Egypt is a Muslim country and many people pray five times a day, facing Mecca and prostrating themselves wherever they happen to be. It isn’t easy to cause religious offence, but it’s taken very seriously if it occurs. A couple of tourists were recently badly beaten after urinating on the doorstep of a mosque.

While there is a lot of leeway for foreigners, dress is generally more formal than in the West. Suits should be worn for business meetings and smart casual is the rule for social occasions. Shorts are not appropriate in any situation for either men or women and women should cover their legs and arms at all times. Trousers are probably the best bet for business situations, but ankle-length skirts are acceptable in social contexts. Western women should expect a fairly high level of verbal harassment in the street, and this will only be increased by bare arms, uncovered calves or eye contact.

Personal relationships are extremely important and without a warm and cordial relationship, business is difficult. ‘Face t ime’ is the cornerstone of all transactions. Do shake hands and drink tea when offered. Don’t be in a rush and don’t be annoyed when meetings—usually late in the first place—are constantly interrupted by people popping in for one thing or another. That’s just the way it’s done.

Relationships between foreign men and Egyptian women can be difficult. Outside of anything but the most foreigner-friendly context¬—the lobby or bar of a five-star hotel—the woman will get disapproving looks and comments. Foreign women, on the other hand, will find no lack of Egyptian men interested in showing them around town, mainly because of the perception that Western women are of easy virtue. Gay relationships between foreigners and Egyptians, once no problem at all, are much more problematic than in the past. The effects of a sustained police crack-down on homosexuality (in which entrapment through internet chat-rooms was, and remains, a favourite tactic) still linger. Detained Egyptians suspected of homosexuality are subject to blatant abuse and foreigners may find themselves getting shaken down.