Good morning, friends and happy Monday to you all. The news flow has picked up after a slow start to the week. We lead today’s issue with the latest efforts to boost investment — fast-tracking all approvals and preparing a legislative package to remove tax, customs, and procedural barriers.

ALSO- Gas demand has fallen significantly with the weather cooling, leaving the state with more LNG supplies than it knows what to do with and anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese ceramics could be on the table in response to complaints from local ceramics players.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s another cool day in Cairo, with a high of 33°C and a low of 23°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s a little cooler in Alexandria, with a high of 30°C and a low of 21°C.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Speedy approvals for all. Government entities will soon be required to issue all necessary approvals for investment requests electronically within 20 working days, the same timeframe granted to golden license holders, General Authority for Freezones and Investment CEO Hossam Heiba said. The change will be included in the draft of the new Companies Law, which will soon be submitted to the House for discussion, he said.

The move will benefit startups in particular, “as they had previously been the most affected by the long duration and complexity of establishment processes compared to larger, higher-value companies that could better withstand delays,” Heiba said.

#2- The General Authority for Freezones and Investment is putting together a package of incentives to boost foreign investments in priority sectors, a government source told EnterpriseAM. The package will be part of an upcoming promotional campaign to attract foreign investments, we were told.

The government has 31 priority sectors that it wants to promote in public and private freezones, according to a government document reviewed by EnterpriseAM. Of the 31 sectors, eight are ready to be promoted, while the promotional efforts for the other sectors will require more time to prepare due to the need for legislative and procedural changes, according to the document. The first batch of sectors will include chemicals, textiles, pharma, hotels and resorts, consumer electronics, and healthcare.

DATA POINT- Public and private freezones hosted 1.2k projects with a total capital of USD 14.1 bn as of the end of June 2025.

DEBT WATCH-

The Central Bank of Egypt auctioned off some EGP 183.2 bn worth of treasury bills on Thursday and Sunday — a 30.8% increase from the targeted EGP 140 bn, according to the bank’s website. The bills sold had tenors ranging from three to 12 months and average yields between 25.85% and 27.26%.

HAPPENING TODAY-

It’s day one of Egypt Innovation Week, the country-wide “week-long celebration [that] brings together entrepreneurs, investors, educators, and government leaders to spark collaboration and drive real impact,” according to the event organizers.

Kicking off the week’s series of events is the Techne Summit Cairo, which begins today at the Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace and Ghurnata Community Space. The two-day event is expected to bring together tens of thousands of innovators from over 70 countries and some big names in the local, regional, and global startup scene as speakers.

Alex Angels’ Capital Connect series of events also begins today, with the angel investment network set to hold panel discussions, networking meetups, and exclusive gatherings to connect budding entrepreneurs and startups with investors. Over 200 investors from more than 70 countries will take part in the event, which runs until 6 October.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

Egypt-South Korea relations in the spotlight: To mark 30 years of diplomatic ties between Egypt and South Korea, the two countries will host the Egypt-South Korea Business Forum tomorrow. Bilateral investment, trade, green energy, and education cooperation are expected to top the agenda.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

You only have until this Wednesday to apply for the Onsi Sawiris School of Business’ Executive MBA program. The program offers senior executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals the chance to hone their leadership skills, learn how to drive real strategic change in their organizations, and gain a new global perspective on business. The 20-month program tailored for working professionals is set to kick off in mid-October.

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

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ICYMI- Missed this week’s Inside Industry? In our weekly vertical exploring all things industry and manufacturing, we looked at the impact of the gas price hike on industries. Check out the story here.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s a quiet Monday morning in the global business press, with no single story dominating the headlines. Among those receiving attention:

#1- Trump is optimistic about his plans to end the war in Gaza, ahead of partaking in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. Trump told Reuters he’s had a “very good response” from regional leaders and that “everybody wants to make a deal.” Trump’s 21-point proposal centers on halting Israeli strikes and opening a new dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians under a “peaceful coexistence” framework. It calls for the release of all Israeli hostages — living or dead — and would bar further Israeli attacks on Qatar. (Financial Times | Axios | Washington Post | The Guardian)

#2- The region could stand to gain from Trump’s new H-1B visa fees: The Middle East could be the biggest winner from Trump’s plan to slap a USD 100k fee on H-1B visas, with Gulf states already trying to position themselves as an AI hub, potentially luring in tech talent, write CNBC. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are already offering top-tier pay, long-term golden visas, and a business-friendly environment — positioning themselves as an attractive alternative just as US policy tightens.

*** 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 took a look at the five new pharma-focused applied technology schools that opened their doors this academic year in cooperation with Italy.

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