I should, of course, preface all this by stating that I'm not particularly drawn to literature from the Middle East. In that sphere, at least, I feel that "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet". The characters and motivations usually seem, at best, alien, and at worst, asinine.

That having been said, I don't get the feeling that the Egypt of today is all that different from that of Mahfouz. Certainly, the results of the parliamentary elections seem to reinforce that feeling. Sure, there are a few more Westernized people, but by and large it's still the highly conservative society that Mahfouz depicted.

I'm sure lots of people will like The Yacoubian Building, though, if for no other reason than it's a faster read than the entire Cairo Trilogy. I do think you owe it to yourself to finish Mahfouz, though.