Happy Hump Day

Good afternoon, friends, and happy Hump Day. It’s a breezy one in Cairo, and we’ve got an issue to match. Egypt’s unemployment rate has hit a record low, but the headline is kinder than the full picture. Urban and female joblessness moved in the other direction. And the private-sector hiring spree behind the number came from firms clearing backlogs, not chasing fresh demand. We unpack what the 5.8% is (and isn’t) telling us.

Then, a palate cleanser: A new Heliopolis pizzeria with no website, no socials, and a Hot Honey Pepperoni we’ve ordered more times than we’d like to admit. Consider this your tip-off before the rest of Cairo catches on. On the pitches, it’s another quiet day, with just one domestic fixture on air tonight.

Onto the headlines…