Good morning, friends, and happy new year. It’s been a long and busy 12 months, but at least we get to start the new year with a day of rest. May this issue find you bundled up with a hot drink in hand. Not sure where to go from there? We’ve got a list of holiday watches to keep you entertained.

It’s a new year, but are you really a new you? If you’re having flashbacks of resolutions past gathering dust, you’re in excellent company. This week’s guide is all about turning the usual overpromises into actionable and realistic goals that will see you through the year.

🗞️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

ECONOMY-

#1- 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.

#2- Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk has approved sweeping amendments to the executive regulations of the Customs Law. The move signals a major pivot toward a whitelist economy, where the state trades traditional, inspection-heavy oversight for a risk-based framework that rewards compliant companies.

#3- Egypt received the USD 3.5 bn cashbased portion of the Alam El Roum development agreement from Qatari Diar. A senior government official says that the receipt of this specific Qatari inflow was the catalyst required to satisfy the Fund’s requirements regarding foreign currency buffers and the closure of financing gaps. The government will allocate 50% of the proceeds toward the direct reduction of public debt.

BANKING-

An estimated EGP 1.3-1.5 tn in high-yield certificates will reach maturity in early January, bracing local banks for a massive structural shift in liquidity. Industry leaders see this influx as a “healthy economic phenomenon” marking the transition from a period of emergency monetary tightening to a new era of growth and production.

AUTOMOTIVE-

Egypt is considering a major overhaul of its customs regime that would see the end of full exemptions for imported EVs, a senior government official tells EnterpriseAM. The move is part of a broader strategy to give global manufacturers — and not just in the automotive sector — reasons to set up shop in Egypt to assemble or manufacture, rather than shipping finished units into the country.

TAX-

The Finance Ministry is preparing a wide-ranging package of fiscal reforms targeting some of the private sector’s structural grievances, ranging from significant changes to how companies in freezones are taxed to a shifting of personal income tax brackets to account for inflation.

DEBT WATCH-

The Finance Ministry issued EGP 5 bn in three-year local sovereign sukuk. This is the ministry’s first test of the debt market following the CBE’s 100 bps rate cut last week. While the issuance is a re-opening of a series carrying a fixed coupon of 21.224%, tomorrow’s auction will give us all more detail on the market’s new pricing reality. With the CBE’s overnight deposit rate now down to 20.00%, banks and sharia-compliant funds are expected to bid aggressively to lock in these 21%+ returns before the government adjusts future coupons downward.

LOGISTICS-

#1- The Transport Ministry is in advanced talks with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for a series of shipbuilding and shipyard projects, a senior government source told EnterpriseAM. The talks, which also include a consortium of other Chinese maritime giants, are yet to land on a final price tag or financing structure. The official suggested they could wrap as early as the first half of the new year.

#2- Egypt has secured a strategic foothold in Djibouti’s maritime infrastructure, with state-owned and private firms signing a series of agreements to develop a new multi-purpose terminal, a regional logistics hub, as well as a solar power plant in the East African nation.

ENERGY-

Elsewedy Electric wants to double down on Greece with two additional 100 MWh battery energy storage system projects. The company’s first project is set to begin operation in 1Q 2026, and the other two are expected to follow in 2H 2027.

🌍 AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

🌐 It’s been a slow week on the business front pages with the the new year coming in. Here are the top headlines of the week:

  • Meta is snapping up Manus, a Singapore-based AI company, in an agreement valued at over USD 2 bn. The agreement, reportedly reached in about 10 days, marks a rare US acquisition of an Asian tech company and another major AI wager from Mark Zuckerberg.

  • Stocks are struggling to find momentum in the final trading days of the year. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% on Monday, but is still up more than 17% for 2025, on track for its eighth consecutive monthly gain. The Dow fell 0.5% while tech stocks like Nvidia and Tesla led declines.

  • Gold and silver retreated sharply from record highs — gold fell 4.6% but remains up about 64% for the year, while silver dropped 8.7% but has still more than doubled in 2025. For the first time in decades, platinum traded above USD 2.4k per ounce.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-

Bundle up, friends. The mercury over the weekend is set to peak at a brisk 20°C, and sink to 9°C at night, according to our favorite weather app.

🎤 HAPPENING NEXT WEEK-

It’s not the winter season without a classy affair at the Cairo Opera House. Renowned pianist Omar Khairat is taking the stage on Monday, 5 January and Tuesday, 6 January for a live performance. Tickets are available on Tazkarti.

The GEM concerts are still going strong — British singer Calum Scott is landing in Egypt for a live performance of his biggest hits on Thursday, 8 January as part of the museum’s opening events. Tickets are available on Tazkarti.

Laugh your way into the new year — catch comedian Alaa Abu Diab at CJC 610 on Saturday, 10 January for a night of sharp, quick-witted standup. You can book your tickets on Ticketsmarché.

🎤 HAPPENING LATER-

The Cairo Art Fair returns for its 11th year at TAM Gallery. This time the exhibition witnesses a landmark cultural moment with the unveiling of the GEM Art Collection, available for exclusive acquisition. The largest annual celebration for Egyptian contemporary art gathers over 150 local artists and 1.5k+ art pieces, and will be ongoing until Thursday, 15 January.

Amr Diab is coming in fresh for the new year with a concert at Al Manara Arena on Friday, 16 January. Presented by Orange, the night promises a packed setlist of the icon’s chart-topping hits. You can book your tickets now on Ticketsmarché.

Attention Cairo runners: Registration is still open for Cairo Marathon 2026, happening on Friday, 6 February. Claim your spot through Cairo Runners’ website — tickets are available until Friday, 30 January.

Cairo’s biggest visual gathering just kicked off with Cairo Prints’ sixth year. Hosted by Cairopolitan in Garden City, the event is running for two months until Sunday, 15 February, showcasing over 550 prints by more than 220 artists and designers. The collection re-envisions Cairo’s scenery, blending the local and the global, and celebrating regional talents and emerging creatives. Opening hours are 12pm to 9pm from Sundays to Wednesdays, and 12pm to 10pm from Thursdays to Saturdays.

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