Zawia3 is an independent journalism platform that investigates what is happening in Egypt and tries to understand it with its readers: how it happened, why, and who is responsible for it.
We stand neither with those who support nor with those who oppose, but in the third angle that asks, verifies and holds to account. We publish investigations, reports, analyses and interviews in Arabic and English, and we cover politics, economy, rights, society, environment and culture.
From a Small Dream to an Independent Platform
- January 2023
We launched Zawia3 on the 12th anniversary of the January Revolution, a journalistic project that started from scratch, without funding, and with the belief that journalism must be free and independent. Read our first editorial.
- August 2023
On 15 August 2023, we officially registered Zawia3 under Belgian law, based in Brussels.
- 2024
We began co-publishing with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) on cross-border investigations, and we collaborated with the Arabi Facts Hub platform on monitoring disinformation campaigns and coordinated accounts on social media.
- February 2025
Telecommunications networks in Egypt began blocking our website, so we continued our work and began building alternative ways to reach our readers.
- 2026
We produced joint investigations with Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), and we launched the Zawia3 app on Google Play and our newsletter.
Throughout these years, our journalists have received specialized training in investigative journalism, data journalism and fact-checking, and our partnerships have allowed us to develop our tools and to bring our investigations to a wider audience.
Everywhere in Egypt
Zawia3 relies on a network of journalists working from Egypt’s various governorates, from Alexandria to Aswan, from Sinai to Matrouh, and from the villages of the Delta to the cities of Upper Egypt. They write about the places where they live and whose people they know, reaching stories that coverage from afar does not reach. The editorial team works to support them and to review and verify their work before publication.
Verification Before Speed
We adhere to a written and public editorial policy. We verify every piece of information before publishing it, rely on documents, data and multiple sources, and contact the parties we cover to request their response before publication, noting in the article if they decline to respond. We separate news from opinion, and we do not publish breaking news at the expense of accuracy. If we make a mistake, we correct it publicly and note the correction in the article itself.
Fully Independent
Zawia3 is a fully independent institution. It is not affiliated with any party, government, or political or commercial entity, and it accepts no external interference in its content. Editorial decisions belong to the editorial team alone.
We accept support under clear conditions: that it is not conditional on an editorial line or on covering specific topics, and that it does not grant the supporting party the right to see our work before publication or to influence it. We reject any support that does not meet these conditions.
We verify the identity and record of any supporting party, and we do not accept support from parties whose positions or practices conflict with press freedom and the public’s right to access information, or that have a direct interest in topics we cover.
Ahmed Gamal Ziada
He founded Zawia3 and serves as its editor-in-chief. An investigative journalist who has worked in journalism since 2011, he holds a master’s degree in political science and international relations from the Université libre de Bruxelles, and a master’s degree in digital media.
Write to Us
To contact the editorial team, send information, or request a correction, write to us at info@zawia3.com.
“Journalism from this angle will tell people what they need to know, not what they want to know; what officials do behind closed doors, not what they say in front of television screens.”
Zawia3 is a non-profit association registered under Belgian law (enterprise number 1000.219.557), based in Brussels. Our website has been blocked in Egypt since February 2025. Find out how to read us despite the blocking.
