Cairo is set to welcome global AI leaders, enterprises, and experts at the inaugural Ai Everything Middle East & Africa...

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Karam Youssef: “There are two things in my life that I’m proud of: my husband, Ahmed, and Al Kotob Khan. Al Kotob Khan has been a dream for me since the late 1990s. I have been faithful and sincere to keep it going and in good shape. It’s my contribution to my country.

I was brought up with books and culture, and became a collector of old books. I always dreamed of having a bookshop like L’Orientaliste in downtown Cairo, where I was a regular client. I could picture myself having a place like that in my 50s or 60s.

In 2006, at the age of 40, I started Al Kotob Khan as a cultural hub to serve everyone. We offer book discussions, creative writing workshops, poetry nights, and music nights. Al Kotob Khan has always been a center for enlightenment, promoting information and culture, and encouraging young people to read and write.

Of course, it’s not the same as it was when I started 20 years ago, due to the economic situation and all kinds of difficulties I face working in culture in a country with a high rate of illiteracy. People often lack the financial means to buy books.

Twenty years ago, there was no other place like Al Kotob Khan where you could go in the morning, have coffee, and enjoy reading a book or a newspaper. There were only restaurants and cafes that opened in the afternoon after the midday prayer.

As a publishing house, we organized creative writing workshops and published the new voices of the participants. We then began to receive requests and manuscripts from established authors who wanted to publish with us.

After 2011, I took it very seriously to translate progressive and avant-garde writing. I’m trying to publish books and introduce authors who create high-quality literature in very difficult times when commercial interests drive everything.

We’re a small publishing house, so we have to do everything ourselves. For the past five years, my husband has been my partner at Al Kotob Khan, contributing to the editing, cover design, the website, and backstage work.

We publish around 20 books a year. Unfortunately, I say no to many manuscripts, because it’s very difficult to find interesting, good-quality manuscripts that tell a story I haven’t read before or show a different perspective.

It’s an insane moment and a very depressing time in the world, which of course reflects on my work. Sometimes I ask myself, ‘What can a book do while there’s a genocide on our borders? What book of poetry should I publish while they’re attacking a Christian teacher because she was doing her job, preventing students from cheating in exams?’

But I tell myself that I have to continue. One book cannot change the world; however, the accumulation of books and reading, alongside good education and quality journalism, can influence the way parents raise their children. If those books are not well-read at the moment, there will be some people who will read them in 10 years or 20 years.

In this challenging economy, there’s always a shortage of money, and we rely on people buying our books. There is no way to overcome this. You have to deal with it on a case-by-case basis. You delay the publication of one book for another that could bring in some money. For example, we will publish Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Message and Peter Beinart’s Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning.

I believe in good books. I’m now focusing on a project of translating books about Egypt’s modern and contemporary history. We don’t have access to this information and our past. It’s a cliché that victors write history, but there’s history we should learn about in this critical moment, when we, as Egyptians, are feeling down for different reasons.

It’s the little things that give me encouragement and happiness: a regular client coming to get our newly published books or a young guy telling me, ‘When I was little, you recommended this book to me.’ I’m happy and I’m proud and I will continue.”

Vodacom Group has announced the appointment of Mohamed Abdallah as Chief Executive Officer of Vodacom International Markets and Vodafone Egypt....

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As Palestinians continue to suffer at the hands of Israel's genocidal war against Gaza, civilians from around the world are taking matters into their own hands. In North Africa, the Al-Soumoud Convoy (Arabic for "steadfast resistance") aims to travel from Algeria through Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt to Rafah to deliver aid.

Buses and private cars full of hopeful adults of all ages left Tunis on Monday, June 9, expecting to arrive at the Egyptian border with Gaza after June 12, picking up volunteers along the way. Their courage is admirable, and many around the world are relieved that, finally, someone is taking action.

"At best, we hope the Al-Soumoud convoy helps the global effort to reopen the Rafah crossing to aid and amplify the call to break the siege and end the genocide. It's about breaking the complicity of governments, including pro-Zionist Arab regimes, but also the silence of international institutions," Algerian researcher and activist Raouf Farrah tells OkayAfrica.

Farrah is participating as an individual activist, helping by gathering supplies and transporting materials. "We want this action to reignite popular mobilization across borders and force governments to reckon with their inaction," he continues. "At the very least, the convoy sends a clear message: from Tunis to Algiers to Libya, Egypt, and Morocco, people are rising in solidarity with Gaza."

The majority of North Africans have been in solidarity with Palestinians for decades, but their governments have resorted to performative criticism of Israel's occupation. In Egypt, dozens of pro-Palestinian Egyptians, including minors, have been arrested for practicing solidarity; at least 150 currently remain in pretrial detention facing charges of terrorism.

This makes North Africa a complex and unlikely place for such a show of civilian force post-2011. Especially in Egypt, many doubt that the Al-Soumoud Convoy will be allowed to cross the highly militarized Sinai Peninsula.

The situation is complicated by the Global March to Gaza, comprising delegations from over 50 countries that plan to walk from Al-Arish to Rafah on June 13. The organization is separate but in coordination with the convoy. This is not the first time a delegation has tried to reach Rafah; the Egyptian government thwarted efforts in 2023.

"It is a source of disappointment and embarrassment for all Egyptians that our government is highly unlikely to allow either the Tunisian or global marches to make their way to Rafah. The Egyptian government has since the beginning of the genocidal war in Gaza restricted access by Egyptian citizens and Egyptian and foreign media to come even close to the area, except for highly choreographed assemblies by its ardent supporters and pro-government media," Hossam Bahgat, Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, tells OkayAfrica.

The Al-Soumoud convoy is aware of the difficult political situation on the ground. Farrah shares, "We expect obstacles — from political obstruction to tight control and possibly limited repression, as well as logistical challenges, especially at borders with Egypt. But the will is firm. This convoy is a rejection of indifference and an act of dignity from below."

However, many Egyptians and Palestinians were concerned that the march volunteers lacked understanding of the immediate danger that comes with any sort of political action in Egypt. "We have built access to medical structures for displaced Palestinians with immense care, caution, and trust over more than a year and a half. These networks are fragile. They can disappear overnight if outside actors disrupt the political balance we've been carefully navigating," Lucy Mahfouz, a local aid worker who uses an alias for security reasons, tells OkayAfrica.

She continues, "People live here. Palestinians live here, and they are already being watched, harassed, denied access to care, or worse. What is framed as a symbolic gesture or a media action by international activists could have devastating, long-term consequences for them."

American author and human rights advocate Hannah Claire Smith is determined to join the march. "After 20 months of a live-streamed genocide, it's clear that educating people online about the ongoing atrocities isn't enough," she says. "It's time to escalate our advocacy and demand more from the international community."

Irish podcaster Danielle Cooper also flew to Cairo. "We want to amplify the voice of the global anti-genocide community and put pressure on governments who aren't doing anything," she says. "I'm not anticipating many obstacles; we aim to protest peacefully. The only challenges we may face are trekking through the Sinai desert in the blistering heat, which is a drop in the ocean compared to what the people of Palestine are facing every day."

"We have sent letters from the different international delegations to the Egyptian embassies. Parliamentarians have sent letters on our behalf to the Egyptian government. We have worked on our discourse, content of communication with the press, and chart of ethics, and I feel we have taken all the necessary steps to guarantee permission," says Saif Abukeshek, chair of the international committee of the Global March to Gaza. "We see Egypt as part of the solution, and we count on their support to fulfill our mission and reach the border."

The willingness of these volunteers, who are said to be thousands, to set aside their daily lives and physically show up in this moment of moral urgency should be an inspiration and a reminder for all of us that we must do better. Everyone has a role to play, and nobody will be free until all of us are free.

At the same time, doing better means listening to those on the ground and considering the long-term consequences and practicality of political action. In an ideal world, the convoy and march join forces and walk to Rafah, supported by the Egyptian government, to open a humanitarian corridor and finally end the siege. The reality, however, looks different.

On Wednesday, June 11, the Egyptian government published a statement reaffirming the regulations governing visits by foreign delegations to areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip, including Al-Arish and the Rafah border crossing.

As of today, June 12, Cairo authorities have detained and deported dozens of foreign nationals arriving in Egypt for the Global March to Gaza. There are reports of hotel raids in central Cairo, with several activists arrested. One organiser told news agency AFP that more than 200 foreign citizens had been detained at the Cairo airport since Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Al-Soumoud convoy has not yet been granted permission to traverse Eastern Libya, which is under the control of General Khalifa Haftar, whose government is closely aligned with the Egyptian President.

None of this comes as a surprise to Egyptians.

"At the very least, we hope to show the people of Gaza they are not alone and to force the international community to reckon with its complicity," says Smith. "Even if governments don't act immediately, we believe mass mobilization can shift what's politically possible."

To this, Mahfouz says, "If a regime that has brutally repressed any form of Palestinian solidarity is suddenly letting foreign nationals approach the border and post about it freely, you should ask: who is benefiting from this? Because it is clearly not the Palestinians living here. If anything, this kind of action allows the regime to posture while cracking down even harder on those who stay behind. It risks turning solidarity into a stage, while those living under daily surveillance pay the price."

This story was originally posted June 10, 2025 at 3:52 p.m. and has been updated.

June 12, 10:19 a.m. Updated to include updates of participant deportations by the Egyptian government.

"Sudanese families are not aware that Egyptians practice FGM. Amongst them, type three [the most extreme] is usually known as Pharaonic. So when we ask them whether Egyptians practice FGM or not, they realize that Egyptians must practice FGM because it's Pharaonic," Dr. Yussra Mohammed tells OkayAfrica. "During a [recent] conference, Egyptian organizations and activists were surprised that Sudanese referred to type three FGM as Pharaonic because, in Egypt, they refer to it as Sudanese. So they're throwing the blame on each other."

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in Egypt and Sudan, and yet 87.2 percent of Egyptian women and 86.6 percent of Sudanese women aged 15-49 have undergone it. In both societies, people believe that genital cutting is a tradition to preserve a girl's honor and, by extension, her family's.

In the first study of its kind, Equality Now and Tadwein for Gender Studies look at how perspectives around FGM might be changing in Egypt's Sudanese migrant communities. While it lays open several opportunities that could lead to its abandonment, it also reveals how little most people know about the practice and how much the nicknaming of the different types affects how people perceive them: as ancient, foreign, or religiously mandated.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, an estimated 1.2 to 1.5 million Sudanese have fled to Egypt. Equality Now, an international human rights organization that aims to protect and advance the rights of all women and girls around the world, and Tadwein for Gender Studies, an Egyptian organization with a mission to promote gender equality and address gender-based violence through research, advocacy, and community interventions, had been working to end FGM in Sudan and Egypt separately.

"When we saw the influx of people into Egypt, we thought that there was an opportunity to try and see what this migration means for the continuation or the abandonment of FGM," says Paleki Ayang, MENA Gender Advisor at Equality Now.

Economic instability, insecure housing, and obtaining legal status are among the many issues Sudanese are dealing with in Egypt. Although FGM is a deeply embedded cultural practice that is often falsely framed as a religious necessity, it is not a top priority for a refugee. So, could displacement be the reason Sudanese communities let go of FGM?

To find out, Tadwein interviewed 30 grandmothers, mothers, fathers, and young adults in Cairo and Giza. Half of them had been living in Egypt since before the war; the other half were refugees. They shared their varying knowledge of the three types of FGM, colloquially known as Sunna (type one), Sandwich (type two), and Pharaonic (type three).

"We need to debunk the myth that type one is harmless or religiously required," says Ayang. "People need to understand that the harms of FGM are physical, psychological, social, and economic."

The practice's main drivers are grandmothers; young men and fathers are the least informed. All interviewees claimed not to practice FGM, but Dr. Mohammed cautions that this might be because it is illegal in Egypt, and people will not go on record admitting that they broke the law. Most participants, however, were not aware of the law's exact ramifications; they merely assumed that it exists.

Both Ayang and Dr. Mohammed were surprised to find that neither Sudanese nor Egyptians know which type of FGM is prevalent in the other community. This is a testament to the tension between the communities.

In Sudan, FGM is usually done by a midwife, nurse, or grandmother, whereas in Egypt, it is carried out by doctors. In the study, many Sudanese said that they are not comfortable asking Egyptians for help or information due to the racism they experience. Not understanding how the system works and potentially jeopardizing their legal status could be a major deterrent to continuing FGM in Egypt.

In terms of ending FGM, Dr. Mohammed considers this lack of communication a good thing. "If the Sudanese find out that healthcare providers in Egypt conduct FGM, it will be on the rise," she says. Paired with the misconception that type 1 is not harmful, people will assume it is safe if a doctor performs it."

She continues, "When interaction happens and the families talk about FGM, God knows what could happen," she says. "So if we will intervene, we need to do it now."

Published at this crucial moment, the study is meant to be a stepping stone that paves the way for more in-depth research and campaigns, aiming to reframe FGM from being a legal or medical issue to a plain and simple human rights violation. It offers several recommendations, such as involving courts to enforce the law and elders to shift communal attitudes.

"There are now many female-headed Sudanese households in Egypt," says Ayang. "It's important to empower mothers with knowledge, confidence, and tools to resist whatever pressure they might face from their families and communities."

While Ayang admits that "There is no clear cut answer to whether FGM will be abandoned or continued," Dr. Mohammed believes that the factors that will help people abandon FGM are greater than those that provide room for its continuation.

In the Arabic-speaking world, Marwan Moussa needs no introduction. The Egyptian German rapper and producer has dominated the rap scene for years, rising to fame for his hard-hitting bars and effortless flow. A man who enjoys bragadociousness and does it well, Moussa is the third most-streamed Arab rapper of all time and has received three All Africa Music Awards.

After losing his mother to illness in October 2023, Moussa did not listen to music for six months. Then, he returned with "3AMEL EH" (What do I do) in July 2024, on which he opens up to his therapist about his depression, inviting listeners into a journey of climbing out of the darkness.

This week, Moussa revealed الرجل الذي فقد قلبه (The Man Who Lost His Heart), a conceptual framework for the introspective tracks he has been releasing. Throughout the album, the female voice we hear on "3AMEL EH" tells him that everyone deals with the same feelings in different ways. She introduces him to the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - which he adopts as an artistic lens for the 23 tracks across five discs.

"I wanted to make a sad album, but I cannot say accurately what I was going through," Moussa tells OkayAfrica. "I was creating as I went and tried to fit songs into categories. Maybe creating these songs was therapeutic, but I cannot say accurately which stage I went through with which song."

Each disc has stylistic elements that bring Moussa's emotions to life. Denial sounds like string instruments and trap shaabi, a mix of dark trap beats over traditional Egyptian rhythms. Anger rises with Arabic scales and instruments like the Oud. "I felt like [anger] is a very Arab emotion and state," says Moussa. "It's how we express grief the most, especially as men."

His favorite track on the album, "TAQATO3," is on the anger disc. Starting rap-heavy, the track samples the iconic song "Shagar El Lamoon" by Egyptian singer Mohamed Mounir, before ebbing into a vibe that Moussa describes as "melancholic, somehow sad but euphoric."

Moussa wrote and recorded "TAQATO3" between Thailand and Los Angeles; the album came together in studios all over the world. "We just recorded in the places that we happened to be at, and we let it add color and flavors to the album, which I think added diversity to the songs," he says.

Bargaining heavily features the piano, the instrument Moussa associates with questioning. While the other discs have at least one feature, bargaining is the only emotional state he navigates completely alone. With track three of that disc, "Fahman Donya," he recently became the first Arabic-language rapper to perform on the global rap platform From The Block.

Depression is characterized by ambient, mournful textures. Moussa sings and bears his soul over simplistic, repetitive melodies that feature string instruments and the piano, carrying a distinguishable Egyptian rhythm that embeds the universal experience of loss in a specific cultural context.

Throughout the album, a male voice tells Moussa "hawil tiftikir" (try to remember), reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s use of voicenotes. However, Moussa did not have any musical influences for this project. "In the beginning, I thought that was a bad thing. Everything just came from the mind," he says. "But I hope that it will become more timeless because there are no musical reference points."

Acceptance closes the album with Moussa emerging on the other side. This disc is more playful, incorporating jazz piano, Afrobeats, and the assertion that he must keep trying. "[The album] is not about being sad or breaking up with someone. It's about losing someone who dies, specifically, "says Moussa. "I would love it if it helps someone navigate through a period of sadness. Like a map."

Now that he has revealed this deeply vulnerable and raw side of himself, will Moussa continue along this path? "I miss doing an ego song," he says and laughs. "I want to do music that makes me feel confident. That's what I love about classic rap: you say stuff, you feel cool, and it feels good. But that's not how I felt the past year, so I couldn't rap like that."

There's a common concern that Egyptian rap lost its authenticity when it became mainstream, and some voices mutter that the genre is dying out. Moussa agrees that rappers have not been at their best in recent years, but he has noticed a brooding resurgence.

"I think people will become more competitive in the next few months. The action is going to come back," he says. "I think we'll see some battles and hear music that feels like more time has been spent making it. I can feel it and am excited to be a part of it." The Man Who Lost His Heart, with its poignant lyricism and expertly crafted sonic layers, can spearhead a revival of vanguard Egyptian rap, should it actually be on its way.

"In the entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), there's this gigantic statue of Ramses II. It's the largest standing statue of an ancient Egyptian king on Earth, and it's on a base surrounded by water in the shape of a pyramid," Ibrahim Morgan tells OkayAfrica. He chuckles. "Many guests are mesmerized and drawn by the statue's beauty, so they don't focus. They keep walking towards it and end up falling into the water."

Morgan is an Egyptologist and tour guide with 29 years of experience. Eighteen months ago, he started working for GEM, the world's largest archaeological museum complex, home to more than 100,000 artifacts.

GEM's foundation was laid two kilometers north of the Great Pyramids of Giza in 2002. Its construction began in 2005, but the Arab Spring, political turmoil, and financial setbacks repeatedly stopped the works. On July 3, 2025, it will finally open its doors to the public.

Some people have already had the chance to visit this architectural masterpiece and its thoughtfully curated galleries during its trial phase. In segments edited for length and clarity, Morgan tells OkayAfrica about the great honor and pride he feels working at GEM.

Morgan: "Studying Egyptology has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I was born in a small town in Upper Egypt, in the Sohag governorate. My dad would always take me to old sites, like churches and monasteries, in our town and the nearby provinces. It was awesome to feel such a connection to this ancient civilization as someone with deep Egyptian roots through my family lineage. These were my forefathers who left such a great civilization, and we have a personal link.

In sixth grade, my mom, a teacher, started teaching me English. I wanted to use my love for learning languages to tell the world about the greatness of my forefathers and the history and antiquities they left behind for us. The only way to come in contact with tourists is through studying Egyptology, archaeology, history, and foreign languages at university. Then, you can get a license to become a tour guide. You have to have two licenses from the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism and join the Tour Guides Union or Syndicate so that you can work legally.

Upon learning about this, I applied to the University of Alexandria with the highest marks. This meant I had to leave my small town and go to the big city for the first time. I knew nothing; I'd never been to Cairo or Alexandria. At 18, it was a big cultural shock for me. I went to public school in my town, but everyone who studied with me [in Alexandria] came from private schools, so there was a huge difference. I had to lose my thick Upper Egyptian accent; I came a long way.

I have visited the Pyramids of Giza 8,104 times. I keep a record because it's the only existing [ancient] world wonder. It has magic. Every time I go, it's as if it's my first time. If you have this love in your heart for ancient sites, you don't exert effort to keep it interesting.

Listen to Ibrahim Morgan

Tour guide Ibrahim Morgan stands next to the statue of Ramses II in GEM's atrium. In this clip he talks about the positive feedback he gets from guests who have been part of his tours, their impression of Egypt and the kindness of Egyptians.

Sometimes, I'm so happy that I don't even want to eat when I see the expressions and feelings of speechless guests. Many cry and say that this was the best trip they have ever taken; that is the crowning of my work. They may have heard that Egyptians are aggressive and not welcoming in western media, but then find that most Egyptians are kind and genuine. Through my work, I help correct people’s misconceptions about Egyptians and replace them with the truth about how loving and caring we are.

The physical aspect of being a tour guide is demanding, plus the heat. GEM is a new concept. It's clean, secure, air-conditioned, and has a hospitality team. There are cafes, restaurants with local food, and shops with local crafts. I wear a uniform with beige pants, a white shirt with the logo, and a blazer, and I feel proud. I can speak through a microphone instead of yelling. My team is highly educated; they speak German, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and even Hebrew. We're paid very good money and looked after.

We have standardized, guided tours that typically last around 90 minutes, but each guide adds their own touch and storytelling. I answer the common questions first: What's so unique about GEM? I explain that it has the only hanging obelisk on Earth and the largest standing statue of an Egyptian king, Ramses II, which was broken into six pieces until Gamal Abdel Nasser asked a German company to restore it.

There is a false assumption that Egyptians don't care about their heritage. Most Egyptians love their heritage and feel proud to be Egyptian. I became more aware of this when I started working at GEM, where we do Arabic tours. When I showed locals around, they would say, 'We need to protect these antiquities, and we would like to have the antiquities that were taken away from Egypt back.'

The Egyptian Ministry of Education recently started teaching more about Egyptian history and antiquities in schools. And what's so impressive is that they began to teach the ancient Egyptian language in schools for the first time in the history of Egypt.

GEM is Egypt's and Africa's gift to the world. I advise anyone to come and visit; they will be amazed. I've been to the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, but GEM is the best museum in the world. It's truly a gem. Every human should be proud."

If you would like to book a tour with Ibrahim Morgan, contact him through his Facebook page.

It is common knowledge in the Arab world that Egyptians tend to overstate their cultural achievements. They successfully exported their films and music to the rest of the region, asserting themselves as an artistic hub for decades (and sometimes forgetting that they are not the only ones creating good art).

Growing up with Ramadan mosalsalat, other Arabic speakers usually switch to the Egyptian dialect when talking with an Egyptian because most Egyptians only understand their own dialect. As a result, there is a certain resentment when Egyptians dominate cultural spheres.

This is to say that I am aware of how controversially Egyptian April’s list of best North African songs is. But denying that the catchiest, most interesting music came out of Egypt this month would be a lie. So, at the risk of being part of the Egypt-centric problem, here are this month’s song recommendations.

Carly Gibert, Lella Fadda - “Everything new [remix]” (Egypt, Spain)

Egypt’s most-streamed female rapper Lella Fadda jumps on a remix of Spanish singer Carly Gibert’s “Everything New,” rapping in Arabic and Italian over the track’s industrial beat. With its ethereal back vocals and harp-like synths, “Everything New” is at once a hopeful spring song and a badass rap collaboration.

Nadah El Shazly - “Kaabi Aali” (Egypt)

“Kaabi Aali” teases the upcoming second album of Egyptian-born, Montreal-based producer, vocalist, and composer Nadah El Shazly, titled Laini Tani, set for release on June 6. As with her previous offerings, El Shazly creates a hypnotic, multi-layered soundscape, fusing experimental electronics and Egyptian rhythms over which she delivers haunting vocals. “This song takes place amidst Cairo’s neon green city lights and should definitely be listened to at high volume in the car,” says El Shazly.

Wegz, Tayc - “Girlfriend” (Egypt, France, Cameroon)

Rapper Wegz teams up with French Cameroonian R&B singer Tayc for Afro-R&B track “Girlfriend,” demonstrating Wegz’ versatility; the single dropped only a few days after a nostalgic return to his 2019 trap roots on “ElWa3d.” While the track is an interesting, unusual conversation between artists from different worlds, I would have loved Wegz to do a dance scene like Tayc for real revolutionary appeal.

Mazin Hamid, Eiman Yousif - “Ya Jamal Alneel” (Sudan)

Sudanese musician and actor Eiman Yousif, best known for her role in Goodbye Julia, collaborates with Mazin Hamid for “Ya Jamal Alneel,” an ode to the beauty of the River Nile. Over simple guitar and melodica chords, this heartfelt duet remembers Khartoum as the place where the White and the Blue Nile converge, invoking memories of joyful afternoons at the riverbank before the outbreak of war.

Dallo - “Ghara (Remastered)” (Egypt)

Cairo-born electronic music producer Dallo returns with “Ghara (Remastered),” a hypnotic journey that links sufi chants with electronic experimentation and plays with the voice as a soundscape.

Warchieff, Freek, Ma-Beyn, The Hws, TUFF - “Mahzla” (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Palestine)

On “Mahzla,” Saudi producer Warchieff brings together a powerful group of up-and-coming rappers from North Africa and the Levant. The track features Freek, Ma-Beyn, The Hws, and TUFF, blending their high-energy bars and various Arabic dialects with hard-hitting trap beats and an experimental soundscape built on an unsettling bassline.

DJ Habibeats, Felukah - “Hayati” (Egypt, Palestine, US)

Taking us back to the early 2000s, Palestinian American DJ Habibeats and Egyptian rapper and singer Felukah throw a garage party on “Hayati,” a dance track that makes me yearn for summer. Over Habibeats’ trap rhythms and R&B textures, Felukah delivers bilingual Arabic and English vocals that explore diasporic identity, a theme relevant to both US-based artists. The mood switch halfway through the track makes me want to hit repeat every time it ends.

Marwan Moussa - “Bosakber” (Egypt)

Egyptian German rapper Marwan Moussa, the country’s third most streamed rapper, is preparing to release his most personal album. The album is split into five parts, each section tracing the stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—after the loss of his mother. “Bosakber” is the second preview single, a fusion of hip-hop beats, sufi elements, oud arrangements, and shaabi that narrates the experience of heartbreak, trust issues, and spiraling mental chaos. The music video is a testament to Moussa’s love for film, which he studied in Rome.

Obie - “AS7a” (Sudan)

Obie is a Sudanese teenager with a promising flow. On his latest track, “AS7A,” he reintroduces himself to the scene after releasing his Supernova EP last year, and I am intrigued. Mixing fast, playful beats inspired by Afrobeats and Amapiano, paired with his effortless, assertive bars, Obie sounds older than he really is.