Here’s what we’re tracking today
Why Bonyan is wagering on a 4.5 mn sqm shortfall in premium Egyptian office space
More financing from IFC | Pricey billboards | AI hype and AI fear.
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Good morning!
Our big story today follows Bonyan’s move to secure Nestlé’s new service headquarters in New Cairo, doubling down on Egypt’s Grade A office market. While other real estate segments grapple with oversupply, this specialized sector is bracing for a massive 4.5 mn sqm shortage by 2028.

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 bets on 20-company list to break the privatization hiatus
20 legacy companies are on the table for the next…
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 news of a rekindled privatization push, with plans to list shares in…
Newsmakers
Sokna CEO Ahmed Gaballah on the startup’s cemetery project
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
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, Trump meet up on the sidelines of Davos
Egypt accepted an invitation from the US to join the…
Startup Watch
Banknbox and ASD Smart aim to bridge Sudan’s isolated banking apps by 2026
Plus: Schneider Electric, Zerotech, and AOI to assemble data center units locally, Breadfast raises USD 50 mn in funding round
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
Egypt’s digital banks are coming soon
Banque Misr and CIB eye their digital arm debut later…
Finance
Markets weigh AI’s threat to incumbents against big tech’s massive spend
Big tech is set to spend more than USD 600…
Capital Markets
CI Capital investor gathering highlights Egypt’s shift from index afterthought to alpha hotspot
CI Capital brought together 65 global capital allocators from the…
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
EgyptAir scales up with 12 aircrafts this year despite global supply constraints
Plus: Rawaj oversubscription signals appetite for Aspire’s fund pivot
Automotive
Local assembly grew in 2025, but still lagged behind imported vehicle sales
Sales of vehicles imported whole rose 12.1 percentage points faster…
Commodities
Gov’t 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…
Infrastructure
Gov’t to relaunch stalled water desalination PPPs in December
The tender’s first batch will include two to four water…
Manufacturing
EEC looks to solve freezone incentive gap to help hit USD 13 bn export target
To get there, the council is betting on a 15%…
Mining
USD rebound sends gold crashing
The gold and silver rout raised concerns over momentum-driven markets
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Good afternoon, friends, and happy hump day.
We hope you savored your morning brew, as many of us will be saying goodbye to our 8am cup of joe very soon. It’s a relatively calm day both at home and in the global press, and in today’s issue, we take a look at what Cairo’s patisseries are offering this Ramadan.

Today at a Glance

Friday, 13 February 2026
Good morning, folks, and happy weekend.
It’s been a rocky week in the press, but we’ve finally made it to shore. With Ramadan fast approaching, there will be plenty to catch up on — including shows. For this week’s edition of The Enterprise Guide, we’re listing the Ramadan shows we’re looking forward to the most.

