Egypt's rich history, contributions to modern society, and location on the northeast corner of the African continent, at the edge of the Middle East region, have made this dynamic country a source of fascination. The capital city, Cairo, is North Africa's largest city and the cultural and scientific hub of the Middle East. In the Egypt of today, a deep appreciation for its ancient civilization is still evident, existing side-by-side with the activities of a growing, modern society. Few places offer such a striking perspective of the impact of the old upon the new as modern Egypt—a continuously developing country facing the challenges and opportunities of finding its place in the global village.

In education, business and politics, the Muslim majority co-exists with a sizeable Coptic Orthodox Christian population, sharing a strong history and desire to remain a peaceful nation and to improve a struggling economy. Given Egypt's unique position in the political, social and global marketplace and world affairs, it is easy to see how foreign professionals may encounter unexpected and confusing situations when interacting with Egyptians.

Cultural Detective Egypt contains the following stories and critical incidents:

• Overlooked Scholarship Finalist, The:

  An Egyptian student in a U.S. University MBA Program and her Egyptian father believe her father’s professor friend can use his influence in the scholarship selection process.

• Research Team Plan, The:

  Research team members from China and Egypt disagree on the best approach to insure their project’s successful completion.

• Safety Committee Meeting, The:

  French and Egyptian employees react differently to a recent safety breach at a French engineering company in Egypt.

• Diving for Business at the Red Sea:

  A German Red Sea resort owner and his Egyptian business partners have varying approaches to provide the most comfortable vacations for their clients.

• English Shirts on Egyptian Time:

  An English buyer contracts with an Egyptian factory to manufacture shirts for his department store in England.

• Handling an Undependable Committee Member:

  Russian & Egyptian committee co-chairs have different strategies to handle a committee member who does not complete assigned tasks.

• Last-Minute Proposal Changes:

  Egyptian Ministry of Health officials make unexpected changes to a proposal that may be funded by a US organization.

Cultural Detective Egypt was authored by Basma Ibrahim DeVries, Naira A. Istephanous and Dianne Hofner Saphiere.