EGP holds steady after IMF funds land
Bypassing Hormuz via Egypt | IMF reassess wartime realities.
Thursday, 5 March 2026
Flush with cash
Good morning, friends. The IMF sent in its USD 2.3 bn disbursement yesterday. Consider it a timely buffer as the regional conflict draws hot money out of Egypt.

Today at a Glance
Podcasts
Morning Drive is your daily download of the essential headlines shaping Egypt. Hosted by ‘Synthetic Salma’ — an AI-powered version of Executive Editor Salma El-Saeed.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Investment Watch
M&A Watch
Explore EnterpriseAM for your industry
A close look at key activities driving headlines across industries
Privatization Watch
Gov’t signals privatization is war-proof with plans to temporarily list 13 companies this month
Thirteen pharma, logistics, industry, and finance companies will file for…
Egypt bets on 20-company list to break the privatization hiatus
20 legacy companies are on the table for the next wave of listing
Newsmakers
Sokna CEO Ahmed Gaballah on why hospitals and others are now seeking out the startup rather than the other way around
Over seven years, we estimate we’ve helped around 1 mn people inside and outside Egypt
My Morning Routine
Sawiris Foundation aims to equip 100k Egyptians with digital skills
The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development is looking to equip over 100k young Egyptians with digital skills and…
Spotlight
Regulation
Legislation Watch
Parliament moves to shield healthcare and research from nuclear fee hikes
Amendments create a clearer distinction between commercial nuclear ventures and…
Regulation Watch
El Sisi shuffles central bank board, appointing three new subject-matter experts
Sherif Kamel, Ali Faramawy retain seats for another year
Cabinet Watch
Garghoub is now a Special Economic Zone — here is what that means for investors
Plus: A major overhaul at GOEIC to slash customs times
Ittihadiya
El Sisi, Trump meet up on the sidelines of Davos
Egypt accepted an invitation from the US to join the…
Startup Watch
Bahrain’s Beban eyes Egypt launch with equity crowdfunding model
Mohamed Aboulnaga’s Foras AI raises stake as Beban seeks FRA approval
Meet our founders of the week: Knot Technologies’ Ahmed Abdalla and Hussein ElBendak
Knot is building its AI-native ticketing and access control infrastructure out of Egypt for…
Meet Tribe founder Roba El Gindy
“Tribe is the village that it takes to raise a child”
Industries
Banking
Valuation talks begin for Banque du Caire listing on the EGX
Good afternoon, friends, and kudos to you for making it…
Finance
Private markets’ boom years might be over, now comes the reckoning
Inflows are slowing, withdrawals are mounting, and analysts caution that…
Capital Markets
Risk-off mode triggers a strategic pivot for EGX portfolio managers
Al Ahly Pharos is now advising clients to “hold incremental…
Fintech
CBE greenlights full rollout of soft POS, turning smartphones into payment terminals
Following a two-year pilot phase that had restricted contactless payment…
Climate
Oriental Weavers counts carbon to clear new green trade hurdles
Plus: Valmore Holding sees revenues rise 24% y-o-y in 2025
Automotive
Auto sales were up 69.9% in 2025, but imports outpaced locally assembled vehicles at an increased rate
Sales of vehicles imported whole rose 12.1 percentage points faster…
Commodities
Egypt opens sugar export taps for first time in three years to drain 1 mn ton glut
The current abundance “negates any feasibility of continuing the export…
Tech
El Araby eyes export growth through USD 480 mn factory push
Plus: Fawry, Ibnsina Pharma, E-finance release 2025 earnings
Energy
A nasty mix of factors is putting pressure on the price of energy — and that’s bad for Egypt’s budget
Gulf producers only have 25 days before they run out…
Infrastructure
Egypt inks USD 296.5 mn locomotive overhaul deal with Canada’s APD
The 12-year contract covers 55 locomotives currently in service and…
Manufacturing
The second phase of industrial financing program is here with bigger caps + new KPIs
The second phase of the program will see borrowing limits…
Mining
Crowded trades reverse as metals plunge and USD gains
The gold and silver rout raised concerns over momentum-driven markets
Thursday, 5 March 2026
Good afternoon, friends, and kudos to you for making it to the weekend.
It’s been quite the overwhelming week, but we’ve finally made it to shore. In today’s issue, we’re exploring how AI is reshaping media production in Egypt, crowning one of our favorite series of the season, and more.

Today at a Glance

Friday, 6 March 2026
Good morning, friends, and congratulations on making it to the weekend
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we’ve listed the ways you can celebrate (and avoid the last-minute panic) in this week’s Enterprise Guide.

