Good morning, all. We hope you’ve said your final goodbyes to the beach and are ready for colder days as it is officially the first day of fall.

IN TODAY’S ISSUE- The Finance Ministry has begun clearing its overdue export subsidy payments as part of its efforts to support the local export market and the government is preparing a fresh package of incentives geared towards pharma players in a bid to help sector players grow.

PLUS- We dive into what’s next for National Printing in our Coffee With CEO Sherif El Moallem.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s the first day of fall here in Cairo, with the capital in for another cool day with a high of 32°C and a low of 22°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s more or less the same in Alexandria, with a high of 30°C and a low of 23°C.

HAPPENING TODAY-

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly is in New York to head Egypt’s delegation at the UN conference on the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, according to a cabinet statement. Madbouly will take to the stage to argue Egypt’s position at the conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

The conference follows several Western nations announcing their formal recognition of a Palestinian state, including the UK, Canada, and Australia, with more expected to follow suit today. We have the details in the news well, below.

Madbouly will also participate in the UN General Assembly set to start tomorrow. He is also set to hold bilateral talks with world leaders and meet with representatives of regional and international organizations during his visit, according to the statement.

CIT Minister Amr Talaat is also in New York on a four-day visit, where he will meet senior executives from major American ICT companies to discuss expanding cooperation through new investments and scaling up operations in Egypt, according to a ministry statement. He will discuss opportunities in telecoms, outsourcing, electronics design, cybersecurity, and AI, and attend the US Executive Forum of the Global Semiconductor Alliance.

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ICYMI- Missed this week’s Inside Industry? In our weekly vertical exploring all things industry and manufacturing, we spoke to Prometeon Tyre Egypt CEO and Managing Director Stefano Ziliani to learn more about the company and its local operations, Check out the story here.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s relatively calm in the foreign press this morning, with one story dominating headlines. Canada, the UK, Australia, and Portugal announced their formal recognition of a Palestinian state yesterday, signalling a break with Washington and deepening Israel’s diplomatic isolation. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the decision is meant “to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution,” while Canadian Premier Mark Carney stressed it aligned with “principles of self-determination and fundamental human rights.” France, Belgium, Malta and other European states are expected to follow suit this week during the UN General Assembly.

What’s next? President Donald Trump — who had threatened Canada with trade consequences over its position and publicly clashed with Starmer over the matter — is set to meet Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the general assembly to discuss Gaza. Diplomats from the recognizing countries have been working to limit fallout with Washington. (Reuters | Bloomberg | New York Times | The Guardian | BBC | Associated Press | Politico)

ALSO MAKING HEADLINES- Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar Al Assad on 5 October, as President Ahmed Al Sharaa moves to rebuild state institutions and consolidate power after years of conflict. (Reuters | Bloomberg)

*** 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 look at the efforts underway to open up a branch of Alexandria University in Abu Dhabi.

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