Many international brands are boycotted like KFC © Mena Today
On a recent evening in Cairo, a worker cleaned tables in an empty McDonald's restaurant. Branches of other Western fast-food chains in the Egyptian capital also appeared deserted.
All have been hit by a largely spontaneous, grassroots boycott campaign over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza strip since the deadly Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Western brands are feeling the impact in Egypt and Jordan, and there are signs the campaign is spreading in some other Arab countries including Kuwait and Morocco.
Participation has been uneven with only minor effects seen in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi's largest real estate developer and asset manager, has reported robust first-quarter 2026 results, with net profit after tax climbing 20% year-on-year to AED 2.3 billion ($626 million), on revenues of AED 8.7 billion ($2.4 billion).
Ukraine has summoned the Israeli ambassador for Tuesday morning after a second vessel carrying what Kyiv describes as Russian-stolen Ukrainian grain docked at the port of Haifa, Foreign Minister Andriï Sybiga announced Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon will continue despite the ceasefire that entered into force on 17 April, citing what he described as a "double threat" from the Iran-backed group's remaining arsenal.
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