CAIRO, May 23 (Aswat Masriya) - The Cairo International Airport authorities did not allow Islamist writer Fahmi Howaidi from boarding a plane headed to Spain on Friday because his name was on the travel ban list.

The Middle East News Agency reported that Howaidi was scheduled to travel to Madrid but was stopped from boarding the plane when the passport officer found his name on the list.

Howaidi writes for several Egyptian newspapers including al-Shorouk. He is known for criticising the current regime since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.