Happy hump day, friends. We were relishing in a Ramadan news slowdown, but that appears to have given way to a rather brisk day here in Omm El Donia.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

Fair value studies completed for Damietta, Port Said ports: The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) is reviewing fair value studies of the state-owned Damietta and Port Said terminal operators ahead of stake sales in the two firms, Al Borsa reports citing unnamed sources it says have knowledge of the matter. Finance and Banking Consultants International (FinBi) wrapped up the studies last week, according to the local news outlet.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

It’s a rather mixed bag in the international business press this afternoon, as no single story leads the conversation. Among the stories to take note of: Alibaba is planning to restructure its business by splitting up into six separate units, and is looking at potential IPOs for each unit (Financial Times | CNBC).

** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

  • Egypt’s limited fiscal space means that a “large-scale” privatization program is essential if it is going to bring an end to the ongoing FX liquidity crisis and plug our multi-bn USD financing gap, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note yesterday.
  • Bidding war for Pachin continues to heat up: Eagle Chemicals yesterday boosted its offer for EGX-listed Paint and Chemical Industries (Pachin) in response to Dubai-based National Paints Holding’s new bid last week.
  • Four industrial property developers have been awarded more than 1.8k feddans of land in New October City through the New Urban Communities Authority’s (NUCA) new online bidding system

🗓 CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

PSA- Start planning next month’s holidays now:

  • Coptic Easter falls on Sunday, 16 April;
  • Sham El Nessim is on Monday, 17 April;
  • Eid El Fitr should land on or around Friday, 21 April (it’s still not clear what days will be official holidays);
  • Tuesday, 25 April, is Sinai Liberation Day, for which we’ll likely have a day off on Thursday, 27 April.

PSA- Need funding for a green project? You can now apply to the second round of the Smart Green Projects Initiative until the end of May, according to a Planning Ministry statement. Eligible projects must use technology solutions to address environmental issues, present evidence of feasibility or innovation, and provide a written acknowledgement that no awards have been received during the initiative’s first round, among other requirements. You can view the full list of criteria here and apply here.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re getting slightly more seasonal weather, with the mercury peaking at 24°C and falling to 11°C in the evening.

We are delighted to share with you that the Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum will be taking place on Monday, 15 May at the Four Seasons Hotel at Nile Plaza.

DO YOU WANT TO ATTEND? The first wave of invites is going out soon. If you’re a C-suite exec, exporter, investor, official, banker, or someone who should be part of the conversation, please TAP OR CLICK HEREto request a spot at this exclusive event.

WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY ON STAGE? Drop a note to Patrick here and let’s talk.

WANT TO BECOME A COMMERCIAL PARTNER? Ping a note to Moustafa, our head of commercial, here.

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