ON DSCNT INTO CAIRO; EGYPT ACFT WAS BATTERED BY HVY SAND ALOFT. WINDSHIELD DAMAGE AND CENTER #2 ENG FAILED. FLT CONTINUED AND LANDED AT CAIRO.

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FLT WAS DSNDING TOWARDS CAIRO FROM FL330 TO FL120. AT APPROX FL180 WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE LIGHT RAIN COMMENCED; BUT RAPIDLY DEVELOPED INTO A BROWNISH COLOR AND THE NOISE INTENSITY INCREASED TO A SOUND LEVEL WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN FOR EXTREMELY HVY HAIL. THIS COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN SAND. THE CAPT AND FO'S WINDSHIELD RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; AND #2 ENG FAILED; DESPITE CONTINUOUS IGNITION; ENG ANTI-ICE AND FLT START BEING SELECTED. DURING THIS PHASE THE 'WHOOP-WHOOP' 'PULL UP' SOUNDED SEVERAL TIMES. I CALLED OUT; 'ENG FAILURE #2 ENG'; AND AUTOMATICALLY BACKED UP HYDS. THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE; AND THE AMPLIFICATION PORTION OF THIS EMER DRILL IN SECTION 3 CONSULTED. THE EMER REQUIRED THE COMPLETION OF THE LOSS OF GENERATOR AND THE LOSS OF 1 BLEED SOURCE DRILLS; WHICH WERE ACCOMPLISHED IN A SIMILAR FASHION. THE APU WAS ALSO SUCCESSFULLY STARTED. SUBSEQUENTLY #1 ENG DUCT OVERHEAT DRILL REQUIRED TO BE ACTIONED. THIS DRILL WAS COMPLETED; AND THE LOSS OF 2 BLEED SOURCES ACTIONED. HOWEVER; THIS BLEED SOURCE WAS RECOVERED AND THE DRILL DISCONTINUED. A SUCCESSFULLY AUTO LNDG WAS FLOWN TO CAIRO ARPT. THROUGHOUT THE EMER CAPT BEHAVED IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER; DIRECTING HIS CREW TO THE BEST POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR UNAWARE OF MAINT REQUIRED AFTER LNDG BUT FLC TOOK THE SAME AIRPLANE OUT THE NEXT DAY ON ANOTHER FLT. FIRST ENTRY INTO CAIRO FOR ALL 3 FLC MEMBERS. NONE HAD EVER ENCOUNTERED A SAND STORM ALOFT BEFORE THIS.