Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and happy Thursday. The long weekend has finally arrived as we wrap up this first Egyptian business week of the new year.

Egypt will be on holiday on Sunday to observe Coptic Christmas. Merry Christmas to all of our readers who celebrate the day.

** EnterprisePM will also be taking a break, butwe will be back in your inbox at our customary time on Monday.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

Egypt’s non-oil private sector activity sees slight improvement in December,as selling price inflation softens, according to S&P Global's latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) report out this morning (pdf).

A fourth year of contraction? The index reading rose to 48.5 from 48.4 in November to remain below the 50.0 mark that separates growth from contraction. The Egyptian non-oil private sector has now entered the fourth year of contraction, as December marks the 37th consecutive month that business activity has been in decline.

On a more positive note, companies hired more employees in December for the first time since September 2023, amid “efforts to boost capacity”, according to the report. The rising number of employees also helps companies to maintain a healthy backlog during last month, the report added.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

Some of Jeffrey Epstein’s documents are now public, and the international press is all over it. 40 of the 250 previously sealed records from the ongoing lawsuit against him were released on Wednesday, with more to come in the next few days. However, conspiracists were let down by the mostly already public information and high-profile names, including the UK’s Prince Andrew and former POTUS Bill Clinton. Also logged were Michael Jackson and David Copperfield, but they are accused of no crimes. Essentially, no major news was broken about Epstein nor his accomplices. (BBC | Associated Press)

ICYMI- Jeffrey Epstein was a known minor abuser and trafficker who ran in high-profile circles before his arrest in 2019 where he committed suicide while awaiting trial. The documents mentioned came out as part of the case against Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell who was convicted for helping him recruit his victims and is now serving 20 years in prison.

COME WORK FOR OUR ADVISORY ARM- Enterprise Advisory (formerly known as Inktank Communications) is looking for smart, talented people to help us tell the stories of exciting companies. Enterprise Advisory is the region’s leading investor relations advisory company and works on investor and strategic communications issues that take you deep inside the c-suite. Our clients are in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond. Egyptian and foreign nationals alike are welcome to apply, but native-level verbal and written English fluency is a must.

WHO YOU ARE- We're looking for gifted storytellers with a minimum of four years of work experience in investor relations, finance, banking, economics, or a related field to develop cutting-edge products and maintain relationships with a portfolio of clients. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree or higher in finance, accounting, economics, business administration, or a related discipline. We're looking for someone whose passion for storytelling is matched with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to interpret and present financial data — with a keen eye for details and accuracy.

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? To apply for the position, drop us a line at jobs@enterprisemea.com and mention “Enterprise Advisory” in your subject line. Please send a solid cover letter telling us a bit about who you are and why you’re a good fit for our team. We want to see your CV, but the most important thing is a cover letter that makes us want to pick up the phone and give you a call.

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

HELP GAZA-

Want to support relief efforts in Gaza, but don’t know how? We’ve got you. Around 2 mn people in Gaza have been thrown from their homes and every human being there lacks access to food, water, and fuel amid the most intense bombardment any population has endured this century.

The folks at Talabat are processing donations for a range of Gaza relief appeals by charities including the Egyptian Food Bank and Misr El Kheir. Pay in EGP using your credit card.

Or check out our list of charities to which you can make direct donations via bank deposit and / or Fawry.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect a sunny day tomorrow with a high of 22°C during the daytime and a low of 13°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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