Mrs. Gamal Mubarak?
So he’s not gay after all: earlier this week, Al Midan, an Egyptian tabloid that rarely ventures out of the gutter, published pictures of what they said was Gamal Mubarak’s fiancée. Gamal, 41, has been Egypt’s most eligible bachelor for years but was never spotted with any companion. That had led to rumors spreading that if was not that interested in girls, much like Morocco’s King Muhammed VI. I never quite believed that Gamal had chosen an alternative lifestyle, there were reports of him living with a girlfriend when working for Bank of America in London in the 1990s. I preferred to think those long nights spent on generating New Thinking® and battling the old guard of the NDP meant he had to make cutbacks on his social life. It’s so lonely on Daddy’s lap.
But never fear, Gamal seems to have found quite a lovely catch in Khadija Gamal, a 23-year-old graduate of the American University in Cairo. (Note Gamal’s political acumen: her first name, that of the Prophet’s first wife, is sure to give him a more pious allure in these conservative times while her last name puts him at the center of all things. Perfect!) The happy couple has reportedly bought property in Zamalek for around LE5 million, suggesting that Gamal will leave the family compound in Heliopolis. (Zamalek residents, you pampered lot, if this is true your traffic problems have just quadrupled.) But does Khadija know that special basboussa recipe that Mama Suzanne is famous for?
The funniest thing about all the rumors swirling about Gamal is that even this latest one–that he got engaged to the daughter of a prominent businessman–remains unconfirmed. Egyptians get to know nothing about the son, just as the father shrouds himself in secrecy. I suppose it adds to the leadership mystique. The independent press has been increasingly critical of the amount of secrecy that protects the presidency and affairs of state; last week Magdi Mehanna fired off an angry column about how much mystery there was on the composition of the next cabinet.HT E least Mubarak could have done, he said, was to consult public opinion or at least the largest opposition bloc–i.e. the Muslim Brothers.
Update: Atle is the comments says it’s not true. No wonder that in French, the parlor game known in English as “Chinese whispers” is called “telephone arabe.“
Categories: Egypt.
12 Responses to “Mrs. Gamal Mubarak?”
- 1 Pingback on Feb 26th, 2006 at 11:00 am
From Rumour Central,
Gamal and Khadiga are not sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g. According to a well placed source (my wife who has been friends with Khadiga through school) it is all a rumour, “with not one bit of truth in it” as she just told me. Though the family has been peppered with “Mabrouk” for a few weeks now.
But what is interesting is how this rumour got started. Apparently she was in Paris on holiday at the same time as he was, and it didn’t take more before those pictures appeared.
We have to keep respecting the personal life of the president and his family. What could possibly concern the Egyptian people about the personal life of Gamal Mubarak. please remember how the press ruiend Diana’s life. please try to stick to our oriantal traditions which shape personality. We don’t have to follow the Western style in everythig. as for the secrecy surrounding the composition of the next cabinet is fair. we should know that. let’s mind our own business. It won’t affect the Egyption people if Gamal nevr married or if he married four wives at a time. Again let’s mind our own bussiness
Dear Nehal,
while I understand your point, I’ll have to disagree. Not only do I not think Egyptians have to respect the personal life of a presidential family that does not respect theirs, but I think Gamal Mubarak is fair game as a public personality. This is particularly true of him because he is rumored as a future president of Egypt. I don’t think this is necessarily against any “oriental traditions” as Al Midan, after all, is an Egyptian newspaper and in any case there is just as much celebrity-watching in Egypt as elsewhere, as any copy of Akhbar Al Nogoum will tell us.
Its sad to see that people in this country have nothing better to talk about besides the rumour of Gamals engagement. People should respect eachothers privacy, GET A LIFE.. And by the way if its true i wish them the best of luck.
conspiracy theory:
almidan’s editor in chief is saeed abdel khalek, who also runs magalet alshorta. he’s a member of NDP and close to habib el adli.
the conspiracy theory goes like this: since the new thought team didn’t do so well in the first 2 stages of the elections, elections2000 bloody tactics were brought back into action. but gamal should not be associated with this. so he wouldn’t visit 3rd stage governorates in support of his party’s candidates as he did in the first 2 stages. he would just get away from the spotlight and leave everybody speculating he and his new thought’s team were responsible for good aspects of the elections( ikhwan being able to run under their real name for the first time, no arrests of ikhwan until right before the elections) , and the evil old guard would get all the blame. in the meantime why not show that he’s busy romancing around with no time for politics through this almidan leak.
Dont waste your time. These are all rumours. The girls has had a boyfriend for almost 10 years and I even think that they are engaged.
must be a site for our suggestions for him to read it as well as the others about our country
Excellent work - God with you
Dah Abeet Khales
He’s probably just pimin around
good luck to them both. why is everyone so concerned and sounding so jealous. hey people, just let them be. i always find egyptian girls in egypt so judging and trying to find out all things bad in other girls…..the way they dress, the color and cut of their hair, their eye colour, their physique etc etc! get a life. here in the western world nobody judges each other and it’s a much happier place.
(egyptian not living in egypt)
Congratulations Mr.Gamal wish you happy life with your future wife