Good morning, friends and happy Monday to you all. We have a brisk issue for you this morning led by the latest EGP / USD exchange rate fluctuations and real estate news. We also have plenty to look forward to today with the international summit on Gaza kicking off in a few hours.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s another cool day in Cairo, with a high of 29°C and a low of 19°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s even cooler in Alexandria, with a high of 27°C and a low of 20°C.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- We’re hours away from seeing world leaders gather in Sharm El Sheikh for the international summit to finalize the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The summit — hosted by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and US President Donald Trump — will see no Israeli officials or Hamas representatives in attendance, according to AFP.

The summit is the final step after days of negotiations, which ended with Israel and Hamas reaching an agreement to establish a ceasefire and end the war in Gaza. Under the US-brokered agreement, Hamas will release remaining Israeli hostages by midday today in exchange for Israel freeing more than 1.9k Palestinian prisoners, BBC reports. Trump is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem early today before heading to Egypt.

#2- It’s day two of Cairo Water Week. The annual event to discuss innovative solutions for climate resilience and water sustainability kicked off yesterday at New Cairo’s Triumph Luxury Hotel and will wrap on Thursday. Expect a packed schedule featuring workshops, exhibitions, and sessions around adaptation to climate change, water resource management, nature-based solutions, and sustainable infrastructure. The event will also host competitions for young inventors and showcase new technologies aimed at advancing the water sector in Egypt and the region.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi kicked off day one yesterday with a virtual speechdescribing water security as an “existential issue” facing the country, given that 98% of the population relies on “a single source that originates outside its borders: the Nile.”

El Sisi called out Ethiopia’s recent opening of the Grand Renaissance Dam, which has caused flooding in Sudan and Egypt, and called for a legally binding water management agreement to regulate the operation of this dam. The river is the “shared property of all the countries it runs through and a collective resource that cannot be monopolized,” he argued.

On the sidelines of day one, the National Water Research Center and the Dutch IHE Delft Institute for Water Education signed a cooperation protocol to enhance research, training, and capacity building, according to a statement.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- The Energos Winter floating storage and regasification unit is a backup in case Israel — once again — cuts off gas supplies, Asharq Business reports, citing an unnamed government source. The newly operational 450 mcf/d Energos Winter is currently only running at a fraction of its capacity, processing only 70 mcf/d from its berth in Damietta, while the four other docked units receive the bulk of incoming shipments.

The unit came online just as the number of LNG incoming shipments dropped sharply — from a planned 19 this month to just six, a government source told EnterpriseAM last week. The previous month also saw fewer shipments received than initially planned amid falling domestic consumption. Egypt is now expected to import between 20 and 24 shipments during the final quarter of the year, compared to a previous target of 40 shipments, the source said.

#2- Egypt to head ISO for three years: Egypt has assumed the presidency of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) after securing the support of 63 countries, the Industry Ministry said in a statement. Chairman of the Egyptian Organisation for Standardization and Quality (EOS) Khaled Soufi will serve as president from 2026 to 2028, making him the first Arab and second African to hold the position since ISO’s founding.

EGX WATCH-

Shares of all listed cement producers closed in the green yesterday after the government unveiled temporary incentives to boost local supply. Sinai Cement and Arabia Cement both jumped the maximum 20%, while Misr Cement rose 17.8%. The sector, which has struggled with overcapacity and weak margins in recent years, could see temporary relief if the incentives lead to higher throughput and improved pricing stability.

REMEMBER- The Industry Ministry announced that factories increasing output this month will receive one-time discounts on fees tied to amendments in their production-capacity licenses. The measure is designed to encourage higher utilization, stabilize prices, and ensure adequate domestic supply. The move follows a July directive that gave cement factories one month to restart idle production lines as part of efforts to balance supply and demand in the local market.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The NeoGen PropTech and Sustainable Smart Cities Conference will kick off on 15 December in the new capital. Some big names from the private and public sectors will be taking the stage to discuss emerging proptech trends, real estate sustainability, the importance of data and digitization, and more.

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 new investment windows across 28 priority sectors announced by the Industry Ministry in a bid to bolster local manufacturing. Check out the story here.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Trump heads to the Middle East to finalize ceasefire agreement: US President Donald Trump is en route to Egypt and Israel to mark the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas. The visit comes as the first phase of the agreement — including hostage releases and a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — is being implemented. Trump will first visit Israel to meet with Israeli officials and address parliament before attending a Gaza-focused summit in Sharm El Sheikh which he will be co-hosting with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. (Associated Press | New York Times | BBC)

We have more on that in the news well, above.

Meanwhile in Europe, Macron faces political turbulence: French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new cabinet as he and reappointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu face pressure to form a stable government and prevent another collapse. Lecornu, who stepped down last week before being reappointed Friday, now needs to rally support from centrist allies to survive looming no-confidence votes in parliament. With Macron’s popularity slipping and his coalition reduced to a weak minority, both opposition and allied parties have criticized him for refusing to scale back his agenda. (Bloomberg | Financial Times | Reuters | AP | France 24)

And, tensions are rising between Washington and Beijing: China has accused the US of escalating the trade war after Trump announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese exports and widen export control starting November, the Financial Times reports. China’s Commerce Ministry criticized the US for blacklisting Chinese firms and abusing national security measures, warning it would take “corresponding measures” if the tariffs proceed.

*** 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 our higher education sphere and what the Madbouly government is doing to attract more foreign investors to the scene.

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