Good afternoon, friends, we hope you’re staying warm on this breezy afternoon.

Today, we’re excited to introduce After Hours, a brand new section that will appear in EnterprisePM and EnterpriseAM Weekend. After Hours will cover the business side of industries such as food, art, entertainment, hospitality, and fashion. We will also introduce you to Egypt’s rising generation of leaders, founders, and executives, as well as follow the latest business and lifestyle trends.

For our first After Hours column, we sat down with our friend Jalal Abu Ghazaleh, chairman of AM Foods Group and the founder of Gourmet Egypt, who is on his second, possibly third, act as an exporter of specialty food products. He tells us the fascinating story of how he managed to break into the US market with a very unexpected product.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

📍 The Hotel California era of Egyptian business might finally be ending. The Egyptian Tax Authority is set to launch a centralized system in early 2026 specifically designed to fast-track corporate liquidation, a government source told EnterpriseAM. The move targets the market’s exit problem — where bureaucratic hurdles and open tax files prevent companies from legally closing — by resolving a massive backlog of disputes that have historically left investors trapped.

Why this matters: For years, the inability to liquidate smoothly has been a hidden tax on investment. The risk of being locked in a multi-year battle over arbitrary assessments — particularly regarding VAT — has increased the risk premium for anyone considering entering the Egyptian market. A functional exit mechanism is arguably as important as investment incentives.

How it works: Instead of dealing with local district offices, liquidation files will now be handled by a new (in testing) electronic platform reporting directly to the head of the Tax Authority. A high-level committee will oversee a transition toward instant closure once statutory requirements are met, bypassing the traditional audit lag. The system is also designed to process thousands of open files — many of which are currently flagged as tax evasion due to administrative disputes rather than criminal intent — before the five-year statute of limitations expires

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 It’s another calm afternoon in the business press, with just one story dominating the digital front pages: Gold prices hit a record high earlier today, surpassing USD 4.4k per ounce for the first time ever — slightly over EGP 6.7k per gram for 24k gold. The surge comes hot on the heels of expectations of a US rate cut, and comes as investors continue seeking safe-haven investments amid rising geopolitical tensions. Silver also saw a jump, with prices reaching USD 69 per ounce at the time of publication. Read more on Reuters.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- It’s more of the same in the capital tomorrow, with a high of 21°C and a low of 12°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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