fatma Said at the GEM.

NOVEMBER

4 November (Wednesday): Angham at the New Opera House in the City of Arts and Culture.

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

5-7 November (Thursday-Saturday): Cairo Jazz Festival at AUC Tahrir Square.

6 November (Friday): Angham at the New Opera House in the City of Arts and Culture.

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.

20 November (Friday): Saad El Oud at Ewart Memorial Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

21 November (Saturday): El Gouna Half Marathon.

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

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