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US visa ban, part LXXIII
No social media ban is coming | Back to the Eurobond market | Oil is trading on risk.
Thursday, 15 January 2026
No green card for you
Happy Thursday to you all, wonderful people. We have a nice, tight little issue for you this morning as the first full workweek of the new year eases to a close.
The big story this morning: We’ve just been hit by another Trump immigration clampdown. We’re one of 75 countries from which applications to immigrate to the US will not be processed.
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.
PlaylistListen 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 to end privatisation hiatus with two companies set to debut on EGX next month
Good afternoon, folks, and happy hump day. Today’s issue brings…
Privatization to pick up steam in 1Q 2026 as stock market incentive package nears completion
The exact dates are still being finalized, taking into account the year-end close and the rollout of the new stock market incentive…
Newsmakers
Everything you need to know about Thndr’s plans ahead of its regional expansion
Thndr is now in the UAE, eyeing KSA, and is launching its own real estate fund in Egypt
My Morning Routine
Generosity from Canada + network quality awards for Vodafone Egypt
Plus: Vodafone Egypt gets another award for network quality
Spotlight
Regulation
Legislation Watch
House approves in principle cabinet’s bill seeking to amend Education Law
The Education Committee previously approved amendments to the Education Law…
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 calls for review of recent parliamentary elections
The move could potentially see the NEA fully or partially…
Startup Watch
Egypt closed 69 VC transactions last year, the most among its African peers
The country secured USD 304 mn in VC funding in 2025, down 11% y-o-y
Meet Tribe founder Roba El Gindy
“Tribe is the village that it takes to raise a child”
Meet Farah Abdelhamid, founder of FforFarah
While she is often referred to as founder and creative director, Farah Abdelhamid calls…
Industries
Banking
The CBE is taking a tougher stance on regulation
Last summer, HSBC paid the CBE a EGP 1.4 bn…
Finance
Oil is trading on risk again
Escalating unrest in Iran is pulling geopolitical risk premium back…
Capital Markets
Trading volume could become the new currency for EGX tax breaks
Companies will be put on a sliding scale, with the…
Fintech
FRA approves GRANITE’s planned multi-currency fixed-income fund
GRANITE is also getting ready to launch fully digital money…
Climate
EIB, IFC commit USD 138 mn to RMBV, Alta Semper
PLUS- East Port Said to soon host USD 50 mn…
Automotive
New tariff plan aims to tip the scales in favor of local EV assembly
But while full exemptions for EVs may soon be a…
Commodities
Why gold is still a structural hedge for Egyptian households
Until the EGP can compete with the psychological security of…
Tech
Breathing new life into Villa Atouta
EnterpriseAM sat down with architect, property developer, and founder of…
Energy
Egypt, Libya fast-track 2 GW power link in boost to reconstruction efforts — and the Egyptian players taking part
The Libya link also serves as the western pillar of…
Infrastructure
Gov’t to relaunch stalled water desalination PPPs in December
The tender’s first batch will include two to four water…
Manufacturing
More Chinese players make a home out of SCZone
The projects include two solar component factories
Mining
Egypt to host a pan-African gold bank under MoU with Afreximbank
Good morning, friends, and happy new year. It’s been a…
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Good afternoon, folks, and congrats on another week well done.
To wrap it up, we have news of a customs tariff revamp in the works on the home front and of Trump’s latest tariffs targeting China. We also sat down with B.TECH founder and CEO Mahmoud Khattab to talk leadership lessons.
Today at a Glance
Friday, 16 January 2026
Good morning, friends, and welcome to the weekend.
It’s been a busy week — from a looming US visa freeze to Egypt’s CBAM reprieve and a potential Eurobond issuance. We’ve got the full rundown below.
And if you’re looking to stay cozy indoors this weekend, we’ve put together a guide to short reads you can finish in a single sitting.
