Billiations, bankruptcies, nationalisations and suicides are some of the scenarios international stock markets witnessed through 2008. Sherine Abdel-Razek revisits the drama the local bourse underwent

The services sector accounts for 60 per cent of Egypt's GDP, and more than half of the total of employment. A recent conference organised by the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies (ECES) focussed on the services sector, its current shape, the challenges it faces and possibilities for reform. Entitled Towards More Efficient Services in Egypt, the conference featured a host of prominent experts who provided the audience with an in-depth look at various aspects of the services sector in Egypt, from tourism and financial services to wholesale and distribution services. On the fringes of the conference, Niveen Wahish spoke to Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh, director of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Trade in Services Division, on where on the road to liberalisation he believes Egypt's services sector lies today

The financial crisis has cast its shadow even on the business of florists, Nesmahar Sayed discovers

Egypt is tapping into British expertise to enhance vocational training and the employability of its labour force, reports Mohamed El-Sayed