Cairo, the capital of Arab Africa and a leading center of international tourism, became the first city in the Middle East and Africa to introduce subways in 1987. As Cairo is one of the most congested cities in the world, Egyptians warmly welcomed the subway and relief from the city’s traffic woes.
Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has been developing a strong record of supplying light rail vehicles (LRV) to various Egyptian customers ever since the middle of the '60s. MC then decided to make its mark on the capital by supplying subway cars to Cairo Metro. MC has now been providing electric subway cars to Cairo Metro for more than a decade; currently, 460 cars supplied by MC serve more than two million passengers daily.
In an effort to provide more added-value, MC established a maintenance company in '96. Ever since then, MC has been performing maintenance work on trains, employing more than 800 Egyptian workers. In an effort to maximize local production, as recommended by the Egyptian Government, MC is looking to team up with leading Egyptian manufacturers to produce subway cars and various types of LRVs. In this way, MC hopes to link its know-how with the capabilities of the Egyptian labor force and local facilities.
Smoking shisha is a big part of going out during summer in Cairo when hot days give way to cool evenings. Shisha, which have had an important place in Egyptian social life for more than a century, were originally only found at cafes in poor areas and only smoked by men. Today, however, you can see all types of people sitting in outdoor restaurants, and even at five star hotels, puffing on a shisha and listening to Arabic music. Women have also begun smoking the pipes and the variety of flavors available has been increasing. Today it would not be strange to find a young woman at a Cairo cafe smoking a cola or even cappuccino flavored shisha!
Whether preparing to go to a wedding party after a long tiring day or just seeking a chance to relax and refresh, Egyptian young ladies nowadays are rushing to Moroccan hammams in growing numbers.
Turkish baths had been common in Egypt for centuries, only to slip into obscurity for several decades. But today, bath houses are making a comeback, this time in the style of the Moroccan hammam. With both ultra-luxurious spas and low-priced alternatives available, the popularity of hammams has been skyrocketing lately among Egyptian ladies of all classes. From the decor to the music, a Moroccan atmosphere pervades these spas, where visitors enjoy the invigorating experience of being scrubbed, rubbed and massaged－literally from head to toe.
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