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Egypt's Culture Minister Gihane Zaki resigns after copyright infringement ruling
via Egypt Today2 min read
Egypt's Culture Minister Gihane Zaki resigned on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, tendering her resignation to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. This decision followed a final ruling by the Court of Cassation that rejected her appeals in an intellectual property theft case. The Prime Minister accepted her resignation, acknowledging her service. The ruling upheld a previous Economic Court judgment, which, after an investigation by intellectual property experts, found Zaki liable for infringing the copyrights of author Soheir Abdel Hamid. The court ordered Zaki to pay 100,000 EGP in damages, mandated the immediate withdrawal of the contested book from all commercial markets, and prohibited its future distribution. Zaki stated that she voluntarily stepped down to protect the government from political embarrassment regarding a private legal matter and affirmed her respect for the Egyptian judiciary. She also indicated her intention to pursue all remaining legal remedies, including a petition for judicial review, noting that exercising these rights does not conflict with her compliance with judicial rulings.
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Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance and Chairman of Modon Holding, to review the progress of the Ras El Hekma City development projects on Egypt鈥檚 northwestern Mediterranean coast. Madbouly emphasized the government's commitment to overseeing the project and ensuring coordination between Egyptian and Emirati entities. He noted that this cooperation is advancing the project according to its approved timetable, enhancing Ras El Hekma's role as a key development destination and potentially unlocking further investment, tourism, and development opportunities in the region. Al Zaabi confirmed that construction is proceeding on schedule, with the first phase expected to deliver hospitality, commercial, entertainment, and service facilities within their planned operating timelines. The development aims to leverage the area's natural landscape and tourism potential to create a unique destination and boost regional tourism. Both parties agreed to conduct a site visit to Ras El Hekma soon to observe the construction progress firsthand.
Must ReadEgypt maintained its position as Africa's top destination for foreign direct investment in 2025, attracting $15 billion in inflows, according to UNCTAD鈥檚 World Investment Report 2026. This performance helped North Africa remain the continent's leading FDI-receiving subregion. Overall FDI flows to Africa decreased to $70 billion in 2025 from $94 billion in 2024, though this figure still represents the third-highest recorded since 1990 and is about one-third above Africa鈥檚 long-term average. UNCTAD attributed Egypt's continued leadership to its success in attracting capital to priority sectors such as energy, infrastructure, technology, logistics, and manufacturing. The report also highlighted a growing focus on energy, critical minerals, and infrastructure projects in the competition for foreign investment, drawing increased interest from Gulf investors and several Asian economies. While the total value of newly announced projects declined in 2025, the number of projects increased, indicating sustained international confidence in Africa鈥檚 long-term investment potential. Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa were noted as leading destinations for investment in industrial development, renewable energy, green hydrogen, and logistics. The report emphasized that African economies must now focus on enhancing the local impact of these investments through technology transfer, job creation, stronger supply chains, and increased domestic manufacturing capacity. Globally, FDI flows rose by 6%
The Permanent Mission of Egypt in Geneva, in collaboration with Kuwait, Indonesia, and Malaysia, successfully passed a draft resolution titled "Consequences of obstructing and impeding humanitarian access and threats to the safety of humanitarian workers during armed conflicts." Adopted unanimously during the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council, the resolution addresses the global increase in armed conflicts, which has led to more attacks on humanitarian workers and hindered aid delivery to civilians. The resolution emphasizes that protecting humanitarian workers and ensuring safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access are international law obligations and crucial for human rights and alleviating suffering in conflict zones. It received co-sponsorship from 65 countries across various geographical groups, indicating growing international consensus on strengthening humanitarian protection. This initiative highlights Egypt's commitment to enhancing dialogue on human rights and contributing to the international human rights system.