KHUFU'S IN EGYPT NAMED NO.1 AT MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2026
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 3, 2026 /CNW/ -- Khufu's in Giza, Egypt, has been crowned The Best Restaurant in the Middle East & North Africa 2026, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, following the awards ceremony for the fifth edition of Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants 2026, held at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi. The list features restaurants from 14 cities across the region, including Marrakech, Beirut, Doha, Casablanca and Amman, with 16 new entries making a debut this year.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 03, 2026 19:23 UTC
KHUFU'S IN EQYPT IS NAMED NO.1 IN THE LIST OF MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2026
Hosted in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the ceremony culminated in the announcement of the region's No.1 restaurant, Khufu's. Khufu’s in Giza, Egypt, takes the No.1 spot in Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna (PRNewsfoto/50 Best) View PDF Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants 2026For the full 1-50 list, please see the attached graphic or scroll to the bottom of this release. A spokesperson for Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants comments: "We are thrilled to recognise Khufu's as the No.1 restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa for 2026, the first time a restaurant in Egypt takes the top spot. Restaurants in Abu Dhabi also feature prominently with Marmellata Bakery (No.16), Niri (No.38), 3 Fils Abu Dhabi (No.42) – a new entry – and LPM Abu Dhabi (No.47), underscoring the capital's growing gastronomic appeal. This year's edition also highlights three special award winners, which were announced in the lead up to MENA's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 03, 2026 19:21 UTC
93 Countries Worldwide at Risk of Losing Nearly 23 Million More People by 2030
Ridgway, PA (15853)TodayFlurries and a few snow showers throughout the day. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%..TonightCloudy skies. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 03, 2026 08:26 UTC
Towards resilient renewable energy deployment in Africa through a weather-aware optimization framework
Consequently, 90% of the MSR area is designated for solar power generation, while 75% is allocated for wind energy. Solar power modelThe parameter used to evaluate solar energy potential is the solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) CF. CF, expressed as a percentage, is defined as the ratio of the actual energy produced by a solar power plant to its theoretical maximum output under standard environmental conditions. Wind power modelThe Wind CF is defined as the ratio of a wind turbine’s actual power output to its maximum rated power output. Finding matching patterns between AOR and MJO phasesTaylor diagrams36 were created between each clustered AOR and the MJO phase patterns to find out if the clustered regimes showed similarity to MJO phases.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 20:08 UTC
Wafcon 2026: Gayton McKenzie clarifies claim South Africa will host finals
South Africa's sports minister Gayton McKenzie says "no formal decision has been taken to relocate" the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) away from Morocco after his deputy announced that South Africa would step in and stage the finals. "When Morocco said 'We are not able to host', South Africa, we said 'Yes, we are available'. We are going to take it," Mabe later told SABC Sport after her announcement at an awards ceremony on Sunday. But later in the evening McKenzie said that Morocco "remains the officially designated host" of Wafcon 2026. "South Africa has expressed its willingness to support Caf if required, should alternative hosting arrangements for the 2026 Wafcon become necessary.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 19:11 UTC
Call for Pitches—Visual Art & Cultural Production in the Middle East and North Africa
MERIP is seeking pitches for our Summer 2026 issue exploring visual art and cultural production in the Middle East and North Africa. We invite submissions that center artistic practices and cultural histories while attending to the political, social and material conditions in which art is made and experienced. We welcome a range of perspectives and forms, including analytical articles, dispatches, review essays, interviews and visual essays. Editors are looking for pieces that dig beneath the surface of cultural production to ask questions about its material conditions, its circulation and the political possibilities it enables or expresses. Investigations of visual art, photography, film, music, museums, monuments and architecture and other artistic forms such as folk art, protest art and crafts are all welcome.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 17:56 UTC
Tunisian Physician Rym Ghachem Makes History as Head of Maghreb Doctors’ Federation – The North Africa Post
Rym Ghachem, president of the Tunisian National Council of the Order of Physicians, was elected this Sunday as the new head of the Fédération maghrébine des médecins, marking the first time a woman has led the regional medical body. The election followed the 8th congress of the Federation, held from 31 January to 1 February 2026, which brought together doctors from across the Maghreb to discuss strengthening cooperation and coordination in health care and promoting shared expertise. In remarks during the congress, Ghachem highlighted the Federation’s active schedule—meeting roughly every three months since its establishment in 2022—with the aim of identifying common strategies to improve health systems in Maghreb countries. She emphasized the need to assess and revise legal frameworks on medical responsibility, praising Libya’s legislation as a pioneering reference while noting Tunisia’s ongoing efforts to bolster its own laws. Ghachem also stressed the importance of regional unity and ongoing efforts to facilitate the mobility of medical professionals within the Maghreb under more harmonized conditions.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 16:59 UTC
EU takes assertive stance in support of Morocco on Sahara issue – The North Africa Post
The European Union has taken a clearer and more assertive stance on the Sahara issue, endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan as a credible basis for resolving the long-standing dispute. The shift was formalized at the fifteenth EU–Morocco Association Council held in Brussels, where the 27 EU member states endorsed a joint communiqué with Rabat. The communiqué itself underscores this moment, describing the new European stance as reflecting the “consensus of the 27 EU member States” and as “a fundamental step forward” in approaching the Sahara question. This diplomatic convergence comes at a time when cooperation between Rabat and Brussels is deepening across multiple fronts, including political, security, economic, migratory and energy matters. Total goods trade between the two partners reached €60.6 billion in 2024, and the EU remains the largest foreign investor in Morocco.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 12:39 UTC
Morocco set to boost sovereign defense industry – The North Africa Post
Morocco is entering a new phase in its drive to build a sovereign defense industry, according to L’Espace marocain, the scientific magazine of the Royal Air Force. The framework has attracted major players such as Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM), a joint venture involving Moroccan, Belgian and American partners, including Lockheed Martin. Other initiatives reinforce this momentum such as Sabena Engineering, MEDZ, and Lockheed Martin who combined Moroccan skills with European and American expertise to boost local capabilities and technology transfer. In addition to that, Thales has inaugurated a metal additive manufacturing center in Casablanca, and Lockheed Martin is deepening cooperation in aeronautical maintenance and cybersecurity. According to the same publication, these projects collectively signal Morocco’s determination to build a fully integrated and sovereign defense industrial base—still emerging, but increasingly taking shape.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 12:39 UTC
Chinese organized crime networks moved $16 billion in crypto in 2025, according to report
“If you are involved in illicit activity, the last thing you want to be doing is losing more money,” Fierman said. “You already have to pay money for the laundering process… the last thing you want is for there to be a really bad week on Bitcoin and lose another 10% of your money.”
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 12:08 UTC
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) in Morocco: Strong Hosting, Weak Crisis Management
Morocco delivered a technically strong Africa Cup of Nations in 2025. Senegal’s federation filed a formal protest pointing to security concerns, accommodation disputes, and training conditions it saw as biased toward the host. The turning point came when Senegal’s players briefly left the field in protest at a refereeing decision. On the Moroccan side, the disciplinary decisions have been perceived inside the country as particularly harsh. In that sense, the 2025 AFCON final and the disciplinary response that followed it form a single stress test.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 12:05 UTC
How to watch ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up fixtures
The complete fixtures list for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up matches has been confirmed and 2024 semi-finalists Afghanistan will take on Scotland in the opening warm-up clash on February 2. While Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai will host the games in India, the warm-up matches in Sri Lanka will take place in Colombo. Two grounds at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai have been selected as venues for warm-up matches in India. Fans will be able be attend the USA v India ‘A’ match on February 2 and the India v South Africa match on February 4 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 11:43 UTC
IMF Outlook: Nigeria’s Rising Growth Share Signals Shifting Dynamics, not a New African Economic Hierarchy
(3 Minutes Read)Recent forecasts by the International Monetary Fund indicate that Nigeria could emerge as Africa’s largest contributor to global economic growth in 2026, narrowly surpassing South Africa. According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook, Nigeria is expected to account for roughly 1.5 per cent of global real GDP growth in 2026. From a continental perspective, Nigeria’s projected increase in its share of global growth highlights both promise and complexity. It underscores the rising importance of African economies in a global context where growth in many advanced economies is slowing. While this framing captures part of the story, it can obscure the specific institutional, historical and social conditions shaping African economies.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 11:13 UTC
Yozo.ai Raises $1.7 Million in Funding
Yozo.ai, an Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates–based e-commerce AI startup, has raised $1.7 million in pre-Seed funding. InvestorsThe round was co-led by Access Bridge Ventures and Disruptech Ventures, with participation from Arzan VC, Oraseya Capital, Plus VC, Suhail Ventures, Glint Ventures, and M-Empire Angels. Yozo.ai Use of FundsThe funding will support product development, expand the engineering team, and drive international expansion beyond the MENA region. About Yozo.aiFounded in 2025 by Hossam Ali, Yozo.ai is building an AI growth agent that autonomously manages retention and conversion marketing across email, WhatsApp, and SMS for e-commerce merchants. Funding DetailsCompany: Yozo.aiRaised: $1.7MRound: Pre-seedFunding Date: January 2026Lead Investors: Access Bridge Ventures, Disruptech VenturesAdditional Investors: Arzan VC, Oraseya Capital, Plus VC, Suhail Ventures, Glint Ventures, M-Empire AngelsCompany Website: https://yozo.ai/Software Category: AI / E-commerce / Marketing AutomationSource: https://www.wamda.com/2026/01/yozoai-secures-1-7-million-build-ai-native-revenue-engine-e-commerce-merchants
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 11:10 UTC
Africa struggles to electrify 563 million
Africa struggles to electrify 563 millionWith 940 million relying on polluting fuels, urgent investment and coordinated action are needed to meet 2030 energy targets. Image for illustrative purposes / Credit: Anton Ivanov, Shutterstock.comAfrica is racing against time to provide electricity and clean cooking for its growing population. According to the Africa Sustainable Development Goal 7 Report (2025) by the African Energy Commission (AFREC), 563 million people remain without electricity, while 940 million still rely on polluting fuels such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene. Clean cooking remains a critical challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where urban-rural disparities leave millions at risk of health and environmental hazards. Experts highlight the need for stronger policy measures, investment in distributed energy solutions, and accelerated renewable energy adoption to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 02, 2026 10:33 UTC