Samar El-Gamal

The seabed scramble: Can Haftar realign Libya through maritime leverage?

Politics_

The old Libyan binary of an east backed by Cairo and a west backed by Ankara is eroding, replaced by personal ambitions and pragmatic bargaining over Mediterranean waters.

Samar El-Gamal_ 25-10-2026

The seabed scramble: Can Haftar realign Libya through maritime leverage?

No ambassador in Tel Aviv, a thaw with Tehran: Cairo’s quiet recalibration

Politics_

From the chill with Israel to the Mecca pact it did not join, Egypt has hedged across rival camps. Sources describe a policy that is risk-averse and reluctant to take center stage.

Samar El-Gamal_ 12-10-2026

No ambassador in Tel Aviv, a thaw with Tehran: Cairo’s quiet recalibration

Testing the R-4 in Istanbul: Egypt’s room to maneuver after the Mecca Pact

Politics_

Ahead of the Istanbul quadrilateral talks, Cairo’s absence from a major trilateral defense pact reveals deeper splits over how regional military power should be projected.

Samar El-Gamal_ 31-8-2026

Testing the R-4 in Istanbul: Egypt’s room to maneuver after the Mecca Pact

Reading the runes: Cairo’s cautious eye on the New Damascus

Politics_

Egypt navigates the "gray zone" of the Sharaa regime, waiting for the light of clarity before fully reconciling with a state it once viewed as an existential threat.

Samar El-Gamal_ 17-5-2026

Reading the runes: Cairo’s cautious eye on the New Damascus

Ramzy Ezzeldin: The rebirth of the Political Advisor

Politics_

A veteran diplomat who navigated Syria's war, clashed with ambassadors, and spent years arguing Egypt needs democracy to lead the region. Now he's the president's political advisor

Samar El-Gamal_ 26-4-2026

Ramzy Ezzeldin: The rebirth of the Political Advisor