The Al Masry Al Youm columnist who writes under the pseudonym Newton criticizes the way the state deals with tourism as if it is begging. When international tourism rates dropped, the state turned to Arab tourism. When Arab tourism rates dropped, the state turned to domestic tourism. Newton draws on how Dubai was able to attract tourism with as little as shopping, while Egypt is unable to revive tourism with a wealth of attractions.

Al Ahram columnist Makram Mohamed Ahmed praises the old garbage collection system from before the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, which saw kids with no medical benefits serve as collectors. The kids sorted the garbage into biodegradables for pig farms, recyclables, and burnables, a system he commends for its efficiency.

Regionally, Egypt and Saudi Arabia stand to lose a lot from the Tiran and Sanafir debacle in light of growing influence of Iran and Turkey as the key players in the region, writes leftist Al Shorouk columnist Abdullah El Sennawy. “The shifting policies on the war in Syria, and the issue of a Kurdish state has led to the semi-marginalization of Egypt’s regional role, which in turn led to the semi-isolation of Saudi,” he says.