Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to hump day. We’re halfway through the week and are very much looking forward to the next few long weekends ahead.

Speaking of which: The private sector will get a paid day off next Monday, 17 April for Sham El Nessim, the Manpower Ministry confirmed in a statement today. The public sector, banks, and the EGX will also be getting the day off.

** SO, WHEN DO WE EAT? We’ll be breaking our fasts at 6:20pm CLT today. You have until 4:01am tomorrow morning to hydrate and grab a bite to eat.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

At risk of delisting, Swvl is contemplating new investment offers: Cairo-born mass transit app Swvl is considering acquisition and partnership offers from investors as it tries to avoid being delisted from the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, Al Mal reports, citing sources it says have knowledge of the offers.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

The Pentagon is still in the hot seat over leaked US military documents, as President Joe Biden faces thorny talks abroad and plans to meet up with UK and South Korea leaders this week. The leaked classified information is causing tension between the US and its allies, due to the sensitivity of the information and the revelation of the depths of the US’ spying activities. As the Pentagon continues its hunt for the source of the leaks — which US officials say is likely from within the country, rather than from Russia — US agencies are conducting internal reviews to determine how the leaks were made possible.. The story is getting plenty of ink in the international press this afternoon: Bloomberg| Reuters | Washington Post

ALSO- The Dalai Lama has issued a public apology over a video of him asking a boy to “suck his tongue” after the boy asked the Dalai Lama for a hug. Tibet’s spiritual leader apologized after the video — which was captured back in February — went viral on social media in the past few days. A handful of the leader’s supporters and cultural relativists tried to explain the unusual act or dismiss it as “playful” and harmless.The story is getting ink on CNN | Bloomberg | Reuters | Euronews

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

  • Inflation came close to notching a record high in March as prices continued to accelerate on the back of the series of currency devaluations, the foreign-currency crunch, higher fuel prices, and seasonal Ramadan demand.
  • It’s NPH’s turn: Dubai-based National Paints Holding (NPH) is still in the race to acquire EGX-listed Paint and Chemical Industries (Pachin), yesterday raising its offer by more than 5% in response to Eagle Chemicals’ revised offer last week.
  • Aur Leasing and Factoring raises EGP 790 mn from securitization: Private equity outfit Aur Capital and Al Ahly Pharos have closed an EGP 790 mn securitized bond issuance for Aur Leasing and Factoring.

The Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum, our latest industry-specific conference, is taking place on Monday, 15 May at Four Seasons, Nile Plaza. The Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum will give insiders and newcomers alike the chance to talk about how to develop an export-centered business and how their companies can help us build an export-led economy that makes us a magnet for foreign direct investment (FDI).

What’s the Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum? In the wake of successive floats of EGP, exports and FDI have never been more important to our economy — or our businesses. We’re gathering some of the CEOs, top execs from local companies and multinationals, investors, bankers and finance folks to speak on how businesses can adapt their strategies to be export-oriented and what we as a country can do to draw foreign investment and much-needed FX. Expect it to be heavy on lessons learned in Egypt and other global growth markets — and lots of success stories.You can learn more on our conference website here.

Some of the biggest names in business and finance are on board — are you? If you’re a C-suite exec, business owner, DFI staff, export executive, investor or banker, please fill out the form here to signal your interest, letting us know your name, title and where you work.

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

🗓 CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

This is is our last full work week of the month, before a spate of days off:

  • Coptic Easter falls on Sunday, 16 April, which will be a bank holiday and a day off for the bourse (but not a national holiday);
  • Monday, 17 April is a public holiday for the public and private sector, as well as banks, to mark Sham El Nessim;
  • Thursday, 20 April-Tuesday 25 April will be a holiday for the public sector in observance of Eid El Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day. Look for confirmations in the next few days that these days will also be off for the private sector, banks, and the bourse.

PSA- We’re bringing back daylight saving time (yet again) on Friday, 28 April. You’ll be losing an hour’s sleep as clocks jump forward one hour until the final Thursday of October.

🌦️TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We might be getting some rain in the capital city tomorrow, as the daytime high falls to 22°C and nighttime low hits 13°C, our favorite weather app suggests.

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