Good afternoon, friends, and welcome back. Still unsure where to go for your first post-Ramadan breakfast this weekend? We might have a few ideas. Also in today’s issue: We break down why Ab w Laken didn’t land and list the footie fixtures on our radar tonight.

🌙 So, when do we eat? Maghrib prayers are at 6:04pm in the capital, and you’ll have until 4:35am tomorrow to hydrate and caffeinate ahead of fajr.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

📍 The government is expected to finalize a timeline to IPO or sell stakes in at least 20 state-owned companies immediately following the Eid El Fitr break, a government source tells EnterpriseAM. The move is part of a broader push to generate USD 3-4 bn in inflows before year’s end.

These inflows are part of a plan to raise USD 6 bn to support the country's foreign currency reserves during the next fiscal year to complete the requirements of the reform program with the International Monetary Fund, which will conclude in December.

What’s on the menu? The list includes Safi, Wataniya, Silo Foods, and Chillout, alongside AlexBank and Banque du Caire. New entrants reportedly under consideration for the ramp-up include Egyptian Ferroalloys, El Nasr Mining, and plastics manufacturer Alamal Alsharif.

^^ We’ll have more on this story in tomorrow’s edition of EnterpriseAM.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 Dominating the headlines this afternoon is Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz’s statement that Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, and the commander of Iran’s Basij forces, Gholamreza Soleimani, had both been killed in overnight airstrikes. Iran has yet to confirm the killings, which would mark the first high-profile Iranian officials to be killed since Ali Khamenei’s death over two weeks ago.

^^Read more on: Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters, and the Financial Times.

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

  • Foreign investors halted the retreat from Egypt’s debt market this week, helping the Finance Ministry cover its funding needs without incurring prohibitive borrowing costs;
  • The Industry Ministry is rolling out a revamped, more realistic playbook to get local auto manufacturing back in the fast lane, targeting 100k vehicles annually with 60% local content;
  • The Finance Ministry will open subscriptions for a new tranche of its recently launched Citizen Bonds next week, with the issuance scheduled for 15 April.

⛅ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re in for more of the same on the weather front in the capital tomorrow, with a high of 26°C and a low of 16°C, according to our favorite weather app.

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