Good morning, friends. After a quiet weekend, the news flow has picked up with the latest on United Bank’s IPO, news on what a revised IMF loan agreement would look like, and fresh investment news.

WAR WATCH-

El Sisi confirms ceasefire proposal: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said yesterday that Egypt has proposed an initial two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange Israeli detainees of Hamas for Palestinian prisoners. The temporary ceasefire would then see permanent ceasefire talks resume within 10 days, El Sisi added (watch, runtime: 21:55).

Not the first we hear of this: Last week, unnamed officials told Axios that Egyptian officials have put forth a proposal for a “small” agreement that would see some of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas released in exchange for a short ceasefire in Gaza.

It’s unclear if Israel and Hamas are on board: Unnamed sources told Al Arabiya that both sides signaled they will commit to the new accord, though Israeli reports claim Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still set on continuing Israel's invasion and strikes on northern Gaza during ceasefire negotiations, going against one of Hamas’ key conditions.

The situation on the ground remains dire: El Sisi’s announcement came as Israeli strikes killed 75 Palestinians across Gaza, with the UN describing the situation in northern Gaza as “unbearable.”

DEBT WATCH-

Yield on three-month t-bills reaches highest level since March float: The Finance Ministry sold some EGP 52.4 bn in EGP-denominated three-month t-bills this week at an average yield of 30.0%, according to central bank data. This marks the highest yield on three-month bills since March, when the rate jumped to 30.2% in an auction following the EGP float.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

Cabinet discusses EU’s CBAM, export competitiveness: The Madbouly government convened a meeting on Sunday to discuss the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) — set to go into full effect starting in 2026 — with Industry Minister Kamel El Wazir noting that the government is in the process of finalizing a plan to adjust to the new standards, according to a cabinet statement.

What the plan entails: The government will work on identifying sectors targeted for carbon footprint reduction with the aim of increasing the industrial sector’s overall energy efficiency, and is also putting together a list of prioritized exporters that will receive financial support to green their production lines, El Wazir said during the meeting.

DIVE DEEPER- We dove into the ins and outs of the CBAM and what it means for Egypt in a Going Green earlier this year.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- The Doing Business with Finland seminar is happening today, with Finnish and Egyptian companies set to meet later this morning at the Finnish Embassy-backed event to discuss potential healthcare, education, ICT, and food supply partnerships.

#2- It’s day two of Cairo Urban Week, which is highlighting the “city’s rich cultural diversity and unique heritage” until Sunday ahead of the World Urban Forum that will begin just after in the capital. You can find the full agenda and the link to register on the event’s official website.

#3- ITDA is inking agreements for three commercial and logistics zones in Beni Suef and Sharqia governorates with two firms including Emaar, Al Mal quotes Internal Trade Development Authority (ITDA) Head Heba El Sayed as saying.

#4- UNSC to convene for emergency meeting following request from Tehran: The UN Security Council will meet today to discuss Israel’s latest attack on Iran after the latter requested an emergency meeting with the support of Algeria, China, and Russia. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, in alignment with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and under international law, reserves its inherent right to legal and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a letter to the council on Saturday.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

AUC to hold talk on US elections’ regional impact: The American University in Cairo is holding a moderated panel discussion tomorrow entitled “America’s Next President: What it Means for the Middle East, Africa and the Future of the Region.” The hour-long talk will be held at AUC’s Tahrir Square campus and will kick off at 1 pm and will be open to the AUC community only. For more details on the event and individual panelists, visit the event’s website.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s another cool day in Cairo, with a high of 28°C and a low of 18°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s more or less the same in Alexandria, with a high of 26°C and a low of 20°C.

** DID YOU KNOW that we now cover Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

** Were you forwarded this email? Tap or click here to get your own copy delivered every weekday before 7am Cairo time — without charge.

ICYMI- Missed this week’s Inside Industry? In our weekly vertical exploring all things industry and manufacturing, we looked at the challenges facing automakers in Egypt in the push to localize the industry. Check out the story here.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

#1- The Decision Makers Conference will take place on Wednesday, bringing together 500 attendees and over 30 speakers to discuss the country’s real estate sector. The conference will host sessions on urban development strategies, attracting foreign investment, and the current challenges and promises of Egypt's real estate industry with input from leading public and private sector players. You can register to attend through the event’s official website.

#2- The Iraq Investment Forum 2024 is penciled in for next week: A delegation from the Contractors Union will fly to Baghdad to partake in the Iraq Investment Forum — a two-day event held on 2-3 November, where the Iraqi government showcases the available project offerings across various sectors, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, and water waste. The union is expected to land agreements between local contracting companies and Iraqi entities to carry out construction projects there in the upcoming period, according to Amwal Al Ghad.

Local construction firms have been loving the Iraqi market, which has become one of a number of key markets local firms have been expanding to as domestic opportunities shrink. The Iraqi construction market is expected to grow significantly over the coming ten years, our sources said, adding that they expect demand to exceed the USD 500 bn market over the next decade. We dove into the full story in a HardHat published last month.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

ENTERPRISEAM IS LOOKING FOR SMART, TALENTED PEOPLE of all backgrounds to help us build some very cool new things. EnterpriseAM — the essential morning read on all the important news shaping business and the economy in Egypt, GCC, and the wider region — is looking for writers, reporters, and editors to help us build out new publications.

Never worked in a newsroom before? We have the EnterpriseAM Business Writing Development Program. Whether you are a recent graduate, an industry vet, or looking to switch careers, the EnterpriseAM Business Writing Development Program will give you the tools you need to tell the most important stories to our audience of C-suite officials, government ministers, diplomats, financiers, investors, and entrepreneurs.

Not an internship program — a career: The three-month program will see full-time, paid participants take part in workshops and lectures from veteran business journalists on subject matter knowledge, while also working on constructing and filing EnterpriseAM stories that will run on any of our publications. Those who have successfully completed the program, will then be given long-term job offers.

Apply directly to jobs@enterprisemea.com and mention “writing development program” in your subject line.

PLUS- We’re also looking for our first dedicated audience development professional. Someone who loves the challenge of helping us reach new readers in new markets — Saudi, the UAE, and lots more to come —using a range of digital channels and tools. You’re someone who thrives on working in a small, focused team. You’ve got proven digital skills (more likely than not on the performance marketing side). And you want to be part of what we immodestly think is the region’s most exciting media, advisory, and business intelligence company.

Interested? Tell Patrick and Moustafa why and send us your resume on newjobs@enterprise.news. We’d love to hear from you today. The position is based in Cairo, offers two days a week working anywhere you please, and offers a competitive package. (We’re also pretty nice people to work with, if we don’t say so ourselves.)

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Election news, escalations between Iran and Israel, and chatter around a potential ceasefire in Gaza continue to push business news further to the bottom of the foreign press’ front pages.

Japan’s ruling coalition lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 2009 in snap elections yesterday, according to public broadcaster NHK’s projections, casting the country into political uncertainty. While the Liberal Democratic Party lost seats, Japan’s largest opposition party — the Constitutional Democratic Party — made big gains.

Market analysts are expecting the JPY and the Nikkei to suffer from an expected uncertainty in the legislative process of the country, Semafor said. The JPY has already weakened to its lowest level in almost three months following the news, Bloomberg reports. The Nikkei, however, has yet to show signs of faltering, rising 1% in early trade this morning, while the Topix is also up.

Israeli and Iranian officials are making their thoughts known on the impact of Israel’s strikes on Iran on Saturday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming the attack “severely [harmed] its defense capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that would be launched at us,” after Israeli officials initially kept quiet on the details of the strike, Bloomberg reports. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, on the other hand, said the strike must “neither be downplayed nor exaggerated,” BBC reported.

*** It’s Blackboard day: We have our weekly look at the business of education in Egypt, from pre-K through the highest reaches of higher ed.

In today’s issue: We dive into the new National Council for Education, Research, and Innovation.

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