Good morning, folks. We have an issue busy with energy news from day one of the Egypt Energy Show and we don’t expect the flow of news to slow down with the event running until tomorrow.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- EGX listing for all? The EGX and the Madbouly government are in talks over listing all of the companies earmarked for privatization on the EGX in the lead up to selling them off to strategic investors, EGX boss Ahmed El Sheikh told Zawya, adding that the bourse is looking into the legislative amendments needed to facilitate the move.

Pulse check on the privatization program: The Madbouly government is looking to sell stakes in ten state-owned companies this year via private placements to strategic investors and stake sales on the EGX.

#2- Egypt is looking to up its imports of Israeli gas by 58% by the middle of 2025, AsharqBusiness reports, citing unnamed government officials. The planned increase would take daily imports of Israeli gas to 1.5 bn cubic feet per day (cf/d) — equivalent to around a quarter of domestic demand.

The increase in Egypt-bound gas will follow developments of Chevron’s Tamar gas field, which will reportedly result in an uptick of output to Egypt by June. The move will eventually bring the field’s production capacity up to 1.6 bn cf/d from 1 bn cf/d currently.

HAPPENING TODAY-

It’s day two of the Egypt Energy Show, with the nation’s capital hosting private and public energy players from across the globe at the Egypt International Exhibition Center. The three-day event, which comes under the theme of Building a Secure and Sustainable Energy Future, brings together 47k visitors, features over 300 speakers, and hosts more than 500 participating companies.

The event kicked off yesterday with a plenty of important energy announcements — Egypt will liquify and re-export Cypriot natural gas under two agreements inked between the two sides yesterday and Saudi renewables giant Acwa Power is setting up a 2 GW wind farm in South Hurghada.

** We’ve got the full rundown in the newswell, below.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s another sunny day in Cairo, with a high of 23°C and a low of 13°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s more or less the same in Alexandria, with a high of 22°C and a low of 11°C.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

#1- The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee will meet on Thursday to review interest rates. The CBE left rates unchanged when it last met in December — marking the sixth consecutive meeting to keep rates steady — but most analysts see the central bank starting to cut rates sometime this quarter.

What to expect? Analysts are divided on which way the MPC could lean when it meets, according to our customary interest rate poll.

#2- Exploring business potential between Egypt and Switzerland: The Egyptian-Swiss Business Circle and Kickstart Innovation are hosting a series of online events on 20 February under the theme Innovate Together: Business Opportunities Between Egypt and Switzerland. The events aim to strengthen business ties between the two nations, bringing together startups, investors, and public and private players.

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

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Anxiety and anticipation continue on the international landscape this morning, as intricate negotiations over Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon continue to dominate headlines.

Ukraine summit stokes EU disagreements: The Paris-hosted crisis meeting saw European leaders clash over sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, a suggestion put forward by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the discussion “an incomprehensible debate at the wrong time”, while Italian PM Georgia Meloni doubted the measure’s effectiveness.

EU leaders are scrambling to get on the Ukraine peace train, as senior US and Russian officials are reportedly set to meet in Riyadh today to lay the groundwork for a Trump-Putin summit aimed at ending the Ukraine war, with meetings potentially taking place as early as this month. (FT | Axios)

MEANWHILE- US, China butt heads over Taiwan: “We do not support Taiwan independence,” said a phrase removed from the US State Department website earlier this week in a claimed “routine” update. The removal elicited a rebuke from Beijing, which called it a “serious regression” on the issue, urging the US to “immediately correct its mistakes” or risk “further serious damage.” (Semafor | CNN)

CLOSER TO HOME- Israel will remain in five “strategic” spots inside Lebanon, in what Beirut deems a violation of the withdrawal mandated by the ceasefire agreement, due today. Israel, on the other hand, claims truce commitments including disarming Hezbollah were not fulfilled. (Bloomberg)

*** It’s Going Green day — your weekly briefing of all things green in Egypt: Enterprise’s green economy vertical focuses each Tuesday on the business of renewable energy and sustainable practices in Egypt, everything from solar and wind energy through to water, waste management, sustainable building practices and how you can make your business greener, whatever the sector.

In today’s issue: We look at the challenges facing Egypt’s agriculture sector — from climate change and water scarcity to land shortages.

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