Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today’s issue bids adieu to 2025 — a busy, packed, and eventful year that passed at breakneck speed. Blinked one too many times or took an extended no-screen vacation? We’ve listed the good, the bad, and the ugly below for your convenience.

Don’t forget: Banks and the EGX are shuttered tomorrow in celebration of the new year, so conclude any money moves you have planned today.

** A QUICK PROGRAMMING NOTE- We will be taking a break from your inboxes tomorrow along with the banks, but we’ll be back in your inboxes at the usual time on Sunday, 4 January. See you in 2026.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

📍 Gov’t needs to secure USD 6 bn to conclude the IMF program successfully: The Madbouly government is preparing a comprehensive USD 6 bn divestment and investment plan to conclude the seventh and eighth reviews of its IMF Extended Fund Facility by October 2026, three government sources told EnterpriseAM today. The plan aims to bolster our foreign reserves and ensure long-term fiscal stability beyond the program’s conclusion in 2026.

The roadmap: The government reportedly plans to secure between USD 3-4 bn through the privatization of key state-owned assets by October 2026. These include stakes in Banque Du Caire, Safi, Wataniya, the Gabal El Zeit wind power plant, and the Finance Ministry’s stake in the Bank of Alexandria (majority-held by Intesa Sanpaolo). The list also includes stakes in 13 public sector enterprises that will be ready for offering at percentages ranging between 10-40% under partnership with the private sector, according to our sources.

Beyond corporate stakes, the government will accelerate high-value real estate and land development projects to secure additional foreign exchange. This includes fast-tracking the redevelopment of “Ministries Square” — former ministry headquarters in Downtown Cairo. Proceeds are estimated between USD 2-3 bn, according to our sources. Officials are also in the final stages of a master plan to sell land at Ras Banas on the Red Sea coast.

** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

  • The CBE and Afreximbank will establish a pan-African gold bank and an internationally accredited refinery in an Egyptian freezone. The bank will extend logistical gold storage solutions for member countries and reduce the gap between local and international gold prices;
  • Egypt has received the USD 3.5 bn cashbased portion of the Alam El Roum development agreement from Qatari Diar. The government will allocate 50% of these proceeds toward the direct reduction of public debt, with the remaining half channeled into the CBE’s foreign reserves as additional buffer;
  • Egypt is considering ending full customs exemptions for imported EVs, partly in an attempt to lure global manufacturers to set up shop in Egypt instead of just shipping finished units into the country.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- The first day of the year brings us familiar chilly weather and hazy sunshine, with temperatures peaking at 21°C before dropping to 13°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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