Here's what we're tracking today
A collective (pre-mature?) sigh of relief
Revised state ownership policy | World Bank maintains growth forecast.
Thursday, 9 April 2026
The day after
Good morning, friends. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran. The news triggered a relief rally across local, regional, and international markets, with the EGX jumping and the EGP strengthening against the greenback.

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
Egypt pivots to broader private sector role in revised state ownership policy to be released next month
Companies earmarked for divestment will be merged with others in…
Egypt faces 15 June deadline to meet divestment targets to pass Fund’s seventh review
Egypt’s seventh review under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) is now just 78 days away, with the Fund pencilling in 15…
Newsmakers
CIB CEO Hisham Ezz Al Arab on why Egypt is ready to welcome digital-native banks
“Egypt is at the brink of an inflection point with regulatory momentum, demographic tailwinds, and consumer behavior aligning to drive rapid…
My Morning Routine
Chambers and Partners is out with its 2026 list of Egypt’s top arbitration litigators
Youssef + Partners’ Karim Youssef was awarded the top title of Star Individual
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
Egypt’s El Sisi calls on Trump to end the war
Good morning, all. It’s another morning with the regional war…
Startup Watch
IBF & Company doubles down on logistics with Techno Metal acquisition
Plus: Lucky lands USD 23 mn in Series B round, Madinet Masr launches Day 2 Night integrated complex
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
Central Bank of Egypt looks to renew USD 2 bn Kuwaiti deposit as regional conflict stalls FDI conversions
The maturing USD 2 bn deposit is expected to be…
Finance
Central banks shift from US Treasuries to gold and USD, flagging geopolitics as the top risk
Over 70% of the surveyed banks rank geopolitics as their…
Capital Markets
Iran war triggers first major crack in 15-month EGX bull run
The benchmark index rose 8.4% the first quarter of the…
Fintech
Instapay hits profitability as demand keeps up one year into 0.1% transaction fee
Instapay has also become the bridge between bank accounts and…
Climate
Citystars, Park St., Sky Innovo partner on USD 1.9 bn project
Plus: EBRD considers financing Amea Power energy storage rollout
Automotive
Industry Ministry pushes for 100k vehicles a year and 60% local content in an auto industry reboot
Proposed incentives include performance-based bonuses, extended support for EVs, and…
Commodities
Hormuz Strait closure leaves gap in global fertilizer market — and also cuts off the gas we need to fill it
Egypt already producing 7-8 mn tons of nitrogenous fertilizers each…
Tech
Artemis II heads home as the global race for space resources heats up
This is more than just a tech demo. Artemis II…
Energy
Egypt pays credibility tax to keep its energy hub dreams viable
By allowing LNG cargoes to depart from Idku, the government…
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
Bokra debuts Shakmagia gold fund this month, targets EGP 10 mn
Plus: FRA is capping vehicle depreciation rates to settle claims…
Thursday, 9 April 2026
Happy long weekend
In today’s issue, we’re taking a deep dive into the Artemis II Lunar Flyby mission, how the internet’s been reacting, and what a “lunar economy” would entail. Also, we review the fifth and final season of The Boys, which kicked off with a bang.

Today at a Glance

Friday, 10 April 2026
It's the weekend!
This long weekend, we’ll be getting our fair share of R&R… and a lot of food. Aside from trying one of Maadi’s hottest new pizza havens, we’re listing our favorite restaurants and cafés across Cairo where you can soak up the sun and take in the breeze. If you’re hitting the cinema, we’ve got you covered with two theatrical releases worth your time. All that and much more…

