photos: Claudia Wiens In cooperation with the Goethe Institute in Cairo, a group of Egyptian artists together with German artist Walter Giers decorated Aslam Al-Silhdar Square in Al-Darb Al-Ahmar area, Cairo, with lighting and added vocal effects that help the local inhabitants of the historic area to feel the joy the holy month bestows. They did a splendid job, my friends. The Cultural Attaché at the Oman Embassy in Cairo Salem Bin Said El-Habsy held an Iftar banquet at Grand Hyatt Hotel. During the warm evening, my dear friend Oman's Ambassador in Egypt Abdul-Aziz El-Hanaay welcomed cordially a galaxy of media figures and literati including Al-Ahram Weekly 's very own Editor-in-Chief Assem El-Kersh, Al-Ahram Al-Arabi magazine Editor-in-Chief Abdel-Aati Mohamed, head of Garden City Lions Clubs Awatef Serageddin, Abbas El-Tarabili, Editor-in-Chief of the opposition newspaper Al-Wafd and head of Al-Jazeera satellite channel bureau in Cairo Hussein Abdel-Moneim. photo: Ayman Barayez Last week, my lovely colleague Amira El-Nakeeb and I were invited to attend the big Iftar organised by my charming friend Chairman of Al-Shorouq Publishing House and President of the Arab Publishers Union Ibrahim El-Moalem. At the bountiful Iftar held at Grand Hyatt Hotel, a bevy of luminaries in the fields of media, press, and diplomacy filled up the place. Amongst the dignitaries were former foreign minister Ahmed Maher, representative of Saudi Arabia at the Arab League Ahmed Abdul-Aziz Al-Attan. The event was enlivened with the presence of prominent authors and journalists such as esteemed writer and journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal ; Abdel-Wahab El-Messiry ; novelist and script writer Osama Anwar Okasha ; veteran journalist Salah Montaser ; and our very own Editor in-Chief Assem El-Kersh. Also present were the British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Derek Plumbly; Editor-in-Chief of Nisf Al-Dunya magazine, Afkar El-Kharadly; Editor-in-Chief of Al-Beit interior design magazine Sylvia El-Naqadi. Actor Salah El-Saadani was wearing a traditional Libyan headgear and charmed the guests with his wit and humour. And, not to be outdone, actor Osama Abbas was equally entertaining. In a gesture of caring and sharing which reflects, my lovelies, the true spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, our Christian compatriots in Luxor hosted an Iftar for their fellow Muslim and Christian citizens. The Iftar was attended by head of the Supreme Council of Luxor City Samir Farag and other Luxor notables and officials. Many Muslim and Christian scholars attended the memorable Iftar. As an act of love, devotion and magnanimity, glamorous actress Laila Elwi is taking part in the charity party scheduled to be held tonight at the Cairo Opera House's Small Hall. The charity party revenue will be donated to street children and Al-Amal (Hope) Village Association, which is organised by the Arab Association for Relief. Lebanese singer Assi Al-Hellani, with his sonorous voice is due to feature at the party. I can't contain my excitement my dear friends. A huge surprise is in store for all television viewers. Let me spill the beans -- the one and only international star actor Omar Sharif is back on the telly. Media Production City (MPC) is preparing a new soap opera called Hanan and Hanin (Hanan and Nostalgia) in which the hugely popular heartthrob is going to star in. The MPC has another surprise in store for us -- the participation of another Egyptian heartthrob of the 1960s, Ahmed Ramzi, in the same TV series. The two actors have featured together on the silver screen many times in the past. Sharif visited the MPC to meet director of the series Magdi Abu Emeira and to sign the contract. The United Group (UG) headed by Negad El-Boari in collaboration with the Group of Democratic Development (GDD), Al-Ahram Regional Institute for Press, the Alliance for Reform and Democracy (ARD) and the Middle East Partner Initiative (MEPI) celebrated the end of a training project entitled "Looking to the Future" aimed at training almost 480 lawyers on the law of practising political rights. The celebration was held at El-Sawy Culture Centre, Zamalek. I went along to see what's happening there with my dear colleague Sahar El-Bahr. The popular band "Step by Step" wowed the audience with their wonderful Egyptian songs. Among the 500 distinguished personalities who attended the celebration were Editor-in-Chief of the daily Arabic Al-Ahram Osama Saraya. Member of the People's Assembly Ali Fath El-Bab ; Georgette Qellini and Director of the Democracy and Governance Office in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Richard Gold. Officials from the Middle East Partner Initiative Rogger Kenna and Ian McCary were also present. It was, my lovelies, an evening to remember. Head of the General Organisation for Cultural Palaces Ahmed Nawwar, inaugurated the art show of Layaly Al-Mahrousa (Cairo Nights) at Al-Sayeda Zeinab Garden. The programme, full of many beautiful surprises, stole my heart. It featured folkloric bands from the different governorates of the country including the Nile Troupe, conducted by Abdel-Rahman El-Shafie performing religious incantations as well as the Sinai Troupe for Folkloric Art. The Al-Mahrousa programme also featured paintings by children depicting the evenings of Ramadan in folk districts. photo: Ayman Barayez
