BCA Chronicle - My 7 Favourite Magazines in Egypt

Appeared in June 2008 Issue.

There are tons of magazines that are printed in Egypt in Arabic & English. Many new printing companies start up a new publication every day & an equal number of them shut shop everyday.

Magazines that are printed in Egypt are frequently distributed free of charge at coffee shops and other "youth hangout" locations, feel free to pick up a copy at these places.

The ones that I love and personally recommend (in no particular order) are :

1. Egypt Today: A well written magazine to let you know what is going on in town. Lots of current events, well researched articles, profiles of locals who are great at their fields of interest but not very well known. You can expect all this and more from this magazine.
You can view the latest online copy & archives at http://egypttoday.com/
You can subscribe to the magazine online or pick them up individually from a variety of bookstores. It costs 15LE per copy or 135 LE for an annual subscription.

2. Business Today: A sister publication of Egypt Today. This covers the Business developments in Egypt. Reviews into existing businesses, interviews with the movers and shakers in the corporate world among others. They also have an Annual bt100 ranking of companies based in Egypt.
You can view the latest online copy & archives at http://businesstodayegypt.com/
You can subscribe to the magazine online or pick them up individually from a variety of bookstores. It costs 15LE per copy or 135 LE for an annual subscription.

3. Business Monthly: A free magazine brought out by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. The insight is American Oriented and the articles are extremely thoroughly researched. This is a more technical magazine than Business Today.
You can check the archives online at http://www.amcham.org.eg/Publications/BusinessMonthly/Business_Monthly.asp
You can also sign up for your free subscription at http://www.amcham.org.eg/Publications/BusinessMonthly/Subscription/Subscribe.asp. It will be delivered to you free of charge into the comfort of your home.

4. Community Times : A lovely fun magazine to read. Although they have been advertising their website for over a year, it still isn't functional :) But the magazine is very good. It covers a wide variety of subjects that anyone living in Cairo would be interested in. It has a huge event listing at the back along with a restaurant listing etc.
It used to be available on sale for 10LE at the big supermarkets, but now it seems to be restricted to some major bookshops (refer 7 Favorite bookshops in BCA Chronicle – April 2008, page 105) & some restaurants. It is available free of charge at some of the bigger cafes in town. But I would recommend that you subscribe to it to ensure you get your monthly dose.

5. The Croc: Available free of charge at multiple locations around the city including cafes & BCA. It gives you a brief on the events coming up in the month. A nice list of restaurants, cafes & bars with recommendations on what to eat there and little notes about the ambiance at times.
Its tiny- pocket size, so its worth carrying around in your purse for those moments when you are hungry in a different part of town and can't decide where to eat or suddenly find yourself with a free evening & longing for a dose of culture!

6. The Oasis: a free magazine published by the CSA (Community Services Association) in Maadi. The article content isn’t high but it has a lot of ads for services in Maadi that can be extremely helpful, especially to expats. Pick up your free copy at the CSA centre on Road 21.

7. The BCA Chronicle: An excellent resource for expats. Lots of relevant articles to life in Egypt and travel around the world. More articles than ads, unlike the Oasis. Pick up your free copy from the BCA clubhouses among other locations.

Karishma Pais (Kim) is an expat trailing wife in Cairo. She has a Masters Degree in Human Resources and Behaviour. She consults on HR projects, delivers intercultural training at the CSA, counsels new and experienced expats, writes for several magazines – online and offline, she runs whazzupcairo@yahoogroups.com and whazzupcairo@googlegroups.com among other activities. Her Social Commentary and blog about life in Egypt can be read at http://whazzupegypt.blogspot.com