Leyla Doss

Journalist | Visual Storyteller | Communications Specialist |

United States of America

Leyla has worked in research, analysis, journalism and communications. She has an MA in Middle Eastern Law and Politics from SOAS, University of London, and a BA with a double-major in Political Science and Media Studies from the University of Toronto. Leyla is currently the Communications Manager for The Nile Project. She is also the co-founder of bilingual news and analysis start-up, Mada Masr. She has worked for international and local news outlets including the Financial Times, the Guardian and Egypt Independent.

Some of the thumbnail photos are sourced from various photographers and journalists.

Portfolio

FINANCIAL TIMES/THE GUARDIAN

the Guardian
03/14/2013
Egyptian police 'killed almost 900 protesters in 2011 in Cairo'

Egyptian policemen were to blame for the deaths of more than 800 protesters during Egypt's 2011 uprising, according to a leaked report commissioned by president Mohamed Morsi. At least 846 protesters were killed during the uprising in early 2011, but Egypt's interior ministry - which controls the police force - has repeatedly denied responsibility.

the Guardian
03/19/2013
Bakers become latest victims of Egypt subsidy cuts

Mohamed Sayed, 22, has baked bread at his family's bakery in west Cairo for the past decade, but he fears this year may be his last. "We're going bankrupt," he said. "In fact, we're already at that stage." He is not alone.

Mada Masr Media

Mada Masr
Too many to count

Amr was on his way to buy groceries from the supermarket when he disappeared."We tried calling him for hours, and then eventually his phone was switched off," says Amr's brother Ramy, 23.Ramy recounts that he later learned his brother, a 29-year-old accountant, was passing by a Muslim

Mada Masr
Masr al-Hurreya

"Rights, equality, democracy," reads a large banner pinned high on the wall of the headquarters of Masr al-Hurreya (the Egypt Freedom Party), on a quiet side street just away from the hustle and bustle of Qasr al-Aini Street in downtown Cairo.In parallel to its marginal location, the party -

Mada Masr
Searching for the stars in Bahareya

"Look out from your windows very soon," said Badry, our local Bedouin guide, as we reached a bumpy and sandy path. "You'll see a sight you will not want to miss."I focused my attention away from the car and into the distance.

Mada Masr
Terrorist or scapegoat?

The crowd that gathered at the bombed Cairo Security Directorate on Friday January 24 chanted anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans, calling for the execution of former President Mohamed Morsi.But the Brotherhood, whose supporters also came out in large demonstrations later that same day, insists it is no

Mada Masr
Ethiopia's dam and political mistrust

For those Egyptians who tend to view the Nile as a limitless resource, Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam has been a wake-up call.In May, Ethiopia announced it would divert the flow of the Nile to make way for the construction of the dam. The news led to a fiery confrontation between Ethiopia and Egypt.

Mada Masr
Slowing food down

Almost three decades ago, in 1986, McDonalds opened a branch by the famous Spanish steps in the center of Rome, Italy. A revolutionary movement emerged in response, resisting and renouncing everything the fast food chain stood for, and Slow Food International was born.A grassroots non-profit

Mada Masr
A cure for Hepatitis C?

After being unemployed for three years, 26-year-old Emad Hassan was offered a job at a local bank on the condition that he take a blood test.

Mada Masr
An ailing healthcare system

Nadine Shams was admitted to a hospital to remove two fibroids, or benign tumours, in her uterus. Basic as the procedure was, two weeks later the 41-year-old scriptwriter lost her life to what many claim was the negligence of her doctors and the hospital.Her husband Nabil al-Kot describes the condit

Mada Masr
Between voting for Sabbahi and boycotting

With Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi poised to win the presidential election, a minority of young voters are still opting to vote for his rival Hamdeen Sabbahi - or boycott the election altogether.The Revolutionary Front - formed last September and comprising several secular youth groups,

Mada Masr
The past return

The dim-light, broken furniture and cracks on the walls at the headquarters of the United Nasserist Party in downtown Cairo stand as reminders of how far away the Nasserist legacy has become. But a paintjob, seemingly long awaited, points to a possible comeback.Since the popular-backed milita

Mada Masr
Government vs sexual violence

The sexual assault of nine women on the day of the inauguration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on June 9 has directly translated into a heated government response.Besides visiting one of the victims in hospital with a bouquet of red roses, the president-elect, who has often posed as a loving man

Egypt Monocle

Egyptmonocle
03/28/2017
Egypt's deep state was never dismantled, is now stronger

Posted by The Egypt Monocle on Saturday, August 10, 2013 · Leave a Comment BY LEYLA DOSS Cairo - More than 10 days after attempts by envoys from the US, the EU and Arab Gulf states to mediate a standoff between Egypt's military-installed interim leadership and supporters of the recently ousted President Mohamed Morsi, the presidency announced Wednesday that diplomatic efforts have failed.

Egyptmonocle
03/28/2017
Revolutionary agriculture: permaculture design gains ground in Egypt

Posted by The Egypt Monocle on Friday, May 17, 2013 · Leave a Comment BY LEYLA DOSS Cairo - Almost a year ago, Abdel-Khalek Betiti (Abbouda), owner of Fekra Center in Aswan, realized that the family farm of his childhood, overlooking the beautiful Philae Island along the banks of the Nile River, had reached a standstill.

Egyptmonocle
03/28/2017
Ethiopia dam fears exaggerated, say experts

Posted by The Egypt Monocle on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 · Leave a Comment BY LEYLA DOSS Cairo - In a fiery speech Monday night by Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi capping weeks of tension between Egypt and Ethiopia over the latter's Renaissance Dam mega project, Morsi said that all options were open, implying that a military solution was on the table to defend Egypt's water supply.

EGYPT INDEPENDENT

Egyptindependent
Nearing 2-week mark, Tahrir sit-in becomes Tahrir City | Egypt Independent

As the ongoing Tahrir Square sit-in wraps up its second week, the tent city in the heart of downtown Cairo is taking on a life of its own. Now boasting a school, a cinema, a bookstore, a radio station and dozens of open-air "restaurants," this tangled encampment in a traffic circle is starting to feel like a more permanent settlement.

Egyptindependent
Constitution draft leaves room for restrictions on media freedoms | Egypt Independent

Vague terminology continues to plague articles pertaining to media freedom in the draft constitution, despite praise for some clauses deemed a step toward wider rights. The four articles - 42, 43, 216 and 217 - fail to detail mechanisms to mitigate violations against the media, which experts say is equally, if not more, vital than enshrining these rights in the constitution.

Egyptindependent
Activists oppose monastery wall in Wadi el-Rayan protectorate | Egypt Independent

Environmental activists are organizing a peaceful demonstration on 2 November to halt construction of a 7km-long monastery wall that threatens a protected area. Wadi el-Rayan - a valley and natural reserve since 1989 - has been under threat of destruction since the Saint Markarios of Alexandria Monastery commenced construction of the wall following the 25 January uprising last year.

Egyptindependent
Constitution draft raises concern about women's rights | Egypt Independent

The latest draft of the constitution includes a clause that would limit the rights held by women to those compatible with the "rules" of Islamic jurisprudence. Every other aspect of the draft constitution is constrained merely by the "principles" of Islamic jurisprudence, a less demanding formulation.

Egyptindependent
Red Sea resorts plough through reefs, damaging both ecology and economy | Egypt Independent

Globally famous for being one of the world's most important repositories of ecological biodiversity, the Red Sea attracts more than 3 million tourists annually. However, many tourist resorts, especially in the southern Red Sea region, are increasingly failing to plan their construction projects in such a way as to help preserve the riches of the coral reefs.

Other Articles

Verily
11/12/2013
Sexual Violence in Egypt: Why and Where to Go From Here

FROM VERILY'S NOV/DEC 2013 PRINT ISSUE: "Bread, freedom, human dignity"-these words were chanted throughout the streets of Egypt as men and women marched during the Egyptian uprising that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak on January 25, 2011. Women, feeling safe, showed up in record numbers, while men formed human chains to protect them throughout Tahrir Square.

Limes
08/01/2013
A PORTO SA'ĪD MILITARI E FRATELLI HANNO FATTO AUTOGOL - Limes

1. PER PORTO SA'ĪD, MUḤAMMAD MURSĪ aveva smesso di essere il presidente dal massacro dello stadio". Le parole del giovane attivista esprimono appieno il sentimento di molti abitanti della città portuale adagiata lungo la costa mediterranea, nell'Egitto nord-orientale.