Another night with commodities driving the conversation on the airwaves. The nation’s talking heads continued their coverage of the nationwide sugar shortage, as well as news of new bread subsidies and the fast-approaching presidential election.

Sugar hoarders exposed: Ala Maso’uleety’s Ahmed Moussa took a dive into state attempts to curb the country’s spiraling sugar prices amid an apparent shortage (watch, runtime: 6:49). The Consumer Protection Agency has been carrying out supermarket inspections to crack down on sugar hoarders, which have so far found 128 traders guilty of not disclosing prices, hiking prices, hoarding products, selling foodstuffs of unknown origin, or unlicensed trading. The inspections have so far yielded over 38 tons of sugar being stockpiled in supermarket storage facilities in Alexandria and Qena.

Remember: A sugar supply gap has pushed prices to soar up to EGP 50 per kilo last week and pushed the Supply Ministry to consider introducing sugar price controls and tap into its reserves to help fill the gap. Sugar was trading at EGP 42 per kilo yesterday.

No ration card, no problem. The government will revive a year-old idea and start offering EGP 1 bread loaves for non-ration card holders using prepaid cards starting January, Abdullah Ghorab, head of the bakeries division at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (Fedcoc), told Kelma Akhira’s Lamees El Hadidi (watch, runtime: 8:50). There won’t be a ceiling on the number of loaves that can be bought per person, he said.

In other news- One of our go-to talk show hosts is now a KSA citizen. El Hekaya’s Amr Adib has been granted Saudi citizenship, but don’t worry it doesn’t appear that he’ll be packing his bags for the Kingdom just yet. (watch, runtime: 4:28)

Also on the airwaves last night:

  • It’s almost time to head to the polls: Voting is a “national duty,” Lamees El Hadidi told her viewers, two days before the polls open for Egyptian expats. (Kelma Akhira | watch, runtime: 2:55)
  • …and to get vaccinated: Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar encouraged people to get their flu jabs. (Yahduth Fi Masr | watch, runtime: 2:32)
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