Good morning, folks, and happy weekend. It’s been a busy stretch in the press at home and abroad, and we unpack all of it below. It’s also markdown season, so we did some window shopping to find the businesses running bargains we think are worth your time. If you feel like going on a shopping spree this weekend, skip right to our guide.
On the reviews front, we catch Clayface, DC’s newest villain origin story, treat ourselves to a few dishes at Madinaty’s Lodge, tune into a podcast where Mo Amer holds nothing back, and read a book about… messy situationships. That and more.
Let’s dive in…
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It’s a sunny weekend in C-Town, with plenty of breeze to go around — meaning there are plenty of plans to be made, and we’ve got a few ideas.
☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-
Despite it being a cool, breezy week, it seems we’re in for a little bit of warm weather this weekend. Temperatures are set to peak at a sunny 28°C today, with an overnight low of 17°C. Tomorrow will offer more of the same, with a high of 28°C and a low of 18°C, according to our favorite weather app.
HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-
This year’s winter Fustat Festival is welcoming Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji, who will perform alongside Lebanese musical director and composer Oussama Rahbani tonight. Expect a live performance showcasing Tawaji’s vocals and Rahbani’s emotional compositions. The show starts at 9:45pm. You can grab tickets on TicketsMarché.
Comic book lovers, assemble. Cairo Comix Festival returns this year to the Mahmoud Mokhtar Cultural Center in Dokki for a three-day run this weekend through Sunday. The book convention is back to bring together artists, illustrators, publishers, and comic enthusiasts for a program of exhibitions, meet-ups, workshops, and Comic Souk for buying and selling.
Indie Squarewill also give independent artists a space to showcase and sell their work. The festival is also hosting the Mahmoud Kahil Award ceremony, one of the Arab world’s prominent comics prizes. The event runs daily between 12-8pm and entry is at no charge.
Cairo’s fashion crowd, consider your weekend plans sorted.Egypt Fashion Week is returning for its third edition today and tomorrow, taking over the Agricultural Museum for two days of runway shows, designer showcases, workshops, and industry talks. This year’s lineup brings guest designers from India, China, Jordan, Turkey, and Russia, alongside the Egyptian Beauty Hub and one-on-one investor pitches for emerging fashion businesses. The event kicks off at 10am on both days, and one ticket gets you access to the full two-day program. Passes are available on TicketsMarché.
This one’s for the old-school crowd. Musical legend Mohamed Fawzi is getting a theatrical tribute at The Theater, Movenpick in 6th of October City, with performances running this weekend. Titled Fen Alby, the show celebrates the iconic singer and composer’s legacy through a song-and-dance journey of his life and artistic career, featuring some of his timeless classics. The show kicks off at 9pm both nights, with tickets available on TicketsMarché.
When does a startup make it to the big leagues? On this episode of Making It, Thndr co-founder and CEO Ahmad Hammouda joins Patrick to break down the vision behind Thndr’s rise to become the financial heavyweight it is today.
Black (or White) Friday falls on 27 November, but Egypt’s retailers stopped waiting for it weeks ago. Most campaigns started as early as the beginning of the month and run through its end. Here are the big names holding sales, with each one’s markdown range and other perks, whether you’re after a new phone or just a cheaper grocery run. Unless noted, offers are online.
BEFORE YOU SHOP- The Consumer Protection Agency requires stores to show the price before and after any markdown, and you can return orders within 14 days. Remember to do the math before you check out.
The big players
Jumia was first out of the gate, launching its Black Friday campaign on 29 October with markdowns of up to 80% on everything and daily flash sales that make the app worth checking more than once. Installments of up to 24 months are available through partners including NBE, FABMisr, Klivvr, Halan, Souhoola, and Aman, and the campaign runs on the app and website until 30 November. AmazonandNoon are running their own sales alongside White Friday, with offers that vary by section and item, on their apps and websites.
Kenzzgives each day of the week its own perk during its month-long Black Friday: up to 100% cashback on selected products on Fridays and Saturdays, a Tuesday flash sale from 3pm to 9pm with up to 80% off, 25% cashback on Wednesdays, and no-cost delivery on Thursdays. CIB cardholders can pay over 12 months at 0% interest, and buy-now-pay-later plans through Souhoola, Aman, Forsa, Klivvr, and Contact stretch to 18 months. The offers run on the Kenzz app and website until 30 November.
Gadgets and gizmos
‘Tis the season for new tech: B.TECH’s offers cover every section for the whole month, with extra markdowns on Fridays and weekends and the steepest cuts saved for 27 November. The code BFRIDAY takes more off selected items on full-payment orders, and shoppers who’d rather spread the cost can use plans of up to 12 months through Valu, Souhoola, and Suez Canal Bank. The offers run on the B.TECH website and in stores.
ALSO- 2B currently has up to 50% off selected items on itswebsiteand in stores.Raya is marking down phones, TVs, and home appliances through November on its website, with installments of up to 36 months at 0% interest through NBE, Takseety, Souhoola, and Valu.
AND- Dubai Phone has 25% off selected items all month, with installment plans of up to 36 months at 0% interest through Credit Agricole, Klivvr, Forsa, and Valu on its website and in stores. Dream 2000 calls its version Dream Friday, with markdowns on phones, home appliances, and more, plus installments of up to 24 months at 0% interest through Seven, Halan, and Valu, on its website only.
Your closet is calling
Some of the names below are homegrown, including In Your Shoe, Mother Naked, and Blumin’ Kaktus, which we’ve covered. If you’d rather your markdowns support local brands, check out our Made in Egypt series for the founder profiles, investigations into how these brands are built, and Worth It? product reviews.
Cizaro has its entire women’s jeans collection at EGP 750 until 30 November on its website;
Pavo has up to 70% off shoes, bags, slippers, and duffle bags on its website;
In Your Shoe: Spend EGP 2,222 and pay EGP 1,111, or spend EGP 4,444 and pay EGP 2,222, and other multiples get the same half-price treatment on the website;
Magrabi: Code MAGRABI11 takes 11% off select items on the Magrabi website;
Sunglass Hut: Selected styles are 20% off on their website;
Doctor M has 50% off selected items on their website, with an extra 11% off using code DOCTORM11.
Beauty and beyond:
Favelin: Code B5G8 on the website gets you five more items of your choice at no cost when you pay for five, plus three surprise gifts, among other offers on its website, and code BF26 covers delivery;
Eva Cosmetics: Eva’s Green Friday brings 25% off plus buy-one-get-one and buy-two-get-one offers on its website;
Parkville has 25% off across its brands, with extra markdowns on top on its website;
Infinity has 40% off single products, and its Naturals range is buy three, get three at no cost on its website;
Majestic Biopharma has up to 50% off across its brands on its website;
Kiko Milano: Selected products are buy two, get one on its website and in stores;
Raw African is running buy two, get one all November on its website;
Mother Naked is taking up to 50% off on its website;
Blumin Kaktus has several offers starting at 15% off on its website;
Mazaya has up to 30% off selected perfume, makeup, and skincare on its website and in stores;
IKEA’s White Friday sale has up to 50% off until 28 November on the IKEA Egypt website. Homzmart is stacking its offers on its website, with 20% or 30% off using code ELEVEN20 or ELEVEN30, price drops across the site, and “shop more, save more” markdowns that grow with your basket. Chic Homz has several Chic Friday offers, with an extra 30% off using code CF30 on its website. Nile Home is also dishing out up to 70% off bedding and towels through the month, so consider this your cue if you’ve been thinking of splurging.
For your grocery run
Breadfast has November offers of up to 90% off, and its November campaign awards weekly prizes to its top spenders on supermarket, coffee, and beauty orders, with a mega prize for the month’s biggest spender. The offers run on the Breadfast app until 30 November. Rabbit has offers on beauty, coffee, and even pet food, as well as brand promotions across beverages and food on the Rabbit app.
Locally, it was a week of relief and belt-tightening. Inflation cooled for a third straight month to 12.7%, and Goldman Sachs called the EGP more than 30% undervalued, even as the Cabinet ordered three months of spending restraint, the state trimmed industrial gas by a third, and drugmakers pushed for price increases after October’s slide. Abroad, the mood was jittery: Nvidia probed its own CEO, who later resigned, while US, Russian, and Ukrainian delegations met for the first time since February, and a USD 2.5 tn Nasdaq 100 selloff left credit investors wary of AI debt.
ECONOMY-
Annual urban headline inflationslowed for a third consecutive monthto 12.7% in October, down from 13.9% in September, its lowest level since January. Annual core inflation, a gauge computed by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) that strips out volatile prices, eased to 13.1% from 14.1%. On a monthly basis, headline prices rose just 0.7%, slowing from September’s 1.3% clip.
Goldman Sachsthinks the EGP is trading more than 30% below fair valueafter October’s currency slide, making it one of the most undervalued emerging market currencies. The bank now sees the USD at EGP 53 in three months, 52 in six, and 50 in 12.
TRADE-
Exporterswill get an average of 35% more in government supportunder a revamped export rebate program the Cabinet approved on Thursday, 5 November. The new rates already apply to shipments from the start of this month. The increase varies by sector and excludes freezone exporters. Freight gets its own support line, with the program covering 50% of sea and land freight costs to Africa, Latin America, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Russia.
MEANWHILE- The Cabinet approved a draft decree on Thursdayordering three months of public spending rationalizationacross all state budget entities and public economic authorities, extendable if needed. Events in the Middle East require the state to reorder its spending priorities to contain the crisis’s fallout. Any spending with a foreign currency component now needs the Finance Ministry’s approval, coordinated with the CBE.
CAPITAL MARKETS-
Orascom Construction’s boardapproved the capital increase needed to deliver its merger with Dutch-listed OCI Globalon Thursday, 5 November. The EGX-listed company is issuing 97.2 mn new shares to OCI, lifting its issued capital to USD 207.4 mn, up from USD 110.2 mn. That written resolution was the last scheduled approval step on Orascom’s side, coming after shareholder approval of the swap in January and OCI shareholders’ sign-off on 30 October. The new shares are due to list on the EGX and the ADX on 24 November.
EARNINGS-
Newly listed MNT Tech Holding for Financial Investmentsmore than doubledits net income q-o-q to EGP 836 mn in 3Q 2026 since debuting on the EGX on 20 October. Revenue climbed 15% q-o-q to EGP 5.4 bn, and annualized return on average equity rose 20 percentage points to 41.1%. Most of the q-o-q jump came from offloading income, cheaper funding, and a one-off gain.
AND- Banque du Caire’s consolidated net incomefell 20% y-o-y to EGP 4.17 bnin 3Q 2026, by our math based on the state-owned lender’s first post-IPO earnings release. Net income was also down 13.1% q-o-q in the quarter, though it’s still up 4.7% y-o-y to EGP 13.11 bn over the first nine months of the year.
ALSO- Our friends at CIRA Educationmore than tripledtheir normalized net income to EGP 966.9 mn in FY 2025/26 as revenue rose 33% to EGP 5.1 bn. Most of the growth came from higher education, where enrollment jumped 50% to 38.8k students and pushed available-seat utilization to 95% from 67%, while the K-12 network grew to 30 schools across nine governorates.
M&A-
The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) expects toclose its acquisition of Banque Misr’s UAE branchesby the end of November or mid-December. The transaction now has near-final approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, with only commercial registry procedures left before final sign-off. NBE has finished due diligence and valued the branches at a 1.02x book, under terms that leave Banque Misr liable for any obligations that surface within a year of closing.
ENERGY-
The Niat and Rasgha wind projects at Ras Gharebreached financial close, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, and German Investment Corporation each providing a third of a USD 436 mn debt package (around USD 145.3 mn apiece, by our math). The two 250 MW farms cost USD 626 mn combined and are due to start commercial operation by the end of 2028.
MAJOR HEADLINES THIS WEEK-
Nvidia’s Jensen Huangresignedas president, CEO, and board member, effective immediately, the company announced yesterday. CFO Colette Kress is now interim CEO, and the board will search for a permanent successor. Shares dropped more than 13% following the news.
The exit follows days of mounting pressure: Nvidia had opened an independent investigation into whether Huang “has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort” after the Financial Times reported his romantic involvement with a Megaspeed executive, whom US intelligence believes was recruited by China’s State Security Ministry. Megaspeed is a Singapore-based Nvidia customer under US scrutiny for allegedly smuggling chips into China. The New York Times then reported a second extramarital affair with a Nvidia executive who reported to Huang, and The Wall Street Journal reported that the board was preparing to remove him.
US, Russian, and Ukrainian delegationsmet this weekfor their first talks since February. Russia struck energy facilities around Kyiv ahead of the talks, killing at least two as temperatures near zero. The talks ended without a breakthrough. On Iran, US President Donald Trump called renewed strikes “highly unlikely,” while State Secretary Marco Rubio dismissed Iran’s demands as “outrageous and ridiculous.” Separately, France blamed Iran for October’s supermarket cyberattack on some 700 retailers, summoning Iran’s ambassador and planning sanctions at the European level.
IN WASHINGTON- Trump instructed the Justice Department to open an investigation into Democrats, who have promised to scrutinize his handling of the Epstein files, tariffs, immigration policy, and stock trading once they take control of Congress in January.
IN ISRAEL- President Herzog tapped opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, backed by 67 incoming lawmakers to Netanyahu’s 46. Eisenkot has 28 days, extendable by 14, but his centrist bloc holds only 48 seats, and he has ruled out relying on the two Arab-led parties that hold 19.
IN THE BUSINESS PRESS- Banks and credit investors are reportedly pulling back from AI debt, even with guarantees from big tech names, after a selloff erased USD 2.5 tn from the Nasdaq 100 last Thursday. China’s trade surplus topped USD 1 tn for the second straight year, reaching USD 1.04 tn in the first 10 months of the year.
Gotham City has a new monster, and this one has a particularly nasty origin story. DC’s Clayface takes one of Batman’s most recognizable villains back to the beginning. With a screenplay from horror virtuoso Mike Flanagan — fresh off his reimagining of Stephen King’s Carrie — the film also gives us another look at the universe taking shape around Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and David Corenswet’s Superman. This time, though, the nightmare is a little more… personal.
The plot: Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is an aspiring actor on the rise whose career takes a brutal turn after he gets caught up with the girlfriend of Gotham mob boss Markos Szabo (David Dencik). An attack leaves his face horribly disfigured, his career in ruins, his bank account drained, and his future looking bleak. Desperate to get his life back, Matt turns to Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), a scientist working on experimental nanotechnology. The treatment restores his face, but the results come with a rather monstrous catch.
What we liked: Harries gives a standout performance. As Matt’s grip on reality begins to slip, he captures the anguish and fury of a man watching his identity disappear. Even as his face changes, his performance keeps the character’s humanity in plain view, making his transformation all the more tragic. Flanagan also gives the story a compelling emotional backbone. Clayface takes its time tracing Matt’s descent into madness, giving this origin story enough room to make its central character more than just another Gotham villain. Ackie also adds an intriguing and emotional edge as Caitlyn, whose scientific curiosity and questionable judgment help set the horror in motion.
What we didn’t: The body horror certainly commits to the bit. The film’s gruesome practical effects and bloody sequences might appeal to horror fans, but some scenes push the gore so far that they had our stomachs turning and made it difficult to keep our eyes on the screen.
Our verdict: Clayface makes for a gripping, occasionally stomach-churning addition to DC’s roster of villains. Harries gives Matt Hagen a tragic edge that makes his transformation all the more unsettling while bringing a distinctly gruesome touch to Gotham. The gore can be excessive, but there’s plenty to keep viewers hooked. Just be prepared to look away a few times.
WHERE TO WATCH- You can catch Clayface at VOX Cinemas at City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and City Center Alexandria. The film is also screening at Stars Cinema (City Stars), Scene Cinema (Cairo Festival City and District 5), and Premiere Cinemas (Cima Arkan and P90). Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:25).
What does a 21st century relationship mean? More precisely, what is a 2026 situationship? This, simply put, is the premise of British author Jem Calder’s debut novel, I Want You to Be Happy, in which two unlikeable, frustrating, and deeply flawed people try to find love with each other in an effort to find greater meaning. The result is a deliberately frustrating read that’s also brilliant, sharp, and witty.
The plot: Chuck, a 35-year-old copywriter, meets Joey, a 23-year-old barista, at a crowded London bar. He has just ended a 12-year relationship and is walking in baggage first. She’s still working out life as a young woman. They have different expectations, contrasting personalities, and plenty of issues of their own to go around. They hit it off, awkwardly at first, and so begins a tumultuous, sexual relationship with unsure romantic feelings: a situationship, if you will. The chapters alternate between their perspectives.
Our thoughts: I Want You to Be Happy isn’t the greatest work of literature you’ll ever read, not even close, but that’s where its charm lies. Calder’s prose is simple, direct, blunt, and does more telling than showing. We believe that was a deliberate choice, since the writing echoes the surface-level realities of the relationship it describes. At EnterprisePM, we love a story with flawed characters and narrators, and we loved this one, Goodreads’ 3.4 stars notwithstanding. If it’s five-star material for the internet’s resident librarian, Jack Edwards, it certainly is for us.
As much as we’d rather not admit it, the two deeply flawed leads were often relatable. Joey’s relationship anxiety, the uncertainty of youth, and the dangers of comparison, alongside Chuck’s mid-life crisis, his inability to move on from a relationship that shaped most of his life, and his self-destructive habits, offer plenty to reflect on at any stage of life.
The verdict: At 272 pages of simple but not shallow prose, it’s a quick read: three hours and two cups of tea for us — which is to say, we devoured it. It will frustrate you and make you introspective, but it also delivers exactly the kind of entertainment a breezy Cairene weekend calls for.
WHERE TO GET IT- You can find a physical copy at Diwan, or get the e-book through Amazon.
Restaurants that do it all are an old staple slowly finding their way back into Cairo’s F&B scene — andLodgeis one spot bringing the concept back exceptionally well. Nestled in Madinaty’s Open Air Mall, Lodge shares a grand but cozy space with specialty coffeehouse Social. Its kitchen serves up a surprisingly well-executed range of international dishes, spanning Egyptian and Turkish to French, Italian, and Greek.
First impressions: We visited on a weekday evening and opted for an indoor table, given the chill settling over Cairo right now. It’s spacious with plenty of tables and a distinctly welcoming atmosphere — warm lighting, modern wood-panelled walls, ceilings adorned with artificial greenery, and open kitchens and displays throughout give the restaurant plenty of character. In the background, a playlist of romantic Julio Iglesias tracks sets an even cozier tone for our dining experience.
What’s on the menu? Lodge takes diners on a European-Mediterranean culinary tour, with a little flag next to each dish signalling where it comes from across a wide-ranging menu. To start, there’s an assortment of unique fried bites, a couple of soups, a few classic salads, and a selection of Palestinian, Levantine, and Greek dip favorites. Main courses cover a wide range of protein dishes, pastas, risottos, pizzas, and sandwiches. A kids menu is also on offer, as well as a selection of desserts and a lengthy list of cocktails, smoothies, and fresh juices. Not to mention a tempting, diverse breakfast menu, which will have to wait for another morning visit.
What we tried, and enjoyed: For starters, an exceptionally friendly waiter helped us settle on the French-inspired chicken bites and fries. For our main meals, we opted for an Italian affair, going for the chicken contadino and the truffle beef burger. The chicken bites and fries made for a strong start, with tender pieces of chicken and crispy shoestring fries drenched in a deliciously tangy creamy sauce. The chicken contadino featured a perfectly tender chicken breast topped with an assortment of sautéed vegetables and a tangy white sauce. It was a light, flavorful dish that left little to fault.
The truffle burger was another hit, with a gourmet beef patty elevated by layers of delicious melted cheese and truffle mayo, served alongside a portion of soft-centered, crispy wedges. The serving was on the smaller side, but still left us satisfied, especially after the appetizer.
The verdict: If you’re after an all-inclusive menu with plenty of variety, reminiscent of a homely international dining house, Lodge is an underrated spot worth visiting. Its warm atmosphere and breezy location make it a good choice for a light meal, a relaxed brunch with friends, or even a casual but reliable business dinner.
WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find Lodge at the Open Air Mall in Madinaty.
Some success stories we know by heart, but not the attempts, setbacks, and decisions that shaped them. That’s where the podcast al empire starts. It goes back to the beginning to see how Arabs from around the world made their way to success and what they carried with them in experiences, identities, and ambitions.
What to expect: Each season, the show hosts Arabs who carved out distinctive paths in different fields around the world. Past guests include media personality Bassem Youssef, singer and songwriter Hamed Sinno, and data journalist Mona Chalabi. Host Dana Ballout keeps the conversations calm, which gives guests room to retrace their journeys without the usual success-story gloss.
In the season three opener, the guest is Palestinian American actor and comedian Mo Amer, known for his series Mo, his role in Ramy, and the film Black Adam. The episode begins with a story from ninth grade, when he struck an agreement with his English teacher: if he performed a monologue from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in front of his classmates, she would let him do a stand-up set and help him pass the class. From there, Ballout takes him back to his childhood in Kuwait, where he was born to Palestinian parents, and to the family’s move to Houston in 1990 to escape the Gulf War when he was nine.
What stands out is that the episode doesn’t stop at Amer’s comedy beginnings or his success. It connects his career to his experience as a Palestinian refugee raised in the US and to the years he started performing in American comedy clubs after 9/11. The conversation covers the challenges he faced in expressing his identity, and his ambition for his work to go beyond entertainment and shape how audiences see Arabs.
What makes al empire different? The show doesn’t treat guests as ready-made success models or inspirational stories that end in a list of tips. It gives them room to talk about the personal details that rarely make it into a bio. Its focus on Arab experiences in global settings adds another layer, pushing the stories past professional achievement and into questions of identity, belonging, and ambition.
Our verdict: Amer’s episode is a good introduction to an artist who turned the details of his own life into work that reaches a global audience. The podcast, meanwhile, remains worth following for hearing Arab stories in the voices of the people who lived them, minus the usual shortcuts of success stories.
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