Good afternoon, wonderful people and happy Monday. The news lull continues this afternoon with all the focus on the new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

Israeli officials to land in Cairo for Gaza negotiations: Mossad chief David Barnea could join an Israel delegation expected to arrive in Cairo tomorrow for another round of negotiations to secure a ceasefire agreement, reports Alarabiya, citing unnamed sources. A Hamas delegation landed in the capital today. The delegations will discuss a proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar, which unconfirmed media reports say involves a three-week truce in exchange for the release of 20 hostages.

Where do the talks stand? “The atmosphere is positive unless there are new Israeli obstacles” one Hamas official told AFP, with a senior Hamas official saying that the group has no “major issues” with the most recent truce plan presented.

Foreign investors are falling in love with Egypt again… Foreign investors we speak with (debt, equity, and strategic alike) have a growing appetite for Egypt. They’re buying into local debt, eyeing promising shares, and committing bns of USD to both new ventures here and the growth of their existing businesses. They like the Egypt story that’s taking shape after the float of the EGP, and our competitive advantages are clear to many of them: We’re a massive consumer opportunity and the regional export hub of tomorrow.

…but here at home, our community is in a rut. The enthusiasm gap between domestic business leaders and global investors is stark.

We’d all do well to remember: It’s a chicken-and-egg kind of thing. Foreign strategic investors will be reluctant to commit capital here until they see Egyptian businesses leading the way.

The Enterprise Optimism Forum 2024 will do exactly what it says on the tin: Spark conversations about a future that we think is much brighter than so many in our community feel right now. Think of it as much-needed shock therapy combined with an early, actionable roadmap for those of us who are “long Egypt.”

We’ll be talking with you about the agenda over the coming couple of weeks.It features speakers from Egypt and abroad who are future-proofing their businesses and angling to capture tomorrow’s opportunities — and who aren’t afraid to answer some tough questions.

*** Interested in attending? Tap or click here to let us know. Seating is limited.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

Tesla’s driving software is making its way to China.Tesla CEO Elon Musk concluded his visit to senior officials in China yesterday, where he discussed making Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software available in the country. Musk left the meetings victorious, with preliminary approval to implement the technology in China, Tesla’s second biggest market globally. But the approval didn’t come without strings attached. Chinese officials are withholding official approval until the carmaker meets “certain conditions,” though the specifications haven’t been made public. Other stipulations include navigation being provided by Baidu Inc., and that Tesla meets data-security requirements issued by the Chinese government. (Bloomberg | Reuters)

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☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re getting a more bearable week, with the mercury peaking at 29°C in Cairo tomorrow before cooling to a low of 17°C at night, according to our favorite weather app.

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