The story behind Cairo

As Josh posted a few days ago, a new Egyptian English-language weekly is out. It is called Cairo and its first issue will come out on 3 March. For the past several months, I have been a member of the team that has been working to put it together. Although the first issue isn't out (a limited edition zero-issue is currently floating around the city), Cairo has a website and we're putting up stories already. For now, the site, like the magazine, is still not complete, but over the next few weeks we hope it will become an important source of information about Egypt and about Umm Al Dounia, the mother of the world, the only city that really never sleeps: Cairo.

Many of those involved in Cairo are, like myself, veterans of the Cairo Times. Cairo will even look a bit like the Cairo Times. But as it grows, we hope to make it into something different, something exciting and worthy of a city that is changing fast. It will be a guide to what's going on around town as well as a guide to politics and business. It will be a local magazine, but one whose ambitions will reflect that of the city that hosts it. Most importantly, it will be an independent voice chronicling the very important months and years ahead for Egypt and the region. Stay tuned.