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Logistics (MENA) 
Climate (MENA) 
Industries
Agriculture
IMF mission lands in Cairo a month early for seventh review
Good morning, friends. Reform week is here, and it’s moving faster than we thought. An…
Egypt moves to link fertilizer feedstock costs to international gas prices
For producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers like urea and ammonia in Egypt, natural gas accounts for…
Egyptian urea output holds steady despite gas squeeze — for now at least
Good morning, friends. We hope you’re staying warm as we push through this cold snap…
Hormuz Strait closure leaves gap in global fertilizer market — and also cuts off the gas we need to fill it
Egypt already producing 7-8 mn tons of nitrogenous fertilizers each year, of which 40-50% is…
Automotive
Leoni lines up EUR 80 mn for new electric cables and wiring facility
Plus: ExxonMobil, QatarEnergy ink MoU for Cypriot gas link
ElTawkeel launches fully integrated digital auto sales platform
Plus: Modon Holding is partnering with the ultra-luxury hospitality brand Montage to launch Montage Ras…
imports pull further ahead of local assembly in March
Anticipated price hikes and rising inflationary pressures fueled March car sales and EV adoption
Egypt earmarks EGP 5.5 bn for new automotive export subsidies
The government is also currently targeting the addition of four new companies to join the…
Banking
CBE keeps easing cycle on ice as regional conflict clouds inflation path
The central bank expects economy to return to “full capacity” by 1H 2027
Monetary Policy Committee leaves interest rates unchanged
Good morning, friends, and congratulations on making it to the weekend. With the Eid vacation…
Your points are currency, treat them like one
Most people treat credit card points like a pleasant surprise: useful, but often used without…
CBE tightens oversight on NBFIs banking amid debate
The move comes amid a growing debate over the rapid expansion of NBFIs and consumer…
Basic Materials
Lenders compete to fund EgyptAlum’s USD 3 bn alumina facility
EgyptAlum and Alba are pushing forward with the largest alumina refining facility the country has…
Ezz Steel in talks to set up an industrial base in Algeria
The steel giant’s pivot allows it to secure a low-cost green energy base with easy…
Downstream industries push back as Egypt considers three-year extension for steel and billet anti-dumping duties
The government seeks to cut 1 mn tons in annual imports to foster local industrial…
Egyptian steel faces a total export freeze to the US under hiked tariffs
A new 29.51% countervailing duty on Egyptian rebar comes on top of an existing 50%…
Capital Markets
Korra Energi private placement 5.7x covered on EGX
Institutional investors placed orders for 845 mn shares against the offered 148.5 mn
What the markets are doing on 25 May 2026
The EGX30 fell 0.4% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 9.9 bn (24.1% above…
B Investments preps El Ezaby pharmacy for EGX debut
Plus: Gov’t taps Spain’s Xcalibur for first national mineral survey in 42 years
What the markets are doing on 24 May 2026
The EGX30 rose 1.5% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 7.3 bn (8.8% below…
Climate
QNB Egypt joins the tactical tightening club
Good morning, wonderful people. It is another warm day with no big story dominating the…
NBE buys 20% of Scatec's USD 600 mn Obelisk solar project
NBE’s entry brings Scatec’s economic interest down to 40%, though the Norwegian developer retains majority…
Infinity, XPRS make EV home chargers more affordable
Plus: Mido secures mezzanine debt financing from Vantage Capital
EFG Corp-Solutions and Infinity ink EV charger leasing agreement
Plus: Our natural gas import bill will jump 26% y-o-y next fiscal year
Commodities
IMF concludes Cairo visit this week ahead of June disbursement
Good morning, wonderful people. We’re kicking this short workweek with a meaty issue. Leading today’s…
Enppi lands USD 355 mn turnkey contract in Oman
The contract will triple the Birba Gathering Station’s capacity and help eliminate routine gas flaring…
CBE expected to hold interest rates today for second consecutive meeting
Good morning, friends. It’s interest rate day, and the consensus we polled is a hold…
Korra Energi’s institutional IPO tranche 2.7x covered on day one
Good morning, friends. Today’s issue is packed with energy news — showing that we are…
Construction
Eni attempts USD 20 mn quick fix to partially recover Zohr output
Plus: Orascom and Alpha Dhabi subsidiary launch regional water infrastructure company
Valu sees net income surge 78% as it enters Jordan
Also: Raya Holding saw its net income rise 3.7% y-o-y to EGP 384 mn in…
Orascom Construction, Arab Contractors land Jordan’s largest infrastructure project
The Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance project will cover 40% of Jordan’s drinking water needs
Hassan Allam JV to establish Saudi Arabia flagship museum
This project aims to position Saudi’s Diriyah as a global cultural destination
Development Finance
Gov’t targets 100% exports with new service freezones
Good morning, friends. We have a (quietly) important regulatory story leading the issue today. The…
IFC extends a USD 40 mn senior loan to Nile Sugar
The funding will help cultivate 13.6k feddans of sugar beet in Minya
50 years of backing Egypt’s private sector
In 1976, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, began its Egypt partnership with…
IMF expects staff-level agreement over the summer, unlock USD 1.6 bn
Good morning, wonderful people. While the weather today is scorching, the news cycle is relatively…
E-commerce
Talabat opens super-sized distribution center at Hassan Allam Utilities’ Yanmu park
The center is also home to Talabat’s Mideast shared services team
InvenTel fully acquires adtech startup Amzolute
The company runs campaigns for over 850 brands in over eight countries
Converted acquires Egyptian fashion platform Mitcha
“For me, the decision was about finding the right partner to scale what we built…
UPDATE: AWS signals its Mideast services aren’t coming back online soon after taking three drone strikes
Amazon is telling clients to move services out of the Middle East for now
Education
! Financial literacy 101
Your parents may have taught you to save but they forgot to teach you to…
Fewer Egyptian undergrads are choosing to pursue higher education abroad — here’s why
The outbound student outflow has plummeted by an estimated 60% to 70% compared to previous…
Egypt Education Platform files to list 199.4 mn shares on the EGX
The private-sector vehicle counts the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and EFG Hermes among its anchor…
Egypt debuts sovereign AI, but educators are split
As the government pushes AI tutoring into public classrooms, educators warn of a collapse in…
Energy
Cyprus gas, a new export line, and fresh Western Desert drilling
From Cypriot gas exports and a new refined products pipeline to a fresh USD 208…
Electricity tariff hikes drive shift to energy-efficient lighting
Buyers are shifting away from the grey market and optimizing for total cost of ownership…
Korra Energi opens the subscription window for highly-anticipated IPO
The subscription period for institutional investors kicks off today
FM Abdelatty pitches SCZone to Brazilian and Indian investors
Plus: CIB gears up to launch digital bank Yomo in 4Q 2026
Finance
How should young people think about money and budgeting?
Your income and your time are your biggest assets in the beginning
Qatar’s Green Sky Capital secures financing for USD 200 mn SAF plant
The facility could add more than 10% to global SAF production capacity
Miga guarantee unlocks USD 313 mn for National Bank of Egypt trade finance
Plus: Incolease taps securitization market with debut EGP 2 bn issuance
EGX kicks off first day of futures trading on the EGX
The rollout includes 3- and 6-month future contracts tracking the EGX 30 index
Fintech
The apps reshaping how we manage money
Today, users can invest in stocks, gold, or money market funds directly from their smartphones
Fawry overhauls subsidiary leadership with new Fawry Plus, Fawry MSME heads
The fintech pioneer taps Group CFO Abdelmeguid Afifi to run Fawry Plus and brings in…
Fawry awaits approval on inbound cross-border remittances license
Good morning, friends. After a pretty slow start to the week we have a busy…
Apis Partners has continued appetite for Egypt after closing its third fund at more than double its predecessor
Apis partner Hossam Abou Moussa singles out MNT-Halan as a “living example of why we…
Food
Your guide to everything Eid: What to do, where to go, and what to eat
🎉 The long-awaited Eid El Adha break is right around the corner — and with…
Donna Del Mare serves up classy Italian classics
Donna Del Mare carves out an Italian haven rooted in classic recipes and high-quality execution
Sandwichroom perfects the art of the sandwich
The sandwiches at this two-year-old eatery stand out through simple ingredients, smart combinations, and, most…
World Food Program and Maison Choc center food security in Arkan Plaza pop-up tonight
🍪 Baladi bread chocolate crisps? Sign us up. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP)…
Healthcare
How AI models are reshaping healthcare — and what comes next
AI is fundamentally altering how med is practiced, how patients interact with their own health,…
Andalusia Health gets a booster shot from Banque Misr
Plus: PickAlbatros revealed as buyer of EGP 3.8 bn Sahl Hasheesh asset
Your mental health is a priority — a guide to essential support centers and digital platforms
💡 Life often leaves us juggling heavy responsibilities and mounting pressure. In this race against…
CapitalMed preps EGP 2 bn IPO
The smart medical city is expected to receive formal approval for a temporary listing on…
Infrastructure
QNB Egypt arranges EGP 11.98 bn facility to expand East Port Said
A 12-bank consortium led by QNB Egypt has arranged an EGP 11.98 bn syndicated loan…
Alkan Holding to invest EGP 11 bn in Citadel Plaza hospitality expansion
Plus: QNB backs GlobalCorp with a EGP 3 bn for leasing
Pharco doubles down on local capex and Gulf expansion amid pricing squeeze
Egypt imports more than 90% of its pharma raw materials, leaving local manufacturers exposed to…
Oil Ministry quintuples LNG allocations to heavy industry
Good morning, wonderful people. We’re starting the day with fresh momentum in our green economy.…
Hospitality + Tourism
PickAlbatros files for Mövenpick Casablanca, its second Casablanca hotel buy in a month
The hospitality group has filed to acquire the 184-key hotel’s commercial and real estate assets…
The Tourism Development Authority reprices stalled Red Sea hotel plots
Lagging developers are blaming currency and cost headwinds for derailing their projects timelines
Travco targets 4Q launch for new private airline
Good morning, ladies and gents. It’s a capital flow type of morning. Apis Partners has…
IFC nears USD 100 mn loan for hotel with a GEM view
The loan is part of a wider USD 265 mn package
Law
Cairo Economic Court backs Juhayna blocking Baladna board representation
The court cited a “violation of competition standards and anti-monopoly regulations” in its ruling
Chambers and Partners is out with its 2026 list of Egypt’s top arbitration litigators
Youssef + Partners’ Karim Youssef was awarded the top title of Star Individual
ADSERO-Ragy Soliman & Partners taps Rehan El Bashary as partner and head of VC and startups
El Bashary brings over 16 years of experience in the venture capital landscape
Karim Azmi joins Zaki Hashem as partner
The veteran regional lawyer brings decades of experience to the firm
Manufacturing
Local fertilizer firms to supply India with 350k tons
Good morning, lovely people, and welcome to a reform-stacked issue. We have word the government…
Valu gets FRA nod to enter SME lending
Plus: FRA greenlights three non-banking financial activity licenses, including the country’s first third-party healthcare administrator
Hassan Allam wins contract for Mopco’s Damietta complex overhaul
Plus: Algeria’s Condor to invest USD 25 mn in Sixth of October AC plant
After four decades of B2B dominance, Mobica is going B2C
A market leader most people have never heard of is now shaping its next chapter…
Media
The one-dimensional portrayal of Iran and its impact on the war
“Iranian civil society has always found ways of reasserting itself and manifesting its ingenuity, but…
How AI is rewriting the rules of production in Egypt
The real conflict isn’t man vs. machine, it’s a clash between two eras
Revamp of entertainment tax to spare cinema, theater from tax increases
Not everyone in the entertainment sector will be spared, with tax increases for certain types…
Meet Peace Cake’s Marwan Imam
Peace Cake is one of Egypt’s leading digital production agencies — and then some
Microfinance
Finance Ministry to launch real estate tax app in April
Plus: Eni plans USD 2 bn investment push, Orascom Development and Rameda report 2025 earnings,…
Egypt builds a state-backed shipping bridge to East Africa
Plus: Tamweely gets an EGP 250 mn boost for youth lending
A regulator for logistics zones, an uptick in remittances, and a Taj-branded Continental Hotel
PLUS: IEE is acquiring two smart infrastructure companies
El Sisi ratifies new Criminal Procedures Law
PLUS- Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaty met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara yesterday
Mining
FinMin caps sovereign guarantees at EGP 560 bn
Good morning, wonderful people. Local banks are lining up to absorb excess EGP liquidity in…
Investors are piling into mining and metals
Inflows into the assets, which are powering AI, defense, and energy, are on the up
Bokra debuts Shakmagia gold fund this month, targets EGP 10 mn
Plus: FRA is capping vehicle depreciation rates to settle claims disputes
Gold is nearing bear market territory as more headwinds weigh on outlook
Traditional 60/40 portfolio sees its worst month since September 2022
NBFS
Contact Financial and Mopco report 1Q earnings
Contact Financial Holding’s net income rose 12% y-o-y to EGP 66 mn in 1Q 2026,…
SPE Capital, Amethis, EBRD line up exit from GlobalCorp
GlobalCorp is exit-ready for the second time in under five years
Meet GAFI’s new head: Mohamed Awad
Plus: Contact Financial, Orascom Pyramids Entertainment see new leadership
Contact co-founder Hazem Moussa steps down as chairman after 25-year run as consumer finance pioneer
The architect of Egypt’s consumer finance industry is moving on to “new ventures” after turning…
Outsourcing
Deloitte Innovation Hub has big investment plans for Egypt
PLUS- Almarai subsidiary Beyti inaugurated five new production lines at its Nubaria factory
39 global digital services providers look to use Egypt as their main base of operations
Offshoring export revenues have doubled from USD 2.4 bn in 2022 to USD 4.8 bn…
Foundever opens customer experience center in Luxor
PLUS- Denmark’s Scan Global Logistics launches a new head office in Cairo
BP inks MoU to drill five gas wells in the Mediterranean
PLUS- Homegrown Prime Group and Oman’s Afouq have launched an artificial intelligence and advanced technologies…
Private Equity
B Investments enters higher education with EGP 560 mn EUE investment
Higher education is “an underserved market with attractive market dynamics,” says Head of Investor Relations…
Global private equity activity slows down due to AI-related risks, geopolitical tensions
Buyout activity dropped by 36% q-o-q to USD 172 bn in 1Q 2026, while exits…
Private capital hasn’t frozen in MENA — but the exit playbook could change if the war drags on
PE and VC-backed companies were already pivoting to local exchanges before the war. That wager…
AI will likely widen existing wealth gaps, Larry Fink warns in annual letter
Absent for the second year in a row from Fink’s letter: ESG and climate
Real Estate
My Morning Routine: Karim Malash, chairman and CEO of M squared
“The real estate sector today is fast-moving and increasingly complex. There’s a clear shift toward…
Qalaa Holdings preps river transport subsidiary NRPM for EGX listing
PLUS: Real estate developer Al Ahly Sabbour parks IPO listing
Fertiglobe, Sodic report 1Q earnings
Fertiglobe’s bottom line nearly doubled in 1Q 2026, with Egyptian operations the star of the…
Gov’t opens water and social housing to the private sector
From desalination plants to social housing, the private sector is being let into an exclusive…
SMEs
Part two: You’re thinking of starting your own cloud restaurant — now what?
In the second and final part of our guide, we’re diving into the “how” of…
You’re thinking of starting your own cloud restaurant — now what?
Cloud restaurants can hit the ground running much faster than their physical counterparts, but not…
Meet our Founder of the Month: Bond & Bloom’s Amina El Gamal
“Most brands sell toys, but Bond & Bloom sells confidence”
QNB’s Ahmed Fouad is the new chair of the Federation of Egyptian Banks’ SME committee
Plus: Sirio Capital has tapped Karim Samra as a partner for its MENA push
Sports
Arsenal takes on Paris Saint-Germain in high-stakes Champions League final
⚽ It’s a calm day on the pitch as the curtains fall on Europe’s major…
Tonight on the fields: CAF final second leg + Salah bids Liverpool farewell at Premier League's final
⚽ It’s a packed day on the pitch: In Africa, Morocco’s AS FAR hosts South…
Zamalek crowned Nile League champions + Aston Villa secures Europa League title
🏆 Zamalek secured the Nile League title after defeating Ceramica Cleopatra 1-0 last night. The…
Arsenal takes home the Premier League title + a decisive night in the Nile League
⚽ We’re in for some more Nile League action as the curtain falls on the…
Tech
Peace agreement “not imminent” despite US and Iran resolving several issues
☀️ Good afternoon, folks, and congratulations on making it to the Eid break. Things remain…
Algebra Ventures promotes Laila Hassan and Omar Khashaba to managing partners
Plus: General Motors appoints Rohan Fernandes as managing director for Egypt and Africa
Elon Musk on track to become first t’naire + Nvidia investors unimpressed despite positive results
Good afternoon, folks, and congratulations on making it to the weekend — and if you’ve…
GrowthLabs takes over Startup Gate via share-swap
The transaction, which includes an equity-swap component and performance-tied earn-outs, was valued at roughly EGP…
Telecoms
My Morning Routine: Hesham Mahran, CEO of Orange Egypt
“My role is inherently multifaceted — it begins with setting a clear strategic direction,” Mahran…
IoT is scaling across key industries in Egypt. Vodafone Business is building the system behind it
IoT is no longer limited to connectivity. It is becoming the control layer for how…
Decisions are no longer only human. Vodafone is enabling AI to drive what comes next
AI is becoming central to how organizations operate, advancing from experimentation into everyday decision-making. Vodafone…
Chinese tech giants push local laptop assembly to 2027
Plus: Khalda Petroleum eyes USD 1 bn investment budget to drill over 100 new wells…
Trade + Logistics
How Tradeline survived two years without a reliable iPhone supply
The country’s largest Apple premium reseller saw revenue fall 58% between 2022 and 2024
New tax bill heads to House ahead of July rollout
The new package scraps the contentious capital gains tax, overhauls VAT for key industries, and…
ِِEU and Mercosur launch freetrade area to counter US protectionism
As US protectionism reshapes global trade, the USD 22 tn pact aims to redirect flows…
Cabinet keeps Sunday WFH for another month to curb energy costs
Good morning, friends, and happy Thursday. Our big story today covers how the government is…
Transport
TMG and PIF-owned Sela form an entertainment joint venture in Egypt
Plus: Egypt and Eritrea signed a maritime transport cooperation agreement
Putting New Cairo’s state-of-the-art monorail to the test
The first phase of the East Monorail Project in Cairo is now officially open —…
Cabinet approves digital tracking system for Nile freight transport
The new navigation system will enable safe, 24/7 navigation for both commercial barges and tourist…
Tripix launches in Egypt with a B2B-first mobility play.
“The traditional separation between B2B and B2C in transport is a market gap, not operational…