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mariacallous · 9 months ago

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Eric Adams wanted to see the world, to see it in style. But he wasn’t a rich man, just a former cop and rising politician in a largely ceremonial job, Brooklyn Borough President. Luckily for him, there were a number of benefactors who federal prosecutors say were ready to help him travel in a manner benefitting the position he was angling for: mayor of New York City.

According to a sprawling, 57-page indictment unsealed on Thursday, there was the chairman of a Turkish university; a promoter “whose business includes organizing events to introduce Turkish corporations and businesspeople to politicians, celebrities, and others whose influence may benefit the corporations”; and a senior official in the Turkish government, who, prosecutors say, “later steered illegal contributions and improper gifts to Adams to gain influence with and, eventually, to obtain corrupt official action from Adams.”

Adams in the summer of 2017 went with his son and a staffer to Nice, Istanbul, Sri Lanka, and Beijing, flying business class the whole way. In October, he went again to Istanbul and Beijing, and then on to Nepal. Those tickets were, all told, worth $51,000. But he got it all for free.

The relationship deepened from there, as Adams began to run for mayor in earnest. The Turks allegedly funneled money to his campaign through false entities, or “straw donors.” Accepting such donations is against the law — and Adams allegedly received public matching funds based on these contributions. Adams allegedly returned the favor, in part by pressuring the fire department to allow the opening of a $300 million, 36-story glass tower to house the Turkish consulate, just off of First Avenue and 45th Street, without an inspection and “in time for a high-profile visit by Turkey‘s president” — a diplomatic coup for a man who’s functionally a dictator.

Adams has vigorously denied all of the charges. And at least one Adams ally I spoke with in the immediate aftermath breathed a quarter-sigh of relief — this person was expecting even more, and more serious, charges. “It’s obviously not great but this is weaker than I thought it would be,” the source tells me.

But that exhale assumes that the federal charges against Adams begin and end in this document. They almost certainly do not, with at least four more federal probes reportedly targeting his inner circle and FBI agents searching the mayor’s residence shortly before the indictment was announced. It also assumes that the Turks were the only government to allegedly turn Adams into an unregistered foreign agent. That, too, could prove to be a dangerous supposition — especially given the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn’s pursuit of Chinese influence in New York.

In the last four years, that federal prosecutor’s office alone has charged a dozen separate criminal cases of covert Chinese government interference in U.S. politics, business, and civil society. An aide to New York’s governor was indicted as a foreign agent on Sept. 3. An ex-corrections officer got 20 months for harassing an artist who lampooned Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Two more men were arrested for operating a secret Chinese police station out of the Manhattan headquarters of a group for expats from Fujian province.

The examples spiral out from there.In July, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Robert Menendez, a Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey, of taking bribes and acting as Egypt’s agent. In August, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn charged a hitman with trying to assassinate Donald Trump, allegedly on Iran’s orders. In September, prosecutors in Manhattan revealed an alleged Russian plot to funnel $10 million to MAGA influencers. This is a partial list. A snippet of a list, really. And all of these developments happened in just the last few months, just in and around this one metro area, where a wide array of foreign actors are looking to turn New York into something like Spy City.

The 20 experts, officials, and activists I spoke to couldn’t agree on whether these cases represent a major escalation in this covert activity, an increase in Washington’s willingness to combat it, or both. But they all agreed that such efforts are widespread and being directed by countries across the globe. And while it might be tempting to speculate about what this says about the various foreign policy strategies in foreign capitals, the clear takeaway is that malicious actors around the world see America as pliable, and influence as something that can be bought on the cheap. In other words, the most disturbing part about these covert foreign pressure campaigns is what it says about our politics, our society. About us.

ONE OF THE MORE disturbing foreign influence cases to recently come to light begins 35 years ago, in Beijing. Yan Xiong was a student activist there, jailed for being part of the big Tiananmen Square protests. When he got out, he made his way to America, enlisted in the U.S. Army, and eventually served two tours as a chaplain in Iraq. By 2021, Yan was running for Congress in lower Manhattan. He could tell that something was off. He’d show up to candidate forums, and then wouldn’t be allowed to speak. He’d try to raise money, no dice. There was an old man who wouldn’t stop taking pictures of Yan’s campaign. Yan would go out to his driveway late at night and find a car there, headlights blazing. It was unnerving, but Yan was used to looking over his shoulder.

Nevertheless, Yan was shocked when, in March of 2022, federal prosecutors revealed that he was being targeted by the Chinese government. The goal: to surveil and sabotage the chaplain’s long-shot campaign. “Go deep and dig up something. Right? For example, past incidents of tax evasion… if he used prostitutes in the past… if he had a mistress,” a member of China’s Ministry of State Security allegedly told a private investigator here in the U.S. If the private investigator couldn’t come up with — or make up — any dirt, the P.I. was encouraged to use other means to take Yan out of the race: “In the end, violence would be fine too.”

In the end, Yan’s campaign netted him only 750 votes — not great, but 50 percent more than former Mayor Bill De Blasio received. The P.I. hired by the Chinese government never found any dirt on Yan, or physically attacked him. But the attempt to ratfuck Yan’s campaign continues to leave a wound. Yan’s getting ready to move for the fifth time in two years — in part “for safety, for psychology.” In August, prosecutors unveiled another layer to the alleged plot against him. The old man who’d been taking all those pictures? He was a former Tiananmen Square veteran, too — one who was now accused of working as an unregistered agent for Beijing. To Yan, he’s another “victim” of a regime that’s all-too-willing to extend its reach here. “It’s a tragedy, that’s my opinion,” Yan tells me.

And Yan’s case isn’t the only one in which there seem to be shadowy figures just out of frame. Shujun Wang, another longtime Chinese dissident, was convicted in late August of working as Beijing’s spy. The other day, I called his lawyer to ask about a member of the defense team, a man listed in court documents as a paralegal, who was, in fact, a Florida realtor, recently acquitted of rape. What was he doing there? Who was he? “He is nobody,” the lawyer answered.

These influence campaigns by foreign governments, prosecutors allege, reach all the way down to the lowest levels of state and local government. Take Linda Sun, who started in 2012 as one of the more junior aides out of 200 or so in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office. The former beauty pageant contestant and Barnard grad, who had come to New York from Nanjing when she was a kid, put in the work as a liaison to the borough of Queens and the state’s Asian American community. She’d help connect constituents to government services, make appearances at Lunar New Year events, write up proclamations, and liaise with foreign consulates. Over the years, she gained leverage. Cuomo’s communications shop — described by one former colleague as “95 percent Caucasian” — relied on Sun to tell them how a state proclamation or press release might resonate in Asian communities.

“She did her job. She went home. Didn’t cause any trouble, never caused any drama. But in hindsight, [there was] a lot of trust in that particular position. Because when you ask her opinion about how something plays, we were asking how it plays in, you know, [the Chinese American neighborhoods of] Sunset Park and Flushing. Not how it played in Beijing,” that source tells me.

By 2015, Sun had a willing ear in Kathy Hochul, the new Lieutenant Governor, who was iced out of Cuomo’s inner circle — and eager to build up her own political constituency. Hochul made sure to attend Chinese American community celebrations and events to promote trade with Beijing. (A Hochul aide notes that she interfaced with all kinds of foreign officials, including a half-dozen such meetings just with the Canadians in 2016.) Sun made sure there were all sorts of meetings Hochul wouldn’t take, wouldn’t even know were offered. For example, prosecutors allege, when officials from the rival government of Taiwan tried to get together with Hochul in D.C. in mid-2016, Sun scheduled talks with Beijing’s representatives instead — and then bragged to the Chinese consulate about what she had done. Hochul began to be quoted favorably and often by Beijing’s official state news agency. Sun started to receive gifts from Chinese officials, prosecutors say: tickets to Carnegie Hall, then a wire transfer for $47,895 for travel expenses.

As Sun’s responsibilities increased, her profile grew. She worked with legislators when Korean American nail salons were revealed to be serially underpaying their workers. She helped steer money to Asian American groups as threats to them rose during the pandemic.

By 2021, Hochul was governor. Sun had a bigger title, deputy chief of staff, and was displaying sharper elbows. “She felt very emboldened with making sure that there was a focus [on] protecting mainland China’s agendas,” State Assemblyman Ron Kim, who previously held Sun’s community liaison job, recalls. “That was universally understood, because when myself and other[s] carried certain resolutions to celebrate U.S.-Taiwan relations, I got calls from the governor’s office letting me know that the Chinese consulate is very upset with you, and they would prefer if I don’t do such resolutions again.” (Sun has pleaded not guilty to charges she acted as an agent of the Chinese government, and her attorneys declined to comment for this story.)

This might seem arcane and sort of small-ball. Who cares if some local pol doesn’t issue a Taiwan proclamation? But it’s part of a strategy, says Bethany Allen, author of Beijing Rules, echoing the sentiments of several U.S. officials. “If this is done extensively, consistently, quietly across many states, many state capitals, many state governments, local governments,” Allen tells me, “it can shape the debate. Have a strong downward pressure on the things that China wants to quiet.”

And it’s a strategy that Beijing is willing to pursue over the long haul — to influence people at the lowest levels of local government, and let those folks rise over time. Back when she was a reporter, Allen broke the news of a suspected Chinese spy in California who cultivated relationships from the political to the romantic with city councilmen, small-town mayors, and at least one Congressman. The spy’s true motivations weren’t uncovered until that Congressman, Rep. Eric Swalwell, was on the verge of joining the House Intelligence Committee and gaining access to some of the nation’s better-protected national secrets. (Swalwell denied any romantic relationship, and a House ethics panel decided to take no action against him after a two-year investigation.)

Linda Sun’s case never reached that kind of crisis point. But her value to Chinese officials was clear. The wire transfers were in the millions by 2021. The Chinese Consul General in New York — a sharp, genial diplomat named Huang Ping — sent Nanjing-style salted ducks to Sun’s parents, a half-dozen at a time. According to one source, she started showing up with a fresh tan and a new, high-end handbag to every community event. “People were definitely talking about how she went from rags to riches overnight,” Kim tells me. “Her parents lived in a one-bedroom apartment… She was trying to get a mortgage to buy a condo in Flushing, and she could barely get that. But all of a sudden, now she’s living in a mansion.” And in a sweet vacation home, too. Around the same time Sun and her husband bought a $3.6 million home in Manhasset, New York, they also, according to prosecutors, purchased “an ocean-view condominium on the 47th floor of a high rise building in Honolulu, Hawaii, currently valued at approximately $2.1 million.”

SUN AND ADAMS ARE the first local officials to be charged with acting as agents of a foreign power. They probably won’t be the last, or even the last in New York. (“What you saw with the governor in New York, that’s going to be scratching an itch that tickles in a lot of different places,” Bill Evanina, who spent seven years as the federal government’s top counterintelligence official, tells me.) The place has long attracted spies and clandestine power brokers, and not just because of the UN, or Wall Street, or all the corporate headquarters. America’s best city is, not coincidentally, also its most diverse; more than three million of the eight million-plus people living here are foreign-born. Those diasporas are often of intense interest to the countries from which they spring, especially if the countries in question are ruled by authoritarians. The revolutionary movements that took down the Czar, the Chinese Emperor, and the Shah were all incubated overseas.

These diasporas also can wield outsized power in local politics, too. New York’s election laws are so labyrinthine and complex, with elections held on off-years and on strange dates, that they’re practically designed to keep people from voting. (Ron Kim has 115,000 people living in his district in Queens, for example; fewer than 3,200 of them voted in his contested primary race, which is the only race that matters in a one-party town.) So if any one group gets behind a single candidate, or gins up turnout, or dumps in a lot of money, it can swing an election. Kim faced off against a primary opponent backed by a well-known local community leader who is openly supportive of the Chinese Communist Party. They each poured more than $600,000 into that tiny-turnout primary race. “I felt this was a clear effort to get a political seat for a person who is loyal to their agenda,” Kim says. “This isn’t about lawmaking in [the state capital of] Albany, but it’s about being the power broker of Flushing that will give them credibility and access.”

This is all happening in a place where the politics are — there’s no other way to put this — corrupt as fuck. The five federal investigations reportedly swirling around Adams and his closest associates involve everyone from the police commissioner to the schools chancellor to his top fundraisers to a pair of deputy mayors. Adams’ immediate predecessor, de Blasio, dodged indictment for violating campaign finance laws, but not by much. After leaving office, former mayor Rudy Giuliani took money from a North Korean gangster and then worked with a man he admitted was likely a Russian spy. Long Island’s George Santos was expelled from Congress after less than a year; he recently pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud. One of Santos’ bigger Republican critics on the Island, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, was just exposed for giving Congressional jobs to his lover and his fiancée’s daughter.

You get the idea: plenty of politicians with their hands out; elections practically designed to be swayed by small groups; those small groups susceptible to foreign infiltration and pressure, because they’ve all got family back home. “New York would be at the top of the list in terms of foreign governments, foreign regimes wanting to target,” says Casey Michel, author of the newly published Foreign Agents. “Especially New York City. I don’t think it’s any surprise that the major investigation into a municipal authority as a target of potential foreign influence is Adams.”

So let’s talk about the mayor. Adams has been ducking corruption allegations — and playing diaspora politics — for more than 15 years. According to the New York Times, a grand jury in July issued subpoenas related to Adams’ ties to six different countries: China, Qatar, South Korea, Israel, Uzbekistan, and, of course, Turkey. In his role as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams attended almost 80 events connected with Turkey, and at least 50 more celebrating China. Some of those events actually upset his Turkish government contacts, according to the indictment. In 2016, a Turkish official told Adams that a community center he used to visit “was affiliated with a Turkish political movement that was hostile to Turkey’s government… If Adams wished to continue receiving support from the Turkish government, Adams could no longer associate with the community center. Adams acquiesced.”

Adams also met multiple times with Huang Ping, the Chinese Consul General who prosecutors later identified as Linda Sun’s handler. And the politicking seemingly continued overseas. Adams took 13 separate trips to Turkey and China, which is a lot of travel to those two specific nations, considering borough presidents don’t really have foreign policy roles. “It’s totally appropriate,” he said after the first of the trips to China, in 2014. “I’m not going to be a MetroCard borough president — I’m going to be a passport borough president.”

City Hall won’t say what all of the trips were for. (They didn’t respond to requests to comment for this story.) The alleged purpose of the Turkey trips, at least, is now less murky after the indictment’s release.When it comes to the others, here’s what we can say for sure: We know that one of Adams’ China travel partners, his longtime Asian community liaison Winnie Greco, had her former campaign office and several of her homes raided by the FBI. We know that Greco and another Adams crony met separately in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, with the man later indicted for operating that secret Chinese police station out of a Fujianese expat society in Manhattan. We know that Adams and Greco appeared onstage at a gala for that charity — the American Changle Association, named for a famed neighborhood in Fuzhou — shortly before it was exposed as a secret police front bythe New York Post. We know Adams was with Association bigwig Lu Jianwang days before Lu was arrested in the secret police affair. We know, thanks to local news outlet The City, that 121 workers at the New World Mall in Queens, the site of Greco’s 2021 campaign office, made donations to Adams of precisely $249 each, one buck below the limit for eight-times public matching funds. Several donors said they were reimbursed in cash, or had no idea they had been listed as contributors at all. This has all the hallmarks of illegal straw donations, as Adams’ team surely knows.One Chinese billionaire who gave money to Adams (and hosted his 60th birthday party) recently pleaded guilty to such charges.

MAYBE ALL OF THESE connections were on the up-and-up. Maybe Adams’ trips to China and extremely odd donations from his campaign office in Flushing were no more nefarious than the 70-plus flag-raising ceremonies for various countries he’s attended in his two-and-a-half years as mayor. Maybe it’s an accident of scheduling that Huang Ping, the Chinese Consul General, asked him to blow off a banquet with the Taiwanese president and Adams wound up doing just that. Adams may have rubbed elbows with people who were later indicted as foreign agents in groups like the American Changle Association, where voters gather for an old-country meal or speak in their parents’ dialect. There’s hardly an elected official in New York who didn’t make such a visit, or get his picture taken at some point with Huang. Of course they did. Huang was a gregarious, effective, charming diplomat. He may be accused of secretly handling alleged agents like Linda Sun, but chatting up local politicians was most definitely Huang’s job.

You don’t have to be some kind of simp for Beijing to find this kind of criminalization of foreign influence a little hypocritical, given all the governments the U.S. helped overthrow in the past century. You’re not necessarily an abolish-the-police type if you think the feds have gone overboard in their hunt for Chinese agents. “We’re not China. We’re supposedly a free country, and the government should take more care in prosecuting and, in turn, persecuting people,” John Liu, a state senator from Queens, tells me. This is personal for him. While he was gearing up to run for mayor more than a decade ago, the FBI ran a sting on him and his donors, part of a straw-donor probe he says was oh-so-subtly named “Operation Red Money.” They did find some straw donors, and a top aide did go to jail. But Liu himself was only fined $26,000 — proof, he says, that the whole investigation was overheated. Nor is it a one-off. Liu points to cases like Baimadajie Angwang, the cop accused of spying for China, only to have the charges dropped without explanation. By that time, the NYPD had fired him. “You know what? It wouldn’t be so bad if the government pursued these cases, made them as visible as they intentionally make them, and actually had a pretty good record of success,” Liu says. “It bothers me that there’s no accountability of any kind. You know, the government does this, and it doesn’t matter how many lives are ruined [or] the impact on the wider community.”

There’s no question there’s been overreach, including horror stories of Chinese Americans interrogated by the FBI, seemingly for no reason at all. “We should absolutely oppose any effort by any foreign government to undermine our American society, our way of life, our democracy,” says Rep. Grace Meng, who hired Linda Sun when she was in the State Assembly and now represents a large part of Queens in the U.S. Congress. But “there’s a lot of fear right now in the Asian American community,” she adds. “Every day, young, professional Asian Americans are really scared that these harmful stereotypes are being fueled… [by] questions that are asked only of us.”

As overzealous as some prosecutors may have been, though, and as ugly our recent turn toward anti-China and anti-immigrant politics, there are too many of these foreign influence cases, tied to so many different outside actors, to brush off. A former Republican Congressman is under indictment for covertly working for Venezuela’s dictator. A major Trump fundraiser pleaded guilty to doing the same on behalf of the Chinese and Malaysian government officials, in a case so weird and sprawling, a member of the Fugees wound up with a foreign agent conviction as part of it. Things are so bad, the guy that’s supposed to be leading the investigations into these cases in New York — the head of the state’s FBI counterintelligence division — was himself sentenced earlier this year to federal prison for doing the bidding of a sanctioned Russian oligarch. The MAGA crowd can whine all they want about the #resistance obsession with “Russia, Russia, Russia.” Folks on the political left can roll their eyes at what feels like a Trumpy obsession with Chinese influence, or another red scare. It takes a kind of willful blindness not to see a pattern here. Liu, for one, called on Adams to resign after prosecutors unveiled their indictment which showed just how deep the mayor’s ties to Turkey went.

“This isn’t a Republican problem or a Democratic problem — it’s completely bipartisan,“ Michel tells me. “And as we’re now seeing, it’s not just one level of government these regimes are targeting. It’s everyone.”

For half a century, the American government hardly bothered to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires influence-peddlers to disclose their overseas clients, at least. That changed after the 2016 election, when Trump recruited the O.G. of scummy foreign lobbying, Paul Manafort, to run his campaign and publicly begged for a dictator’s help to win. The Department of Justice went on to prosecute Manafort and so many others — from the Russian troll farm to the white-shoe law firm Skadden, Arps — for breaking that law. Brandon van Grack, who oversaw many of those prosecutions as head of the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act unit, says the apparent surge in cases we’re seeing, eight years later, is a result of that 2016 wake-up call. He credits “greater resources and tools to identify and disrupt those influence operations than an increase in the operations themselves,” adding, “Foreign influence is not novel.”

It’s not exactly dying down, either. A few years ago, you might have thought that prosecuting folks like Manafort would at least serve as a warning shot. The sheer range of regimes trying to influence the 2024 election paints a different picture, and I don’t just mean the fact that Manafort is a free man and doing Fox News hits from the Republican convention. “I would say that a couple things are true in this specific situation. Yes, there are more investigations, because there are allowed to be. And I think our adversaries are more brazen than they have ever been,” Evanina, the former counterintelligence chief, tells me.

There’s a good argument that the number of prosecutions isn’t even the right metric to gauge foreign influence. Registering as an overseas lobbyist — dodging a FARA charge — that’s the easy part. More than 1,000 foreign principals have done so since 2016, spending more than $5.5 billion to whisper in lawmakers’ ears. At least 90 former members of Congress have registered since 2000 to push another government’s agenda. Scores of U.S. generals and admirals have taken jobs with foreign governments in the last decade, with Saudi Arabia alone hiring 15 retired flag officers. Biden talked in 2020 about banning former officials from lobbying for foreign powers. It was just talk.

The Supreme Court in recent years has radically raised the bar on bribery cases, and functionally removed any restrictions on campaign spending. That’s allowed Americans closely aligned with foreign governments to make enormous investments in shaping U.S. policy. The best known of these are the lobbyists pushing the agenda of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who gave over a million dollars to the now-convicted Sen. Menendez, even after he was indicted, and spent millions more on successful primary campaigns to knock out two of Israel’s few critics in Congress. None of this violates any laws. But maybe that’s beside the point. The real foreign influence scandal, Michel tells me, is how much of it is “perfectly legal.”

If you’re mad at outside actors for exploiting America’s system, don’t be. The United States is still the world’s biggest power; of course every other nation is going to try to pull us in their direction. Try directing your anger a little closer to home. All of these politicians on the take, we voted for them. The bullshit China or Iran pumps out on TikTok? It’s downright factual compared to the nonsense we Americans push one another. And if you think a guy like Eric Adams is an outlier with his, shall we say, open-minded approach to campaign finance and outside influences, allow me to introduce you to the Republican nominee for president and his inner circle. The Congress we elected has bottled up nearly every attempt to close these foreign-funding loopholes. The campaigns we supported went along with the Supreme Court’s decision to make elections a feeding frenzy. This is a choice. Collectively, we made it.

IN THE HOURS AFTER Linda Sun and her husband were charged as Chinese agents on Sept. 3, Gov. Hochul urged the U.S. government to expel Sun’s alleged handler, Consul General Huang Ping, and a State Department spokesperson claimed that Huang had “rotated out of the position.” Yet on the night of Sept. 5, at Manhattan’s storied Plaza Hotel, Huang Ping appeared onstage at the China Institute’s $2,500-per-ticket Blue Cloud gala, looking rather dapper in a well-tailored tuxedo. Pictures were posted to the consulate’s website two days later. “Consul General Huang Ping is performing his duties as normal,” read a statement sent out to reporters.

A few hours after he was indicted, Huang’s longtime interlocutor Eric Adams promised to do much the same. “My attorneys will take care of the case, so I can take care of this city,” he said. “My day to day will not change.”

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beardedmrbean · 2 months ago

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A woman filmed punching and chasing a man for whipping his donkey in Egypt has been arrested.

Joke van der Post, a Dutch expat, was filmed charging towards the donkey handler, punching him several times before chasing him with a whip.

Moments before she appeared, the donkey could be seen kicking out in pain as it was lashed by its handler near Cairo.

The exchange prompted a furious Ms van der Post to run at the man, pushing him against the wall and shouting: “You think this is f---ing normal? You piece of s--t.”

Ms van der Post, who owns a veterinary practice called the Good Karma Sanctuary in Cairo, then grabbed a whip from another handler, chasing the man down the dirty road.

Police later arrested Ms van der Post before releasing her. The animal handler was also arrested, according to Egypt’s interior ministry. He had filed a complaint against Ms van der Post, accusing her of “psychological harm”.

The vet told NOS, a Dutch news outlet, that animal abuse is commonplace in Cairo, where she has lived with her Egyptian husband for several years.

“When I shouted to stop, I was called a w----- and the man laughed and then hit harder,” she claimed.

Ms van der Post said she believed the altercation could lead to her spending more time in prison or even being deported from the country, but said it was “worth it”.

She told NOS: “I could probably get six months or a year in prison, or maybe even deportation. But if that means that something will finally change here, it was worth it.”

Her veterinarian clinic specialises in providing care to horses, donkeys and mules, often treating them for wounds and skin conditions. She is an advocate for animal safety, having previously campaigned against animal cruelty in Egypt.

The Good Karma Sanctuary later responded to the clip, which went viral on social media, saying it was “appropriate” to introduce themselves alongside a video of Ms van der Post stroking a horse named Einstein.

It said: “Here at Good Karma Sanctuary we strive to alleviate the suffering for the working animals at the Giza pyramids by educating, providing free veterinary care 24 hours a day and by rescuing the lucky ones.”

Evidently written by Ms Von der Post, it went on: “Due to my actions, I’m facing more jail time and possibly deportation. Let it not be in vain!”

#nunyas news #at least she went in with her eyes open #knowing there could be repercussions #which morally speaking there shouldn't be

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a-shade-of-blue · 10 months ago

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New Gaza fundraiser asks I've received (6-7 September)

7 September

Hazem Tannera (@hazemfromgaza): Hazem is in Egypt right now but he is trying to evacuate his family of 10 who are still in Gaza.This includes his parents, his siblings, and 3 children. (https://gofund.me/ad53996b) (shared by 90-ghost)

Nahla & Mohammed Zaqout (@springbutterfly37): Nahla is a mother of 4 children whose husband is an expat living outside the country. She lives with her husband’s family but their house has been destroyed. (https://gofund.me/4c412abb) (Vetted by association. They are a relative of @/burningnightgiver (shared by 90-ghost), see post here for proof) ($1,310 USD raised of $45,000 target)

Nabila (@nabilaa63, @nabelamohamed): Nabila is 64 years old and suffers from chronic diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. Given the lack of medication and treatment, Nabila cannot feel her limbs most of the time. She is fundraising to get medication and treatment and evacuate out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/39c2807d) (shared by 90-ghost)

Mohammed M Siam (@mohammed-ms): Mohammed is a 23-year-old student fundraising to rebuild his home after it was destroyed in an attack. (https://gofund.me/d604283e) (vetted by association. He is a friend of @/yousefjehad3 (132 on the Bees and Watermelons verified fundraiser list, shared by 90-ghost, #255 on the verified fundraiser sheet vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi), see post here for proof.) ($10 USD raised of $25,000 goal)

Hamada Shakhsa (post here): Hamada is 21 years old. His house has been destroyed by a missile. He was a third year uni student and is from a family of 8. His sister has 7 children and her husband is missing due to the war. He is trying to evacuate 7 people. (https://gofund.me/18a81adf) (vetted by association. He is a friend of @/yousefjehad3 (132 on the Bees and Watermelons verified fundraiser list, shared by 90-ghost, #255 on the verified fundraiser sheet vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi), see post here for proof.) ($416 USD raised of $20,000 goal)

Hadeel Abu Jiab (@palestinianhadeel): Hadeel is 26 years old. Her husband was killed by the occupation in front of their 3-year-old daughter Almas. HIs brother and his wife were also killed, leaving their child Najwa (5) orphaned. Her mother was injured in the foot and requires medical care. Her nience Samira needs medicine for her eyes. Her brother Ibrahim requires a medical operation on his back. She is trying to evacuate a total of 13 people. (https://gofund.me/c0fb09e8) (shared by 90-ghost)

Habib (@abuadam86): Habib is married with 4 children: Menna (12), Adam (10)(suffering from quadriplegia), Maria (6), and Ezz (1). Their house has been destroyed and they are trying to evacuate out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/61731615) (vetted by association. Habib is a brother in law of @/hashemsh12 (shared by 90-ghost, vetted and promoted by @/gaza-evacuation-funds). Habib is also a relative of @/hazemsuhail (vetted by association). See post here for proof.) (IG: @/habib_jeh.ad) (kr8,806 SEK raised of kr500,000 goal)

6 September

Em Ali Al-Habil (@emali-alhapil): Em Ali is a mother of ten children. She and two of her children suffer from asthma. There house was bombed while they were inside it. (https://gofund.me/43e61759) (vetted by association. Em Ali Al-Habil is a sister of @aya2mohammed (vetted by el-shab-hussein and is listed as number 166 on the verified fundraiser list vetted by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi.) See post here for proof) (only €20 raised of €60,000 target)

Ahmed Alnabih (@ahmedgaza27): Ahmed is 27 years old and an architect. He is engaged to his partner Aya. They were supposed to get married in Februray 2024. Their house has been bombed and destroyed, and they are now displaced. (https://gofund.me/723d8635) (vetted by 90-ghost)

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 13 July - 25 July.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 26 July -29 July.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 30 July - 1 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 2 August - 5 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 6 August - 10 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 11 August - 14 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 15 August - 18 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundrasiers from 19 August - 21 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundrasiers from 22 August - 24 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 25 August - 28 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 29 August - 1 September

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 2 September - 5 September.

How does vetting and verification work? See post here. (also read comments regarding 90-ghost and why we trust the campaigns he has shared)

Click here for my Google Doc with my complete masterlist of all the Palestinian gfm asks I've received, updated daily (along with other verified ways to send aid to Gaza).

See post here for other verified ways to send aid to Gaza.

Don't forget your Daily Clicks on Arab.org, it's free!!! and Every click made is registered in their system and generates donation from sponsors/advertisers.

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a-roguish-gambit · 11 months ago

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How's Evan in your au?

Doing ok for the most part. Could be better but he's not feeling god aweful. New York was still fairly racist in 1912 but a far cry from the Jim Crow South.

According to the Tuskegee institute, there's only one reported lynching of a black person from the 1880s-1960s. (That's not to say that racial violence of other sorts didn't happen or that unreported lynchings didn't happen, just shows how compared to the South, where people literally had little festivals around lynchings at times and sent postcards about it, hate crimes were generally looked down upon and well...considered crimes) and he has the added benefit of being from a wealthy family that didn't come from an enslaved background. Because Ororo is a recent expat from egypt canonically, so is his family. They run an import/export transport business to the United States which is why they are living there at all. Granted that makes the racism he sees very very obvious to him compared to how he used to live, but the status helps avoid some of the worst of it by avoiding a lot of the financial barriers that prevented black people from escaping poverty and segregation. Segregation in New York, while there, was more financial barrier focused. A lot of places up north had laws against segregation in schools after the civil war, but segregation was often enforced via redlining and such. Cost of living, job prospects, school funding, etc, ect ect. Jim Crow laws didn't start reaching the north in a big way until after wwI.

So cause he comes from money he's able to attend the same school as his friends. He...is not too fond of the kids there and does not fully trust them. They are harmlessly ignorant at the best of times and he doesn't want to get to know them enough to see them at the worst of times. They have a nasty habit of talking down to him and certainly don't act like he's their equal, despite the fact that he is more well traveled and can speak more languages than any of them. (Evan knows French, Arabic, Swahili ,and English in this AU) So he mostly sticks with the institute kids...who absolutely adore him and will not let anyone give him shit. They will avoid places that do segregate to the best of their abilities (you can only avoid public restrooms so much in an emergency), step up to anyone saying something they don't like to him, and generally have his back no matter what, particularly rogue and gambit, who know exactly how bad treatment of black people can get in America at the time. Rouge has basically adopted him as a second little brother at this point, despite him being only a few months younger than her, and as a result, Kurt has also practically physically attached himself to evan. Gambit and Scott both have a no questions asked ride pass for Evan if he needs to go anywhere, Kitty and Evan have bonded over their own shared struggles, and the teachers especially storm have his back no matter what.

He does have some friends outside the institute he plays baseball and basketball at the YMCA and goes on bike riding trips and has made some friends that way. Life isn't easy but he's finding ways to make the best of it.

Also despite their rivalry, or maybe because of it, as of late he's been seeing Pietro a little bit in private to....have chats with him. Friendly ones. Alone. .... I am a sucker for Rivals to lovers okay.

Just to make sure we're all clear I don't want to try and whitewash history, this was not the average experience for black people, even in New york. They experienced a lot of awful shit. I just really like Evan as a character and know how shitty this time could be for black people so I'm giving him the best opportunities I can given in the period. Because Evan deserves the best and he doesn't get enough love in this fandom as is. If anyone has better historical knowledge and would like to critique me on this, particularly black life in New York state at the time, please feel free to I am open to listening because this is not a subject that I am the most knowledgeable on.

#evan daniels #spyke #x men evolution #evan x pietro #pietro maximoff #mod talks #hello stranger #turn of the century au #scott summers #kitty pryde #kurt Wagner #rogue #gambit #remy lebeau #anna marie darkholme #tw:historical realism #tw:racism #ororo monroe

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lisseim · 6 months ago

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For the WIP Folder Game, tell me all about "The Beach Episode (derogatory)"! 🥺

The Beach Episode (derogatory) is essentially a very short one-shot I came up with as an excuse to write a conversation that had been kicking around in me head for days. It’s not done yet, but I’ll probably post it as part of the Hold Me Close collection of one-shots. Aka the one where I dump the small stories that don’t fit anywhere else.

The basic premise is that Elsa, Jack and Layla are out and about, and then Elsa mentions someone being an expat...

So this conversation ensues:

"He’s an expat, isn’t he?” Elsa commented, almost absentmindedly.

“hmm,” Layla knit her brow. “More like an immigrant, I think.”

Elsa blinked at her in confusion. “What’s the difference?”

“An expat is like an immigrant,” Jack explained, almost too casually. "but European or white.”

Elsa suddenly felt really awkward. “Oh,” was all she could manage

“Yeah, like, when you were in Egypt you were an expat,” Jack went on, his voice devoid of any judgement. “But Layla and I are immigrants.”

“And Marc? Would he be an expat?” She ventured.

“Technically,” Layla pointed out, “he was born in Guatemala.”

Now it was Jack’s turn to frown in confusion. “I thought he was American.”

“He deos have an American passport.” Elsa observed.

Layla chuckled, “He does have like twenty passports, to be fair.”

"So Steven’s British accent,” Jack asked, “Is that just because he’s been here for so long?”

Layla’s bit her lip. "Not exactly,” she said, a bit awkwardly, and Elsa knew it was probably time to change the subject.

She turned to Jack and smirked at him. “You did use the word nickers the other day,”

“You truly are a terrible influence.”

Also, the only reason the WIP is called (derogatory) is because I hate not being able to fit these shorter conversations into my actual main series fics

#wip ask game #werewolf by night #fan fiction

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dwcrypto · 7 months ago

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Money Transfers Why Expats Choose GCB Exchange for Money Transfers?

1. Competitive Exchange Rates for Maximum Savings

As an expat, every dollar counts when sending money back home. High exchange rates and hidden fees from traditional banks can reduce the value of your remittance.

GCB Exchange offers competitive rates and transparent pricing, ensuring you get the most value for your hard-earned money. For example, services like XE Currency can help you compare rates and see the benefits of using GCB Exchange.

2. Low Fees with No Hidden Costs

Many exchange services promise low rates but sneak in hidden fees that inflate the overall cost. GCB Exchange ensures complete transparency. What you see is what you pay — no surprises.

This commitment to fairness is why expats across the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, and beyond rely on GCB Exchange. Check out our transparent fee structure here.

3. Speedy Transfers to Anywhere in the World

When your family depends on timely remittances, every minute matters. GCB Exchange processes transfers quickly and efficiently, ensuring your money arrives when it’s needed.

Unlike traditional banking services, which may take days, GCB Exchange is designed for fast and reliable transfers. For example, compare with services like Wise and discover how GCB Exchange goes above and beyond for expats.

4. User-Friendly Platform for Hassle-Free Transactions

Managing finances as an expat is already complicated — your money transfer service shouldn’t add to the stress. GCB Exchange offers a straightforward platform that makes it easy to:

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You can compare security standards with trusted names like OANDA and see why expats put their faith in GCB Exchange.

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#bitcoin #blockchain #crptocurrency #finance #investment

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athenawasamerf · 1 year ago

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https://www.tumblr.com/athenawasamerf/632366635625365504/the-right-to-say-no

I’m a little confused…. Are you in Egypt or Saudi Arabia?

At the beginning you say Egypt, then later you say under the hot Saudi Arabian sun. Unless the sun in Egypt is somehow Saudi Arabian, why?

Have you heard of aeroplanes?

That’s a bit mean, but I’m tired of this question. My parents are expats in Saudi Arabia so I lived there for most of my life and it’s where my family lives at the moment. I’m Egyptian and moved back to Egypt full-time for med school after I graduated high school. All of which is readily available information on my blog.

#ask #personal

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deadlinecom · 2 years ago

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ienglishinstitute · 8 days ago

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Are you an expat living in the UAE and looking to improve your English? iEnglish Institute is proud to be one of the best English learning centers in the UAE, trusted by thousands of expatriates from all over the world.

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#language #تعليم #دبي #ابوظبي #الشارقة #العين #learning #english #education #uae #العاب اطفال #ملابس اطفال

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middleeastmanagementservicesllp · 14 days ago

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Busting the Biggest Myths About Gulf Jobs: What You Really Need to Know Before You Work in the Middle East

Introduction: The Gulf Job Dream and Its Misconceptions

Why Gulf jobs remain a top aspiration for many

For decades, Gulf countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait have been magnets for job seekers, particularly from South Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The promise of tax-free salaries, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and the ability to financially support families back home has made the Middle East an aspirational work destination. Many view it as a gateway to a better standard of living and future security.

Role of media, word-of-mouth, and social platforms in spreading myths

Despite the appeal, perceptions about Gulf jobs are often shaped by second-hand stories, social media anecdotes, and dramatized portrayals. From tales of overnight riches to extreme labour abuse, the spectrum of misinformation is wide. These myths, if not corrected, can set unrealistic expectations and lead to unwise career decisions. This blog serves to separate myth from reality, offering accurate, updated insights for potential Gulf job seekers.

Myth 1: Gulf Jobs Are Only for Unskilled Labor

The growing demand for skilled professionals

Contrary to the belief that the Gulf is only for construction workers or domestic help, there is a rising demand for skilled professionals. As Gulf nations diversify their economies beyond oil—investing in sectors like healthcare, IT, education, and renewable energy—they require qualified engineers, doctors, data scientists, teachers, and project managers. Countries like the UAE and Qatar are actively recruiting international talent to meet these evolving needs.

Success stories of engineers, IT experts, doctors, and educators

Thousands of expats from countries like India, the Philippines, Egypt, and Pakistan have built successful careers in high-skilled sectors. For example, Indian IT professionals play a crucial role in UAE’s fintech and smart city projects, while Filipino nurses and doctors are in demand across Saudi Arabia’s expanding healthcare facilities. The success stories are proof that the Gulf is no longer just a labour destination—it’s a hub for skilled, educated professionals as well.

Myth 2: Salaries Are Always High and Tax-Free

Truth about cost of living and salary variations by sector

Yes, salaries in the Gulf can be competitive, and in many cases, they are tax-free. However, this doesn’t mean everyone earns a high income. Salaries vary significantly depending on your job role, qualification, experience, and industry. Moreover, cities like Dubai and Doha have high living costs—rents, school fees, and daily expenses can take a large bite out of your paycheck if not managed wisely.

Taxation and hidden deductions in some countries

While most Gulf nations do not impose personal income tax, other forms of deductions may apply. Some companies deduct visa processing fees, accommodation charges, or transportation costs. Additionally, countries like Saudi Arabia have introduced Value-Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services, indirectly impacting overall expenses. The “tax-free” concept is appealing, but understanding the full financial picture is essential before making the move.

Myth 3: Life in the Gulf Is Luxurious for Everyone

Social stratification and lifestyle differences

It's a common belief that everyone in the Gulf lives a life of luxury—but the reality is more nuanced. While there are indeed lavish lifestyles in cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, they are often enjoyed by the upper class or those in high-paying executive roles. Most expatriates, especially those in mid-level or entry-level jobs, lead a more modest lifestyle. Social hierarchy plays a significant role in how people live, with visible differences in accommodation, leisure, and even access to certain services.

Balancing expenses, remittance, and savings

Many workers prioritize sending money back home, often at the expense of their own comfort. In doing so, they may share accommodations, cut down on luxuries, and live frugally. The idea of easy wealth can be misleading—while it's possible to save, it requires conscious financial planning and disciplined spending habits. Without that, even a decent salary can disappear quickly due to the region's high cost of living.

Myth 4: You Don’t Need a Contract or Legal Protection

Importance of contracts, labour laws, and visa rules

One of the most dangerous myths is that verbal agreements or informal job offers are enough to work in the Gulf. In reality, a legally binding contract is essential. It outlines your duties, salary, benefits, working hours, and more. Gulf countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have robust labour laws designed to protect workers’ rights—but you need a valid contract to claim those rights.

Real cases of labour disputes and resolution mechanisms

There have been numerous cases where workers arrived in the Gulf only to discover that the job or salary they were promised did not match the contract. Fortunately, most Gulf nations now have labor courts, helplines, and online complaint portals to assist employees facing such issues. Being informed about these mechanisms—and having proper documentation—can make a significant difference in resolving disputes.

Myth 5: Everyone Can Easily Get a Job in the Gulf

Strict visa policies and competitive job markets

The assumption that jobs are easily available in the Gulf is far from reality. Most Gulf countries operate under strict visa and sponsorship systems. Employers must sponsor your employment visa, and these visas are usually tied to specific job roles. The job market is also highly competitive, especially for desirable positions in engineering, IT, healthcare, and business.

Need for qualifications, experience, and proper channels

To secure a legitimate job, you often need formal qualifications, relevant experience, and verified documents. Random walk-in interviews or applying through unverified agencies can lead to scams. Using licensed recruitment agencies, verified online job portals, or direct company applications is the safest and most effective way to find employment. Doing your homework beforehand can save you from falling victim to fake offers or illegal recruitment practices.

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sparinglyregalmeteor · 1 month ago

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How much does it cost to attend the New Cairo British International School?

Parents' initial choice, the first time they begin seeking Egypt's best schools, specifically for expats and world-minded families, always appears to find its way to the British schools of Cairo. One of them is the New Cairo British International School (NCBIS) as one of the best schools high on the list because it is a high-ranked school by virtue of the vision of academic achievement, global citizenship, and world-minded growth.

But this type of education does not come cheap. So how much is it going to cost you to send your child to the New Cairo British International School, and how does that compare to some of Cairo's higher-rated British schools? Here we expose the school fees, consider what you are paying for, and compare NCBIS to some of Cairo's other schools, the British International School, Cairo (BISC), and Cairo English School (CES).

Overview of NCBIS

New Cairo British International School was established in 1978 and remains the sole sole British charitable school in Cairo because the money makes its way back into school buildings, staff, and students' extracurricular activities. NCBIS educates a combination of the English National Curriculum (ENC), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

The school serves children 3 to 18 and has more than 60 nationalities, so pretty international school then.

NCBIS School Fees

Around or at parents' budgets are either school fees. The following is a ballpark estimate to current yearly tuition rates at NCBIS (exchange rate and school variable):

Year Group Approximate Tuition Fees (2024/2025)

Foundation Stage 1 EGP 220,000

Foundation Stage 2 EGP 245,000

Primary (Years 1–6) EGBP 260,000 – EGBP 290,000

Secondary (Years 7–9) EGBP 300,000 – EGBP 310,000

IGCSE (Years 10–11) EGBP 320,000

IB Diploma (Years 12–13) EGBP 330,000 – EGBP 340,000

Aside from tuition, NCBIS also levies miscellaneous one-time and recurring charges:

Application Fee: EGBP 5,000 (non-refundable)

Registration Fee: EGBP 25,000 (non-refundable)

Capital Fee: About EGBP 40,000 (for equipment and facilities)

Transportation Fee: EGBP 30,000 to EGBP 45,000 depending on distance

It must be remembered that the fees typically are paid on an annual basis and, in the case of fees in GBP, even the exchange rates get covered for the fees.

What You Get for Your Money

Although these fees are very expensive, NCBIS provides international class education with international accreditation and full benefits:

1. Internationally Recognized Curriculum

The students are pursuing the English National Curriculum from Year 11 and are taking advantage of Years 12 and 13 of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which offers the ideal route to world-class higher education in world-class universities.

2. Expat Teachers Highly Qualified

NCBIS employs a predominantly British expat teaching staff that is internationally qualified. Extremely high student-to-teacher ratios are maintained very low to enable one-on-one teaching.

3. State-of-the-Art Facilities

NCBIS boasts a world-class campus with science laboratories, libraries, ICT suites, swimming pools, art rooms, and a performing arts center.

4. The Whole Child

NCBIS places great emphasis on the children's academic achievement but also on developing character, leadership, sports, and creative interests. The whole child program prepares the children for exams but more for school life in general.

Comparison to Other British Schools in Cairo

To more accurately gauge how much of a treasure NCBIS is, it is easiest to compare NCBIS with some of Cairo's other British schools, namely the British International School, Cairo (BISC) and Cairo English School (CES).

1. British International School, Cairo (BISC)

Fees:

BISC is one of Cairo's pricier British schools. The following is an approximate fee structure:

Year GroupApproximate Annual Fees

Early YearsEGP 225,000

Primary (Years 1–6)EGP 270,000 – EGP 290,000

Secondary (Years 7–13)

Fees: EGP 310,000 – EGP 345,000

Special Features:

Ownership: BISC is a profit school, whereas NCBIS is a not-for-profit school. This could have implications towards reinvesting in learning centers and equipment.

Curriculum: Both follow the ENC and both offer IGCSEs and IB but with greater focus on British pedagogy in BISC, greater focus on international approach in NCBIS.

Campus Size & Location: BISC Sakkara is humongous but outside of west Cairo, whereas NCBIS lies between New Cairo and Maadi communities.

2. Cairo English School (CES)

CES is a budget-friendly option of British Cairo schools:

Year Group Approximate Annual Fees

Foundation Stage EGP 170,000 – EGP 190,000

Primary (Years 1–6) EGP 200,000 – EGP 230,000

Secondary (Years 7–13) EGP 240,000 – EGP 280,000

Major Differences

Fee: CES is significantly cheaper than NCBIS and BISC and thus the most desirable option for British education for middle-income families.

Academic Achievements: CES provides adequate academic foundation but arguably less same university placement records or faculty exposure than BISC or NCBIS.

Infrastructure and Equipment: Although immaculate, CES's facilities are a notch down on the same level and number as NCBIS'.

Going to any of the British flying schools in Cairo provides your child with a chance to utilize:

1. Internationally Transferable Education

British education and, more specifically, the IB Diploma equips students to pursue studies at UK, US, European, and international universities.

2. Focus on English Skills

Full English education builds up fluency and prepares students to work and study anywhere globally.

3. International Student Body

The top-notch schools such as NCBIS and BISC are populated by students from the globe, so there is international awareness and international understanding.

4. Co-Curricular Excellence

The children participate in heaps of extra-curricular activities ranging from Model United Nations (MUN) to drama performances and sporting tournaments.

NCBIS vs. BISC: Impact and Results

NCBIS Impact:

Outstanding academic excellence with IB scores always well above world averages

Service learning and community focus

High rate of admission to top UK, Netherlands, US, and Canadian universities

BISC Impact:

High academic achievement with strong British foundation

High progression rate to top UK universities, including Russell Group universities

Top sport and arts programs with strong focus

Conclusion on Differences

While BISC might tempt the student who wants to have a UK style of learning but is satisfied with an expensive UK-themed identity, NCBIS fares better in world orientation, sense of belongingness, and balanced philosophy of development.

Final Thoughts

The preference for Cairo's best British schools—primarily NCBIS—is cost, class size and style of teaching and subjects, and result. NCBIS is expensive, with up to EGP 340,000 in annual fees. The payoff—the difference between small classes and high-class teaching and foreign university placement—takes the negotiating element to be worthwhile, albeit at outrageous expense.

Whether you are an expat parent or a parent who is Egyptian and worried about the future of your child, NCBIS stands a good opportunity to weather the rough education market in Cairo if you tie loose ends on aspects of your education plan, your family values, and your purse strings first before you do.

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gamalmahmoud · 1 month ago

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What Documents Are Required to Buy a Property in Maadi?

Buying a property in Maadi — one of Cairo’s most popular and serene residential districts — can be a rewarding investment, whether you plan to live there, rent it out, or hold it as a long-term asset. Known for its tree-lined streets, expat-friendly atmosphere, and high-end communities like maadi royal garden compound 2, the area continues to attract local and international buyers alike.

However, to ensure a smooth and legal transaction, it’s crucial to understand the documentation required to purchase real estate in Egypt. Whether you’re a foreigner or an Egyptian national, the process involves specific paperwork to protect both buyer and seller and to verify property ownership.

This article breaks down the essential documents you’ll need, gives you tips on the legal process, and provides helpful context — whether you’re exploring Maadi rental apartments as a stepping stone or are ready to commit to buying your dream home.

1. Property Title Deed (Contract of Ownership)

The most critical document in any property transaction in Egypt is the Title Deed (known locally as “Sanad Tamlik” or “Contract of Ownership”). This document proves that the seller has the legal right to sell the property.

The title deed should:

Be in the seller’s name

Be registered with the local real estate registry office

Clearly state the location, size, and boundaries of the property

Before proceeding, a lawyer or legal advisor should verify the authenticity and registration status of the deed.

2. Seller’s Identification Documents

The seller must provide valid identification documents, which typically include:

A copy of their national ID (for Egyptians)

A copy of a valid passport and visa/residency permit (for foreign sellers)

If the property is jointly owned, all co-owners must provide identification and consent to the sale.

3. Preliminary Sales Agreement

This is an initial contract signed between buyer and seller, stating:

Agreed-upon purchase price

Payment terms and schedule

Date of final contract signing

Penalties for breach by either party

This document acts as a safeguard before the final sale is registered and may also be used to begin financial or legal due diligence.

4. Property Tax Clearance Certificate

This certificate ensures that the property is free from any outstanding tax debts. It must be obtained from the local tax authority and is essential to finalize the property registration process.

5. Certificate of No Encumbrance

This verifies that the property is not mortgaged, under lien, or subject to any legal disputes. It's crucial to request this certificate from the Egyptian Real Estate Publicity Department before purchase.

6. Power of Attorney (if applicable)

If the buyer or seller is acting through a legal representative or agent, a notarized Power of Attorney (PoA) must be presented. This is common in transactions involving foreigners or absent owners.

7. Valid Residency or Entry Permit (For Foreign Buyers)

Foreign nationals buying property in Egypt should provide:

A valid passport

A tourist visa or residency permit

A local bank account (for property payments in EGP)

Although Egyptian law allows foreigners to own property (with conditions), the process often takes longer and requires additional scrutiny from authorities.

8. Receipt of Payment or Bank Transfer Documentation

Proof of payment for the property — either as a bank transfer receipt or a cash receipt — must be documented. This confirms the buyer’s financial commitment and is used during contract registration.

Legal Registration Process

Once all documents are in order and the final sales contract is signed, the property must be registered with the Real Estate Publicity Department (Shahr Aqari). This step:

Legally transfers ownership to the buyer

Ensures the title deed is officially recognized

Protects the new owner’s rights

Although some buyers choose not to register their properties due to time or cost, it’s highly recommended for legal security and resale value.

Optional but Recommended: Hire a Lawyer

Navigating Egyptian real estate law, especially in a place like Maadi where high-value homes are common, can be complex. A local lawyer can:

Verify all documents

Handle negotiations

Facilitate registration

Identify red flags in the transaction

What If You’re Not Ready to Buy Yet?

If you're still exploring your options, Maadi offers plenty of attractive rentals. Many buyers first maadi rental apartments to get a feel for the area before committing to a purchase. Areas like Degla, Sarayat, and compounds such as Maadi Royal Garden Compound 2 offer a wide range of options — from cozy flats to luxurious villas.

You can explore:

Short-term Maadi rental apartments for flexibility

Long-term rentals in gated communities to test lifestyle compatibility

Fully furnished units for expats or business travelers

Why Maadi Is a Smart Investment

Beyond the paperwork, it's worth remembering why so many people are drawn to buy property in Maadi:

Safe, quiet streets and a strong community vibe

Top-tier international schools and medical facilities

Variety of high-end compounds, such as Maadi Royal Garden Compound 2

Strong rental demand — making it ideal for buy-to-rent strategies

Cultural and dining hotspots loved by both locals and expats

So whether you’re coming from abroad or already living in Cairo, owning a property here — after trying out a Maadi rental apartment or choosing to rent an apartment in Maadi short-term — can be a rewarding decision for years to come.

Final Thoughts

Buying a property in Maadi is more than just a real estate transaction — it’s an investment in lifestyle, stability, and long-term value. Ensuring you have the right documents in place will protect your purchase and give you peace of mind as you transition into ownership.

Whether you're browsing available listings in Sarayat, testing out rent apartment in maadi, or planning to explore modern communities like Maadi Royal Garden Compound 2, getting informed and legally prepared is the smartest first step.

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