Good afternoon, folks. It’s almost the weekend, but things are heating up in the press, as yesterday’s reprieve in the news cycle has proved to be a brief one.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

📍 Suez Canal transits are expected to pick up in early 2026, on the back of easing regional tensions and a positive regional growth forecast from the IMF, Chamber of Commerce’ International Transport and Logistics Division Secretary General Amr Al Samdoni told EnterpriseAM. Shipping lines have been encouraged by the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement and are “developing quarterly plans,” on the premise that the war and Houthi attacks cease completely, he added. The ease in tension will force shipping players to return to the shipping channel, Al Samdoni predicts, in a method of speeding up supply chains and the arrival of goods.

But shipping lines will still wait for “at least three months of stability and security in the waterway” before making concrete plans to return, Al Samdoni said. Lines are still cautious about returning to the Suez Canal and are waiting for “all safety measures to be in place,” a shipping agency source told EnterpriseAM.

The expected return of traffic to the Suez Canal would be welcome news for the country’s FX reserves and overall revenues, as well as contributing to an easing of global inflation, Al Samdoni told us. Transfers through the Suez Canal would ease global shipping costs and time, as it “guarantees a transit of 28 to 30 days for shipments, while vessels used to take between 60 to 70 days when traveling via the Cape of Good Hope.”

REMEMBER- Suez Canal receipts fell 45.5% y-o-y to USD 3.6 bn during the previous fiscal year, with net tonnage down 55.1% and vessel transits falling 38.5% amid Red Sea disruptions.

The EnterpriseAM Forum is over. The insights are just getting started.

This year’s forum was packed with actionable intelligence on the future of Egyptian business. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, we’re launching the EnterpriseAM Forum Playback.

Each week, you’ll receive a special newsletter breaking down one key session — from the future of work to getting capital markets off life support. We’ll also drop a companion podcast in our EnterpriseAM Egypt podcast feed so you can listen on the go.

Look out for a new deep-dive landing in your inbox and podcast feed every Thursday.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 It’s a busy afternoon in the global press, with all eyes on Gaza as an already-fragile ceasefire agreement begins to show signs of cracking. Following news that Israel would limit the volume of humanitarian aid going into Gaza to half on account of Hamas not returning some of the bodies of deceased hostages, the IDF claims that one of four bodies handed over last night did not belong to an Israeli, but rather a Palestinian individual. “Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages,” the IDF said.

Concerns are on the rise over the pace of returns, with residents in Gaza reportedly expressing worry that these latest developments may be used by the occupying force as an excuse to end the truce or deny aid, the Guardian reports. Remains of 21 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza, and returns may take weeks as they’re recovered from underneath the rubble, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

MEANWHILE- Palestinian men released from Israel’s Nafha prison report being brutally beaten, verbally abused, and tortured. “They also hung us on walls, sprayed us with cold air and water, and sometimes threw chilli powder on detainees,” recently released prisoner Mohammed Al Asaliya told the Guardian. (CNN | BBC | Reuters | Guardian)

ALSO- Following weeks of youth-led protests in Madagascar, an elite military unit announced that it has taken control over the country after impeached President Andry Rajoelina fled the country earlier this week. The military is set to form a government and hold elections within two years, Capsat Colonel Michael Randrianirina said. (BBC | Guardian)

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- It’s going to be another breezy day in the capital, with a high of 28°C and a low of 16°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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