Maersk vessels are slowly making their way back to Red Sea waters

Shipping giant Maersk’s Sebarok ship passed through the Bab El Mandab Strait and the Red Sea for the first time in two years since the company stopped transiting the Red Sea route, it said on its website. The company plans to continue the gradual return of its sailing along the East-West route through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, “assuming that security thresholds continue to be met.” Meanwhile, no sailings are scheduled at the moment, it added.

Will other shippers follow suit? The move comes on the heels of French shipping giant CMA CGM’s rerouting of its India America Express (Indamex) service through the Red Sea, with the first vessel serving the service on the new program set to arrive at the Suez Canal on 8 January.

EFG Hermes wraps advisory on Action Energy IPO in Kuwait

EFG Hermes Investment Banking wrapped advisory on Action Energy Company (AEC)’s USD 179 mn IPO on Boursa Kuwait’s premier market with strong appetite (a 5x oversubscription rate) from local, regional, and international investors, it said in a statement (pdf). EFG Hermes was joint global coordinator and joint bookrunner on the transaction, which saw AEC offer 45.9% of its shares for sale.

BACKGROUND- EFG Hermes’ track record for the year now stands at 16 equity raises, 14 debt transactions, and eight M&As across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Egypt.

Valu, Infinity bank on BNPL to unlock Egypt’s home-charging bottleneck

Valu and Infinity are pivoting toward home-charger financing in a bid to tackle one of Egypt’s biggest EV adoption hurdles — home charging infrastructure. The two companies partnered to offer buy now, pay later plans for home EV chargers during this weekend’s EVs Electricity expo, targeting the high upfront cost that has slowed uptake, according to a joint statement (pdf).

The shift: Valu is moving beyond consumer goods into green infrastructure finance, wagering that financing the garage is as critical as financing the car. Under the agreement, Infinity customers can access six-month plans with 0% interest, zero down payment, and no purchase fees for home chargers, while public charging sessions can be paid in installments via the InfinityEV app, including cashback incentives.

Why it matters: This marks the formalization of green mobility as a distinct credit category in Egypt, following Valu’s earlier move into residential solar. With Infinity already operating 250+ stations and 850+ charging points nationwide, lowering the barrier to home charging could help accelerate demand — if the EV market is ready for it.

EBRD extends USD 20 mn in green financing to Alexbank

Alexbank landed USD 20 mn from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for onlending to households and MSMEs for climate adaptation and mitigation, the lender said on its website. The package includes a USD 17 mn loan under the EU-backed Green Economy Financing Facility II, in addition to USD 3 mn co-financed by the Green Climate Fund. The package will also include incentive grants and EU-funded technical assistance aimed to “promote equal access to climate finance and green technologies for women and men.”

Valu places EGP 1.1 bn securitized bond

EGX-listed fintech player Valu closed a 1.1 bn securitized bond issuance. The transaction is the first under its eighth securitization program, worth some EGP 10 bn. The bond has an 18-month tenor and is structured in two fixed-rate tranches.

ADVISORS- EFG Hermes was the sole financial advisor, sole transaction manager, bookrunner, underwriter, and arranger on the issuance. AAIB and Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait were underwriters, while AAIB was custodian. Dreny & Partners acted as counsel and Baker Tilly as auditor.

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