Good afternoon, friends, and happy hump day. The news cycle is starting to see some traction, so let’s dive in.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

📍 EGX and ADX-listed Orascom Construction’s board signed off on its planned merger with Dutch-listed fertilizer giant OCI Global, approving an agreement that will see the two Nassef Sawiris-backed firms combine into a single Abu Dhabi-based infrastructure and investment platform under the name Orascom, according to a statement (pdf). The transaction will be implemented via a demerger of OCI’s assets into a new vehicle that Orascom Construction will acquire in exchange for new shares, after which OCI will be liquidated and delisted from Euronext Amsterdam.

OCI shareholders will swap their stock for roughly 97.8 mn Orascom Construction shares at an exchange ratio of 0.46 Orascom Construction share for each OCI share, based on an equity value of USD 1.5 bn for Orascom and USD 1.3 bn for OCI.

What’s next? Both Orascom Construction and OCI plan to hold EGMs in January 2026 to vote on the combination, with distribution of the new Orascom shares to OCI investors expected in 1Q 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The company said it will publish EGM materials in due course and has scheduled an investor call for 17 December.

ADVISORS- Our friends at EFG Hermes, alongside White & Case, FAB, and KPMG are advising Orascom Construction, while OCI tapped De Brauw, Rothschild & Co, A&O Shearman, Rabobank, ABN AMRO, and Deloitte. BDO UAE was appointed as independent valuer.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 No single story is leading the news cycle this afternoon, with a smorgasbord of stories getting plenty of ink:

Ukraine is set to present an amended peace plan — one that reportedly proposes alternatives to territorial concessions to Russia — to the White House today. The news follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s refusal to surrender land, claiming he had no right to do so under either Ukrainian or international law, following meetings in London with European and Nato leaders yesterday. (BBC | France 24 | Reuters)

CLOSER TO HOME- Israeli Military Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir told soldiers deployed in Gaza that the yellow line dividing the strip under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan is a “new border” for the occupying state, claiming that the line would “[serve] as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.” Whether Zamir’s statement reflects official Israeli policy remains unclear, however, with the Israeli government declining to comment. (ABC | Guardian)

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD- Australia’s divisive ban on social media for children under 16 is set to take full effect tomorrow, 10 December. Major social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit, and YouTube will be enacting a forced block of over 1 mn accounts in lieu of fines of up to USD 33 mn. The country’s ban on underage social media use has garnered protest from major tech firms and social media giants, and is expected to pave the way for other countries to follow suit. (Reuters | BBC)

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re in for a cloudy day with a chance of rain in the capital tomorrow. Temperatures are set to peak at just 22°C before dropping to 14°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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