CAIRO: Access to clean, safe drinking water is one of the greatest challenges facing people in many parts of the world. By 2015 the UN’s Millennium Development Goals had succeeded in reducing by half the number of people without such access, but many still suffer as a result of poor sanitation services and lack of treated drinking water, especially in rural communities. According to a 2019 report from the World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund, about 2.2 billion people worldwide

BAHRAIN: Job hunting is one of the toughest challenges for any young adult. In a highly competitive market, finding employment that not only works on a personal level but also provides a viable career path can be complicated. For Bahraini youth, this became less of a problem when Majra emerged to offer a cultural and personality-based job matching service. The company, launched in 2017, was created as the result of two young Bahrainis going through the job-search grind. Co-founder, Najma Ghul

In Cairo alone, it is estimated that traffic issues cost Egypt’s economy $7 billion every year. This figure comprises health costs from air pollution; lost productivity due to extra time in traffic; and costs of road injuries and fatalities. At a time when people feel the need to be extra safe due to the pandemic, Mayday, a startup by Egyptian entrepreneurs Mohamed Aboelfotouh, Islam Ahmed, and Amr Essam, is a much-welcomed solution that is able to solve many car issues on the spot. “We survey

CAIRO: Work opportunities are hard to come by for the nearly 12 million people with disabilities living in Egypt. Mindful of the challenges facing such individuals, non-profit organization Ebtessama launched Majidah this year to improve their chances of employment. “Majidah was born out of our on-the-ground efforts and experience for over 12 years,” said Ashraf Osman, chairman of the board of Ebtessama. “We work on the training, qualification and employment of people with disabilities.” Thin

Art is for the soul what food is for the body. Yet it’s a fact that artists all over the world struggle to make a living out of their creations. This is especially so in the Middle East, where it’s rare to find a family willing to support their child’s artistic endeavors, since more academic careers tend to take priority. But two sisters in Egypt are aiming to change that particular mindset. Enter More Of, a startup focusing on the arts, helping those in relevant fields make a living out of it

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of the most digitally-connected regions in the world, with an average of 88% of its population online daily. This connectivity, driven by the high mobile penetration in the region, has resulted in an increasing number of young people opting to work in smaller entities as opposed to larger corporations. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report 2017, the concept of ‘going it alone’ is highly regarded, with more and more people viewing i

Cairenes, like most other other big city dwellers, tend not to be invested in what happens beyond the capital – except of course when it’s summertime and Sahel season is upon us. So, naturally, I was quite surprised when I heard there was an art festival held in Kafr El Sheikh. What was even more surprising was the fact that artists from around the world travel to Kafr el Sheikh to attend this festival! What would make these artists travel to Burg El Burullus, a modest town in Egypt's Nile Delta

An increasing number of youth and adults in the region may be suffering from anxiety or depression, yet few psychiatrists exist per capita. For example, in a country like Egypt, there are an estimated 2,000 psychiatrists serving a population of over 100 million. That’s one doctor for every 50,000. Compare that number to the US, where there are 10 psychiatrists for every 100,000 individuals. There’s also the problem of various societies’ mixed perception of mental health. But out of these comple

There’s no doubt that travel is a life changing experience that can make you a more accepting and tolerant person. But for a Middle Easterner, travelling abroad is often easier said than done. Between visa issuing complications and the difficulty of planning a trip on a budget, the average Arab traveller doesn’t have it easy when it comes to roaming the globe. That being said, the MENA region is becoming one of the fastest growing travel markets in the world, and North Africa is even witnessing