CNN Market Place Middle East

SHOW #48

IN FOCUS – Omar Effendi

Iconic state-owned Omar Effendi department store used to symbolize all that was wrong in Egypt: mismanaged, overstaffed, bureaucratic, loss-making – and offering overpriced, low-quality products covered in dust. But one year after its controversial sell-off into private hands, the company is celebrating the overhaul of 30 out of the 82 outlets. The Omar Effendi brand has a new logo and look: the stores regaining some of the turn-of-the-century luster from when Omar Effendi was a cosmopolitan retailer rivaling stores in Paris, New York and London. The CEO gives Marketplace Middle East’s Alphonso Van Marsh a tour, explaining how he is turning the store around.

FACETIME – Omar Sharif

This week MME reflects on another Egyptian icon Omar Sharif.  Sharif, who became famous in the Hollywood Classic Lawrence of Arabia has been in the business for over 50 years and is still making movies. Earlier in the year Schams Elwazer sat down with Omar Sharif to talk about the movie industry in the Middle East and the economic impact of the movie making business.