A busy night back for our talking heads: On their first night back from the Ramadan / Eid season, the nation’s talking heads had their work cut out for them. They brought us coverage of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the latest developments in our economy, and the fast-approaching return of the National Dialogue.
What does the situation in Sudan mean for Egypt? The fighting will likely impact the Sudanese stance on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Kelma Akhira’s Lamees El Hadidi (watch, runtime: 5:11 | 4:39). Sudan has been backing us in our stance against the dam since day one, she said — any change could have significant consequences for Egypt and the region.
Wondering what the trip from Sudan to Egypt looks like? El Hadidi took us to the Egyptian-Sudanese border, where thousands of Sudan’s residents have crossed into Egypt (watch, runtime:12:05). The Argeen border crossing now sees members of the Egyptian Red Crescent on site to offer assistance, she said. Meanwhile, in an interview on El Hekaya, Egyptian Red Crescent CEO Rami Al Nazer said the organization is providing psychological support services for children and the elderly (watch, runtime: 5:49).
More coverage: Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 3:19) and Masa’a DMC (watch, runtime:8:56) had coverage of Egyptian authorities’ efforts to ensure the safe return of Egyptians in Sudan.
Cabinet spox made the rounds: Cabinet spokesman Nader Saad joined Masa’a DMC (watch,runtime: 7:00) and Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 5:45) to reiterate Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly’s statements yesterday where he highlighted Egypt’s ability to meet its international obligations. Madbouly’s speech was a “message of reassurance to Egyptians and the global community,” Saad said. The National Dialogue’s Samir Sabry also joined Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 3:03) to weigh in on Madbouly’s statement, which we cover in detail in this morning’s What We’re Tracking Today, above.
“Gold is a long term investment,” Assistant Supply Minister Ibrahim Ashmawy told El Hekaya (watch, runtime: 4:05 | 4:26), adding that prices may see-saw in the short term but gold is always an appreciating asset. His comments came in response to Supply Minister Ali El Moselhy’s comments yesterday advising people not to sell their gold and his proposal to waive customs fees on gold imports for Egyptian expats in efforts to bring in more gold into the market and help balance prices.
Gold prices have soared amid uncertainty over the EGP:21-carat gold is currently trading at EGP 2.7k per gram, more than double the EGP 1.1k it was trading at a year ago, as Egyptians look to the precious metal to protect their savings amid a shortage of foreign currency and weakening EGP.
What can we expect from the National Dialogue? The National Dialogue will finally launch on Wednesday, bringing together various political parties, experts, officials, and the three main political, economic and social committees. Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 5:01) and Masa’a DMC (watch, runtime: 4:40) had coverage.