It’s not being rude to ignore them. I feel like North Americans in particular need to get over that idea. It’s not like the average Egyptian would tolerate being bothered by a stranger while they’re walking down the street. I just say “no” and keep walking. Maybe add a dismissive wave and disinterested expression for emphasis. Being silent can signal that you’re intimidated. I would resist the impulse to dole out thank you’s or sorry’s, even in Arabic.

Also, can’t stress enough the importance of not letting things escalate. If someone gets all bent out of shape about some fictional slight, keep walking. Have confidence that you’re not doing anything wrong. They prey on the social ambiguity and your concern for offending people. And things get way worse when you lose your cool — yikes.

Maybe you experienced this when you were in Sharm, but how you carry yourself really impacts how people treat you in Egypt and the Middle East in general. It’s so stupid to say, but genuinely if you do a good impression of an aloof alpha, people respond pretty well. When that penny dropped for me, I suddenly had much better experiences in the markets, but also just interacting with regular people was much warmer and easier. It’s counter intuitive.