Out-tricking the trickster

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

World leaders sign Gaza peace accord at Sharm El Sheikh Summit

Good morning, friends, and welcome to the weekend. This one may not be as short as last week’s, but we’re making the most of it all the same.

In this week’s guide, we give you all the tips and tricks you need to spot AI-generated content on your social media feed and in your daily media diet, so you can finally stop wondering what’s real and what’s fake. Hint: The cat playing Beethoven probably isn’t real.

Enterprise Weekend comes out each Friday at 9:00am CLT. We’ll be back on Sunday at 6am with EnterpriseAM. Until then: Enjoy the weekend.

?️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

DIPLOMACY-

World leaders gathered in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday to sign a peace agreement formally ending the war in Gaza and laying out a framework for postwar reconstruction. The Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit was co-chaired by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and US President Donald Trump as part of an Egyptian-American initiative to consolidate peace efforts in the Middle East. The gathering brought together leaders from more than 25 countries.

ENERGY-

#1- Fuel prices are up again — but hopefully for the last time in the next 12 months. The government’s fuel pricing committee has decided to raise fuel prices effective 6am this morning, according to a statement from the Oil Ministry, which said fuel prices will be fixed for at least one year following today’s hikes.

Here’s a breakdown of the new prices:

95-Octane is now priced at EGP 21.00 per liter, up 10.5% from EGP 19.00;
92-Octane rose to EGP 19.25 per liter, up 11.6% from EGP 17.25;
80-Octane is now EGP 17.75 per liter, a 12.7% increase from EGP 15.75;
Diesel price climbed to EGP 17.50 per liter, up 12.9% from EGP 15.50;
The price of compressed natural gas for automobiles rose to EGP 10.00 per cubic meter, up 42.9% from EGP 7.00 previously — a price that has been fixed since October 2024.

#2- LNG exports will once again begin flowing out of Egypt after the Madbouly government gave energy players the green light to resume exporting during the winter months, a government source told EnterpriseAM. Exports will be on hold starting April as the country starts gearing up for the heightened demand that accompanies the hot summer months.

TRADE-

Suez Canal transit is projected to pick up in early 2026 — driven by the easing of regional tensions and a positive regional growth forecast from the IMF, Chamber of Commerce’s International Transport and Logistics Division Secretary General Amr Al Samdoni told EnterpriseAM. Shipping lines have been encouraged by the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement and are “developing quarterly plans” on the premise that the war and Houthi attacks cease completely, he added.

ECONOMY-

#1- S&P Global Ratings upgraded Egypt’s long-term sovereign credit rating to B from B-, the first upgrade since 2018, while affirming its short-term rating at B, according to a report from the rating agency seen by EnterpriseAM. The decision reflects the “significant improvement in the Egyptian economy in light of structural reforms, the liberalization of the exchange rate, the increase in foreign direct investment, and the improvement of indicators,” Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk told EnterpriseAM.

#2- Egypt’s current account deficit narrowed to USD 15.4 bnin FY 2024-2025, down 25.9% y-o-y from the USD 20.8 bn recorded a year earlier, according to central bank figures. The deficit shrank on the back of a marked increase in remittances, a rise in tourism revenues, and a jump in non-oil exports.

#3- The Finance Ministry is planning to unveil its new public debt strategy this December, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk told representatives in Washington, according to a ministry statement. The announcement confirms what we reported in July about the upcoming strategy for 2025-2030, which will feature social and sustainability bond issuances. The strategy will include debt-for-investment swaps modeled after the Ras El Hikma agreement — converting a significant portion of regional and international deposits into investments — alongside increased concessional financing from financial institutions.

AUTOMOTIVE-

Chinese automaker Jinbei signed a local assembly agreement with its sole agent in Egypt, Jinbei Royal Egypt Chairman Khaled Saad said at a press conference attended by EnterpriseAM. Assembly will be carried out at Ezz Elsewedy Automotive Factories’ Sixth of October facilities, with an initial output target of 3k light trucks in the first phase.

REAL ESTATE-

#1- Midar, Sodic to build EGP 110 bn wellness city: Midar for Investment and Urban Development has signed a partnership agreement with Sodic to develop Egypt’s first fully integrated wellness and sustainable residential project in New Cairo’s Mada City with total investments of EGP 110 bn, according to a company statement.

#2- The government is studying a number of proposed low-interest financing initiatives intended for prospective buyers in the real estate market, a government source told EnterpriseAM. The move would help keep demand healthy — and, importantly, liquidity in play — until the central bank lowers interest rates to 15.00-16.00%, down from the current 21.00% overnight deposit rate, we were told.

MANUFACTURING-

State-owned EgyptAlum plans to invest more than EGP 6 bn in the current fiscal year to launch initial phases of several projects, Al Borsa reported, citing an unnamed company official. The investments will cover a new aluminum foil factory, a pharma packaging facility, an aluminum dross recycling line, and a car rim manufacturing project, along with the rehabilitation of an existing plant.

TAX-

Your smokes are getting pricier: The Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) will implement a 12%tax increase on cigarettes starting November, in accordance with the amended VAT law, a government source told EnterpriseAM. This marks the second tax hike on local and imported cigarettes this fiscal year.

? AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new cabinet as he and reappointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu face pressure to form a stable government and prevent another collapse. Lecornu, who had stepped down before being reappointed last Friday, now needs to rally support from centrist allies to survive looming no-confidence votes in parliament. With Macron’s popularity slipping and his coalition reduced to a weak minority, both opposition and allied parties have criticized him for refusing to scale back his agenda. (Bloomberg | Financial Times | Reuters | AP | France 24)

Tensions are rising between Washington and Beijing: China has accused the US of escalating the trade war after Trump announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese exports and widen export control starting November, the Financial Times reports. China’s Commerce Ministry criticized the US for blacklisting Chinese firms and abusing national security measures, warning it would take “corresponding measures” if the tariffs proceed.

OVER IN TECH- OpenAI’s latest chip agreement with Broadcom got plenty ofattention. The two firms agreed to develop and deploy 10 GW of chips and computing systems, marking the latest in a series of chip agreements inked by OpenAI with the likes of Nvidia and AMD worth bns of USD. (WSJ | FT | CNBC)

CLOSER TO HOME- The fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement has started to facesnags, days after US President Donald Trump heralded the end of the war during his visit to the region. Israel said it would limit the volume of humanitarian aid going into Gaza to half since Hamas has failed to return the bodies of some of the deceased hostages, as was agreed. Some 19 bodies have yet to be returned. (Reuters | Bloomberg | Guardian)

IN CLIMATE NEWS- Levels of carbon dioxide surged at record levels in 2024, as record additions of renewable energy capacity failed to put the world on track to meet its climate targets for 2030, a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency said. The ongoing burning of fossil fuels, along with a surge in wildfires, are to blame, IRENA said. (Reuters | Guardian)

MEANWHILE- The price of silver hit a record high of USD 53.6 per ounce on Monday amid the rising tensions between the US and China in what is being hailed as a “historic short squeeze.” Prices have surged some 75% since the start of the year as investors seek safe havens. The latest peak saw the precious metal surpass a previous peak set in January 1980. “Silver tends to follow gold upwards,” CEO of the Silver Institute Michael DiRienzo told CNN. (CNN | Financial Times | Telegraph | Bloomberg | Guardian)

ALSO- Following weeks of youth-led protests in Madagascar, an elite military unit announced that it has taken control over the country after impeached President Andry Rajoelina fled the country earlier this week. The military is set to form a government and hold elections within two years, Capsat Colonel Michael Randrianirina said. (BBC | Guardian)

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-

We’re in for a cloudy couple of days, with temperatures in the capital set to peak at 29-30°C over the weekend before dropping to 16°C, according to our favorite weather app.

? HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-

Up for some classic drama? The iconic musical Oliver is taking the stage for the first time in Egypt at Theatro Arkan tonight and tomorrow. Enjoy the Dickens-inspired musical production by Fabrica. You can book your spot on Ticketsmarché.

The Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival is back and running until Sunday, 26 October, bringing Cairo to the forefront through a series of performances, panel discussions, and workshops. Experience the haunting theatrical piece of The Manual at AUC’s Falaki Theater tonight. Tickets are available on Ticketsmarché.

Honor the 50th anniversary of Umm Kulthum’s passing with a musical produced by El Adl Group Studios at The Theater. Experience the legend’s life story through this special musical showing tonight. Tickets are available on Ticketsmarché.

? HAPPENING NEXT WEEKEND-

Run for a cause: Join Cairo Runners and Bupa Egypt for Breast Cancer Run on Friday, 24 October at District 5. Be part of breast cancer awareness month and support the spirit of resilient women all over the world. Registration is required at no cost — claim your spot here.

Cairokee live? Unmissable. The superband is back for another unforgettable night at El Malahy Arena on Friday, 24 October. Sing your heart out to their culture-defining anthems and grab your tickets now on Ticketsmarché before they sell out.

Gear up for a night of laughter at Theatro Arkan with Ali Quandil’s Accept Laugh Interact this Friday, 24 October. Join in on the interactive comedy experience and get your tickets on Ticketsmarché.

Up for a funny play? Catch the social comedy Ya Rab Bent at Theatro Arkan this Saturday, 25 October, for a night of laughter and good storytelling. Get your tickets on Ticketsmarché.

How not to fall for AI

AI: the two letters that invade news headlines, shape every tech conversation, and whose digital generations flood our feeds with digital generations we can barely distinguish from reality. The technology now looms over us, dauntingly overdeveloped, and guided by motives we can’t quite trust. It’s hard not to question a phenomena this pervasive, built primarily on leeching off of human-made content.

Besides the obvious ethical concern of copyright infringement, generative technology blurs the line between truth and fabrication, fueling fears of manipulation and growing chaos. Now, more than ever, digital literacy isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity we can’t afford to skimp on.

RECOGNIZING AI WHEN YOU SEE, HEAR, OR READ IT-

The emergence of AI on our feeds was at first easily noticeable, with tacky and exaggerated visual overtones and redundant writing style. Now, scrolling through social media, it’s hard to avoid the flood of AI slop — much of which has become harder to identify as such. But with the speed at which the technology is advancing, relying on pure discernment soon enough won’t cut it much longer — we’re already starting to fall for it. While platforms like OpenAI’s Sora and Meta AI offer contained spaces for AI-generated videos, users can still upload content generated by external AI tools with no requirement to disclose its origin unless the content is generated through the platform itself.

#1- IMAGES AND VIDEOS:

Deep deception is often visual — as the famous saying goes: “seeing is believing.” When the truth evades our eyes, we’ve entered tricky territory. Distinguishing an AI-generated image or video from an authentic one can prove the hardest challenge, even for experienced professionals.

Visual Cues: The basic elements to look out for are anatomical errors such as hands with too many fingers, unnatural body movements and facial expressions, and glitches during motion. Context clues are also crucial — focusing on the background of an image or video and the peripheral surroundings usually exposes inconsistencies. Spotting illegible text is also a telltale sign of AI use. Be wary of uncanny perfection: things like overly polished hair or skin, and whether the overall appearance matches the context and setting of the image or video.

#2- TEXT:

Written content generated by AI similarly proves difficult to AI-proof, given language’s natural variety of tone, style, wording, and structure. With AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, offloading writing tasks has never been easier — but it comes at the cost of everyone sounding the same. While it’s harder to hide truths in written word, the prevalence of unoriginal text in the digital world undermines the power of language and limits our capacity for producing it.

There are obvious giveaways for AI-tampered texts: Overuse of the characteristic em-dash and certain emojis, for starters. According to Scribbr, text generated by LLMs usually has predictable word patterns and sentences that are short with uncomplicated structures. Generic phrasing, overly polite and broad language, and logical errors are also things to take note of.

#3- AUDIO:

People’s voices are increasingly vulnerable to being cloned and exploited, especially those of politicians or influential public figures. Audio deception can be the most subtle of all, so recognizing when you’re listening to an AI-generated voice is essential. The Global Investigative Journalism Network highlights unnatural pacing, flawless pronunciation, robotic inflection, lack of background noise, and terminology uncharacteristic of the person as major red flags — for example, Jake Paul cannot actually speak Arabic perfectly. Synthetic voices can be scarily accurate, but their mechanical inflections can easily give them away if you’re listening for them.

ALGORITHMS, MISINFORMATION, AND DISINFORMATION-

Spotting fake news has always been a prevalent issue in the online world, especially with the rise of clickbait and ad-driven media. Engagement is social media’s beating heart, propelling many to skew information and exploit people’s attention. AI, unfortunately, seems to be taking after us with new studies revealing that the technology has no moral compass when it comes to achieving a certain end-goal. Proof that AI is programmed to win human attention makes social media a breeding ground for manipulation.

The pervasiveness of AI has taken over not only how content is created but also what content is being pushed to the forefront of our digital feeds. Social media now deeply integrates AI to help with algorithms, user engagement, and data interpretation. As of 2025, the market for AI in social media sits at USD 2.69 bn, with projections to reach almost USD 10 bn by 2030. NewsGuard, a platform that rates the reliability of online sources, found, by the first half of 2025, over 1,200 AI-generated news and information sites that are actively publishing fake news in 16 languages with no human oversight by the first half of 2025.

While fake news doesn’t originate from AI alone, the advent of this artificial force certainly amplifies its presence, making it spread faster and weigh heavier. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, fears that generative AI is fuel to the fire for fake news are “overblown.” People still stick to credible and mainstream outlets to get their news, while those who fall for AI-charged mis- or dis-information already hold similar opinions to said fake claims.

Still, the dangers are there — gullible or not — and the question stands: How do we combat fake news fueled by AI?

#1- It all starts with the algorithm. Your online engagement is key. Not sharing or interacting with posts that promote fake news is a small yet impactful step. The algorithm learns what sticks and what doesn’t, whether prompted by humans or by AI. The less people engage with misinformation, the less it shows up in our social media feedback loops and the less AI sees a demand for it.

#2- Take a moment and doubt. Everything you see online is designed to grab your attention and elicit a reaction. With that in mind, if seeing an outrageous headline or an absurd video strikes a chord, it’s best to ask yourself: Why did the source share this? Choose not to engage not only with the share button, but also with your psyche’s susceptibility to self-affirming information. In some cases, confronting fake news will force you to learn something that challenges what you believe — which leads us to the next point.

#3- Be your own detective. Being a part of the current internet landscape requires a good deal of active skepticism and critical thinking. It’s always worth double checking the source of what you see online, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the content sharer. A quick look through multiple credible news sites usually does the trick. Using reverse image search and looking elsewhere for the same picture can help verify a photo.

#4- Use detection tools. When all else fails, AI detection tools and fact-checking sites can be helpful. Accuracy rates for popular AI detection tools currently range from 65% to 85%, according to Scribbr. Unfortunately, detection can always be evaded with pattern recognition, which means these tools aren’t the silver bullet to combating misleading generative AI. Still, they can be helpful when it comes to identifying most AI slop.

BE ONE STEP AHEAD-

It’s important not to fall prey to the doomscrolling lure, becoming passive reactors to what we see. The power lies in the users’ hands if we understand how the algorithm operates and work on consciously derailing its feedback loops. Letting your subconscious steer your online behavior most often leads to an echo chamber — an environment that feeds into one set of opinions and views.

How can you regain control over your feed? Once you’re successfully aware of the positive feedback loop that social media operates on, you can start scrolling more strategically. Muting accounts, platforms, and words that often promote AI-generated content and fake news is one step to cleansing your feed. Don’t underestimate the “Not Interested” button because it signals to the algorithm what you want to see less of. Clearing your history and app cache is also a simple way to break tight loops and reset your past activity patterns.

Diversify the content you’re exposed to. Don’t fall into the trap of letting your feed get too personalized. To avoid an echo chamber, always seek out platforms with different views and be selective with your engagement so as to make space for a broader mix of content on your feed, not just the one you strongly identify with.

There’s nothing quite like your first love

? A love story for the ages: While many may recognize Waleed El Moghazy from his stand-up comedy career — and his recent ventures into acting — Feeha Eh Yaani sees him foray into screenwriting. Working with director Omar Roshdy Hamed, he brings to life the wholesome love story of Salah (Maged El Kedwani) and Layla (Ghada Adel) in a romantic comedy that has quickly joined the ranks of our favorite films to date.

Full house: Salah is a retired engineer living alongside his daughter Nada (Asmaa Galal), her husband Alaa (Mostafa Gharieb), and their daughter Amina (Retal Abdelaziz). Nada is deeply attached to her father and constantly worries about his health and that of her small family. She runs the household like the navy, only feeding her family what she deems healthy. Salah, Alaa, and Amina, however, managed to make do with the living situation, telling a few white lies here and there to rid themselves of her unrelenting control.

A visitor from the past: One day, the caretaker of Salah’s old apartment building in Heliopolis calls him. There’s an emergency at his childhood home that requires his presence. There, Salah reunites with Layla, who has recently moved back in with her mother Nagiah (Mimi Gamal) next door. Salah is overtaken by yearning and decides to move back into his Heliopolis apartment, soon finding himself in a dilemma: rekindle his past love or dedicate his life to his family and devoted daughter.

Torn in two: More than just a love story between two people torn apart by fate, Feeha Eh Yaani is also a tender love story between a father and a daughter who views him as her most precious possession and top priority. Galal delivered one of her best and most sincere performances yet, with powerful scenes that touched our hearts. Needless to say, Adel and El Kedwani once again brought a series of smiles to our faces with their captivating presence in every scene they shared.

It’s a quiet kind of love. In Feeha Eh Yaani, romance stems not from exaggerated monologues or heroic acts, but from the daily acts of appreciation through which hearts are won. Heliopolis was an accomplice in the couple’s romance, and we’d argue its streets were the true protagonists of the film. The soundtrack — featuring a song by Egyptian-Libyan veteran singer Hamid El Shaeri — further exemplified the film’s charm and overall warm and wholesome atmosphere. If we were to get nitpicky in an otherwise flawless production, we’d argue that Asmaa Galal and Retal Abdelaziz looked more like sisters rather than mother-daughter.

Masterfully subtle. Feeha Eh Yaani is a gentle and dreamy film that instantly earns itself rewatch status. If you’re looking for a calm cinematic experience, you won’t want to miss out.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can catch Feeha Eh Yaani at Vox Cinemas in City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Alexandria. The film is also screening at City Stars Cinema, CFCM and District 5’s Scene Cinema, Cima Arkan, and P90 Cinema.

Prophet Song presents a horror of a different kind

? To elicit a reaction, some authors may rely on ludicrous plot twists, killing off a beloved character, or making each and every moment feels like a race against time — Paul Lynch is not one such author. In Prophet Song, recipient of the 2023 Booker Prize, Lynch instills a horror that draws upon a reality that is never too far away.

What happens when your country becomes a prison? It’s dark in Dublin, eerily quiet, and someone is watching. Right off the bat, there is an engrossing sense of unease present in Prophet Song’s very first chapter. Following Eilish Stack and her family, Prophet Song takes place in Ireland during a fictional near-future timeline. The novel begins with Eilish at home at night, awaiting her husband’s — an Irish trade unionist — return.

Two strangers knock on the doors, announcing themselves as members of the Garda — a newly instated police organization. They’re asking for her husband’s whereabouts, and promptly leave upon learning he is not home. Eilish begins to worry, and her nonchalant husband, upon his return, cannot begin to understand why she is.

1984 meets The Handmaid’s Tale meets reality. As the pages fall, the reader quickly realizes that something is terribly wrong, and is about to get much worse. Eilish’s husband, Larry, is detained on accusations of protest against the new far-right government. The kicker? It’s now pretty much martial law in all but name — and there’s nothing they can do about it.

An instant speculative fiction classic. “I was trying to see into the modern chaos. The unrest in Western democracies. The problem of Syria – the implosion of an entire nation, the scale of its refugee crisis and the West’s indifference,” Lynch said in an interview with The Booker Prize Foundation. Through Prophet Song, he writes of a country descending into chaos with no foreign resistance — a scenario all too common for countries of the Global South, which westerners have been “desensitised [by] daily.” In doing so, Lynch presents an alarming truth: chaos is never too far away, no matter where you are.

Paul Lynch is a master of the pen. The author’s prose immediately grasps attention. Words flow between introspection, descriptions, and dialogue (as is the case with many Irish authors, he eschews speech marks). This leaves for an experience in which the reader cannot afford to break gaze, lest the fantasy is cut short. It’s an immersive experience, and one that is uncomfortable in a manner that holds you still and doesn’t let go. While the novel is indeed fictional, it feels hauntingly real.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find Prophet Song in paperback at Kalimat or place a special order for it from The Bookspot. Look out for a restock on Diwan ’s website. You can also find the eBook on Amazon.

Sizzling with flavor

?Sometimes a mood calls for nothing more than an expertly seasoned steak cut. At New Cairo’s Steakery, you’ll find plenty of reason to let your worries melt away over a tender fillet. With lamplit tables and a menu that covers all the steakhouse essentials, Steakery confidently lives up to its claim of perfection.

The ambiance is the palate cleanser. Dim lighting, wooden fixtures, and plush seating create an atmosphere of pure comfort. Midcentury-inspired jazz artwork adorns the walls, while life-size figures of jazz musicians signal exactly what kind of evening awaits. The inaugural Level Square location isn’t particularly spacious, but it’s undeniably cozy — and surprisingly calm, even with nearly a full house during our visit.

The menu offers something for everyone. Beyond its signature steaks, Steakery serves classic hearty soups and salads, a range of comfort food appetizers (think nachos, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari and shrimps), and an array of chicken, beef, and seafood mains. Craving something more casual? There’s a solid selection of burgers and pasta dishes. But the real stars are the steaks — a significant portion of the menu showcases different cuts, from ribeyes to filet mignons.

We surfed and we turfed. Our medium-well grilled fillet came topped with shrimp and drenched in à la créme sauce, paired with creamy spinach penne. Other side options include sautéed vegetables, spinach gratin, sweet corn, fries, mashed potatoes, or rice. For appetizers, we chose the sweet chilli shrimp, and — following our server’s recommendation — the grilled chicken with creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach sauce.

Service was impressively quick. The sweet chilli shrimp arrived first: six crispy butterfly shrimp in a perfectly balanced sauce — neither overpowering nor timid. It’s an appetizer that would be criminal to skip, ideal for sharing between two. The main followed shortly, accompanied by a complimentary portion of caramelized onions.

The grilled chicken exceeded expectations. Our server’s recommendation proved spot-on — the cutlets arrived sizzling hot, tender, and moist. The sun-dried tomato and spinach sauce complemented beautifully, and the sautéed vegetables rounded out a satisfyingly filling meal.

As for the steak? It checked every box. The grilled shrimp paired wonderfully with the à la créme sauce, while the cut itself was beautifully tender and sparingly seasoned — seemingly just salt and pepper, letting the sauce take center stage — a choice purists would appreciate. The spinach cream penne held its own so well that it could easily shine as a standalone main.

Our verdict: Despite opening just 12 weeks ago, Steakery is already proving itself a worthy contender in Egypt’s extensive eatery scene. Service, flavor, and variety all deliver, with nothing feeling amiss. Our only regret? Choosing the 230-gram cut over the 340.

WHERE TO FIND THE STEAKERY- You’ll find The Steakery at New Cairo’s Leven Square Mall.

? Per person: EGP 1k-4k.

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes

Playing it safe on the battlefield

? After the disastrous reception of Battlefield 2042, EA and Battlefield Studios faced an uphill battle to win back fans’ trust. With Battlefield 6, they’ve largely succeeded in delivering the grounded, class-based warfare experience that made Battlefield 3 and 4 beloved, but in playing it so safe, they’ve created a game that’s more refined than revolutionary. Reviews have been a mixed bag so far, with critics praising the MMORPG’s return to form while lamenting a lackluster campaign that feels like a relic from a bygone era.

The return to the classic four-class system provides excellent balance and clear tactical roles. Each class (Assault, Engineer, Support, Recon) has a very distinct identity, and switching from running and gunning as Assault, to keep your team alive as Medic feels rewarding in its own right. The new Kinesthetic Combat System adds welcome quality-of-life improvements, allowing players to lean around cover, hitchhike onto vehicles, and drag fallen soldiers to safety before reviving them.

The revamped Portal mode deserves special mention. Powered by the Godot engine, it provides map creation and game logic tools that represent a significant advancement over Battlefield 2042's basic visual block editor. The community has already produced impressive creations, from Counter-Strike's Dust 2 remake to custom zombie survival modes, promising extensive post-launch replayability.

Where it truly shines: Multiplayer is undeniably Battlefield 6’s strongest asset. The game features impressive layered combat, with distinct infantry, land vehicle, and aerial layers that all fit together seamlessly. The gunplay has finally caught up with Call of Duty, featuring loud, frightening weapons with lightning-quick ballistics and excellent sound work. Gone are the frustrating hit registration issues that plagued 2042 — bullets now land where you aim them.

Unfortunately, the single-player campaign is where Battlefield 6 stumbles badly. Across nine missions totaling just five hours, the campaign zips around at a furious pace but feels like something players have done before, albeit at much lower fidelity. The story follows Dagger 1-3, a squad of U.S. Marine Raiders fighting against Pax Armata, a rogue private military company threatening a fractured NATO. The narrative is oddly apolitical in its presentation of NATO's collapse, resulting in a hollow experience. The characters are forgettable, with barely any memorable moments or emotional depth.

The campaign fails to harness Battlefield's special ingredients into a compelling single-player context, instead opting to copy Modern Warfare’s homework… while getting the answers wrong. You’ll escort tanks without being able to drive them, watch helicopters fly without piloting them, and trudge through linear corridors toward static shooting galleries.

While there are splashes of inspiration, such as a sequence on a crumbling New York bridge, there's no one mission that screams out as an all-timer. The whole experience feels like an expensive amusement park ride where you're merely a passenger watching explosions you didn't get to cause.

With an estimated budget exceeding USD 400 mn, Battlefield 6 is one of the most expensive video games ever made. That investment shows in the polish and refinement, but you can't help wondering what could have been achieved with some creative risk-taking.

? Rating: 9/10 on Steam, 5/10 on IGN for the campaign, 8/10 for multiplayer

⌛ Hours of gameplay: 8 hours for the campaign, N/A for multiplayer

? Replay value: 10/10

? Platforms: Steam and Epic Games for PC, Playstation, and Xbox

? Price: USD 69.99 for the standard edition, USD 99.99 for the Phantom edition, with an available USD 30 DLC

Your favorite bookstore’s new podcast

? From publishing to podcasts: Presented by Diwan co-founders Hind Wassef and Nadia Wassef, Fil Diwan is a new podcast exploring topics relevant to writers, publishers, and creatives across disciplines. Since launching in September, seven episodes have been released. Centered on stories of cultural entrepreneurship, Fil Diwan covers everything from content creation and cinema to the economics of creativity. Each 45-70 minute episode typically features in-depth interviews with prominent guests.

Lessons from an Egyptian novelist: In one standout episode, Fil Diwan hosts novelist and screenwriter Ahmed Mourad, who traces his journey from studying cinematography and working as a photographer to becoming a novelist. Mourad discusses developing a unique narrative style, and shares crucial lessons from the publishing world — particularly regarding writer-publisher relationships and the question of when writers should rely on publishing houses as opposed to going independent.

The conversation shifts to explore how screenwriting influences narrative prose, touching on Mourad’s experience with the 2017 film El Asliyyin, which debuted on screen before being adapted into a novel. The episode effectively translates an industry veteran’s insights into actionable lessons for aspiring writers while contextualizing them within the contemporary creative landscape.

Piracy isn’t publishing’s only problem. Mourad argues that the Egyptian publishing industry’s struggle extends beyond piracy to include weak investments in advertising and distribution. This explains why many authors choose to publish independently, shouldering the burden of designing, marketing, and distributing their own books — an approach that often hinders success. For Mourad, the publishing industry cannot withstand today’s economic challenges without being treated as a fully integrated industry with cohesive production, marketing, and investment strategies.

Fil Diwan bridges culture and creativity, examining how creative work can exist within sustainable and profitable economic systems. Through conversations with guests including Ziad Bahaa El Din, Mai Salama, Omar Taher, and others, Fil Diwan is a promising podcast poised to enrich and inspire aspiring creative entrepreneurs.

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

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

?️ OCTOBER

1-26 October (Wednesday-Sunday): Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival.

12 October - 16 November (Sunday- Sunday): Cairo International Art District (CIAD) in Downtown Cairo.

15-24 October (Wednesday-Friday): Luxor Book Fair.

16-17 October (Thursday-Friday): Umm Kulthum Musical at The Theater.

17 October (Friday): The Manual at AUC Falaki Theater.

16-18 October (Thursday-Saturday): Oliver at Theatro Arkan.

16-24 October (Thursday-Friday): Gouna Film Festival.

24 October (Friday): Ali Quandil at Theatro Arkan.

24 October (Friday): Cairokee at El Malahy Arena.

24 October (Friday): The Glow Run, Palm Hills New Cairo.

24 October (Friday): Breast Cancer Run at District 5.

25 October (Saturday): Ya Rab Bent at Theatro Arkan.

30 October - 7 November (Thursday-Friday): Cairo International Jazz Festival.

31 October (Friday): Daylight saving time ends.

NOVEMBER

11 November - 6 December (Tuesday - Saturday): Forever is Now at the Great Pyramids of Giza.

14-24 November (Friday-Monday): Art Decoratifs Exhibition by Art D’Egypté at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.

15 November (Saturday): The TriFactory’s El Gouna Half Marathon, El Gouna.

21-22 November (Friday-Saturday): Traverse Summit at Hydeout, Hyde Park.

21-29 November (Friday-Saturday): Cairo Design Week.

DECEMBER

13 December (Saturday): Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon by The TriFactory.

19 December (Friday): DJ Tiësto at the Giza Plateau.

20 December (Saturday): Ibrahim Maalouf at Concert Hall, New Capital.

JANUARY

30 January (Friday): Cairo Marathon normal registration ends.

FEBRUARY

6 February (Friday): Cairo Marathon at Heliopolis, Merryland Park.

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World leaders sign Gaza peace accord at Sharm El Sheikh Summit

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