Art for the voiceless

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

THIS EVENING: ACWA signs USD 4 bn agreement to set up a green hydrogen project

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and happy almost-Thursday. The end of fall weather seems to have swept through Om El Donia as we wrap our scarves a little tighter today and prepare for the end of year slump.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

ACWA inks agreement for USD 4 bn ammonia project: Egypt signed a USD 4 bn framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power to develop a green hydrogen project that will produce 600k tons of green ammonia annually in its first phase, a cabinet statement said.

The agreement marks ACWA’s fifth green energy project in Egypt, with others including a 200 MW Kom Ombo solar power plant and a USD 1.5 bn, 1.1 GW wind farm in the Gulf of Suez that ACWA Power and Hassan Allam expect to break ground early next year.

Details underway: A work plan will now be drawn up for the project, the statement said, and will aim to increase production capacity to 2 mn tons of ammonia annually in its second phase. The statement did not disclose the expected timeline for the project.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

Trump’s presidential run is at stake and it’s making headlines in the international press, and we cover the details in our commute story below. Meanwhile,the Yemeni-based Houthi’s are still in the news, as their attacks impact Red Sea cargo and global trade. Now that ships are diverting about USD 35 bn in cargo to the much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope — adding about USD 1 mn in fuel costs insurance — freight and oil prices are on the rise. Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 1.1% and US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.3%, according to Reuters. Companies are now considering rail and air shipments to support the waterway that accounts for 12% of global trade, says Bloomberg.

Remember: The Suez Canal is the most important route between Asia and Europe for trade, especially for oil and LNG.

COME WORK FOR OUR ADVISORY ARM- Enterprise Advisory (formerly known as Inktank Communications) is looking for smart, talented people to help us tell the stories of exciting companies. Enterprise Advisory is the region’s leading investor relations advisory company and works on investor and strategic communications issues that take you deep inside the c-suite. Our clients are in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond. Egyptian and foreign nationals alike are welcome to apply, but native-level verbal and written English fluency is a must.

WHO YOU ARE- We're looking for gifted storytellers with a minimum of four years of work experience in investor relations, finance, banking, economics, or a related field to develop cutting-edge products and maintain relationships with a portfolio of clients. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree or higher in finance, accounting, economics, business administration, or a related discipline. We're looking for someone whose passion for storytelling is matched with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to interpret and present financial data — with a keen eye for details and accuracy.

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? To apply for the position, drop us a line at jobs@enterprisemea.com and mention “Enterprise Advisory” in your subject line. Please send a solid cover letter telling us a bit about who you are and why you’re a good fit for our team. We want to see your CV, but the most important thing is a cover letter that makes us want to pick up the phone and give you a call.

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

Shipping companies are moving to alternatives to the Suez Canal: The number of ships crossing the Red Sea, en route to and from the Suez Canal, has dipped 36% m-o-m, according to MariTrace data. This comes as the world's major shipping lines are taking more drastic measures to avoid repeated attacks in the Red Sea on shipping by Houthi armed groups in Yemen.
Innovvette gets a new shareholder: Publishing house and educational services provider Nahdet Misr has acquired a third of early education startup Innovvette.
Another argument in favor of a float:Remittances to Egypt are expected to see a 15% y-o-y drop this year to USD 24.2 bn, largely due to the major gap between the official and unofficial exchange rate pushing Egyptians abroad to send in their remittances through unofficial channels, according to a World Bank report (pdf).

HELP GAZA-

Want to support relief efforts in Gaza, but don’t know how? We’ve got you. More than 1 mn people in Gaza have been thrown from their homes and every human being there lacks access to food, water, and fuel amid the most intense bombardment any population has endured this century.

The folks at Talabat are processing donations for a range of Gaza relief appeals by charities including the Egyptian Food Bank and Misr El Kheir. Pay in EGP using your credit card.

Or check out our list of charities to which you can make direct donations via bank deposit and / or Fawry.

HAPPENING NOW-

PRIVATIZATION PRESSER- Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly is expected to hold a press conference as we are heading to dispatch to discuss recent developments in the privatization program — and a preview on what could come next. Check our coverage from this morning for more on what to expect from the press conference.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

The Central Bank of Egypt’s MPC meeting will be taking place tomorrow to set interest rates. Our analyst poll sees the CBE holding rates steady for the third meeting in a row.

?️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect a partly cloudy day tomorrow with a high of 19°C during the day and a low of 14°C in the evening, according to our favorite weather app.

A ruling may stop Trump from running for president. PLUS: Airport screenings are getting an overhaul

Will the Donald lose his shot at the presidential elections? He could, thanks to Colorado’s supreme court that ruled for scratching his name off the state’s primary Republican ballot. He owes this decision to his alleged involvement in the notorious 6 January 2021 attacks on the US Capitol by his followers, Reuters reports. The ruling does not bar him from the general election, though, but some hopefuls believe that this decision might create a domino effect in other states, the New York Times explains.

His team is taking their appeal to the US Supreme Court, anyway, where threeTrump-hired judges are present. Also anticipating a backlash, the Colorado supreme court has already held on to enforcing its decision until 4 January 2024 to make time for him to appeal. Should Trump’s people manage to make a move before then, the appeal will be extended to the highest court in the US leaving it to them to decide Trump’s fate and how the next presidential election will look like, shares Richard L. Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California as quoted in the times.

But other states with similar lawsuits were wary to come to the same decision.New Hampshire, a swing state, dismissed the lawsuit on “procedural grounds”. Another followed in Minnesota, a majority red state, and in Michigan, another swing state, where the judge stipulated that this lawsuit was a political matter and not for him to decide, added the times.

The story is still getting plenty of ink: Reuters | New York Times | Financial Times |Washington Post.

Thanks to new tech, the future of the airport screening process could be as simple as going to the supermarket’s self- checkout. The days of the pat-downs and manual baggage checking could be numbered, according to the latest step by The US’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) experiment with a new self-service screening system which will be operational in January 2024 for certain passengers at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport, the US Department of Homeland Security recently said.

This overhaul intends to give agency back to the passenger as they go through the screening process and cuts down on their waiting times — making traveling a lot less tedious. However, the tech employed by TSA’s project is powerful — as much as it will streamline the steps from airport gate to plane, it will not skimp on security as several multi-mn scanners and recognition systems will be used to ensure safety and efficiency. It also gives security personnel a chance to work on other more pressing issues in the airport.

Here’s what to expect: During the bag inspection, CT machines will display 3D images of a bag’s contents so there will be no need to take out your liquids or electronics. The TSA expects to install around 2.5k of these by 2040. E-gate walk-through scanners will be utilized for passengers to pass without raising their arms and the machine will also give them a chance to remove any forgotten coins, etc, from their pockets. Then for biometrics, a new facial recognition program will mean passengers can simply glance at a camera without pulling out their IDs or boarding passes, according to the Washington Post.

The caveat? It costs a pretty penny + people need to be trained to use it. Three orders of the CT scanners alone cost USD 1.3 bn — in 2022, the TSA planned to put USD 781 mn aside for the equipment, up from the previous year’s USD 198 mn. There’s also the issue of how travelers will adapt to the new tech. Travel nomads will have it down quickly, but novices might find the process daunting, which would mean more training and more time until the screening process is as seamless as it promises to be, Jeffrey C. Price, a professor of aviation and aerospace at Metropolitan State University of Denver told the post.

Ron Howard produced documentary shows how JR curates his massive art installations

? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

Paper and Glue is a powerful and inspiring documentary that takes viewers on a journey into the world of the French graffiti artist JR. Directed by JR himself, and produced by Ron Howard, this award-winning documentary showcases the artist’s ability to transform unexpected canvases into gigantic thought-provoking works of art. His subjects? People who are marginalized and voiceless.

The documentary is structured in a way that allows us to follow JR’s evolution through three distinct segments. From his early graffiti videos on the streets of Paris, to his ambitious projects along the US-Mexico border, and finally, to the transformative work he undertakes in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and his collaboration at a supermax prison in California.

JR’s determination to create art that speaks to the human experience is inspiring, despite the criticism he gets along the way — in some situations, his art installments were torn and washed away from the walls. The cinematography also beautifully showcased the grand scale of his installments and the emotional impact they evoked.

You can catch this documentary on Netflix.

⚽ Zamalek is on a mission to lead. Angola’s Sagrada is playing host to Zamalek at 6:30pm tonight, part of the round 4 matches of the African Confederation Cup’s group stage. The White Knights currently occupy the first place position with 9 points and if they succeed, they can secure their qualificationto the next round two rounds ahead of the final.

Barca wants to rise up: Barcelona will be playing Almeria in matchday 18 of LaLiga at 8pm tonight. They will be looking for blood as they kept falling short in the last three matches in various competitions. The team is currently in fourth place with 35 points — putting itself nine points behind the league leader, Girona.

And in the last round of the Carabao Cup semi-finals…Liverpool will face West Ham tonight at 10pm to determine the last spot in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, after Chelsea, Fulham, and Middlesbrough qualified yesterday. A draw will be held immediately after the end of the match to determine the upcoming semi-final fixtures.

Keep your eyes peeled for these European leagues’ matches, too:

Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, 9:30pm)
Bayer Leverkusen vs Bochum (Bundesliga, 9:30pm)
Paris Saint Germain vs Metz (Ligue, 1 - 10 pm)

Tick El Estez off of your shawarma-to-try list. This joint, which opened in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Lebanon, has finally landed in El Marghany in Heliopolis. The spot is known for their delicious Kaake, but we’d recommend the beef over the chicken — theirs is good, but you can find better chicken shawarma out there.

Great value for your dough. The spot also offers meat platters, potatoes, burgers, subs, and cheese balls, and they are generous when stuffing their sandwiches, so make sure to bring your appetite or the pack — it also won’t set you back more than EGP 100 per combo meal.

They are quick. Once your waiter gets your selection, you’ll find that your hot sandwich is in your palm ready for devouring. Also, the meat they stuff their sandwiches with is always juicy —the tender filling is something you can count on no matter what you order. All the employees are also friendly and on top of their tasks, making it a seamless experience and a definite place to revisit or re-order from.

NOTE- It’s fast-food, so don’t expect a gourmet dining experience. There is plenty of seating, but nothing beyond some basic tables and chairs — so maybe ordering them at home might be a better option.

Art and friendship clash in Fann by Kenoma Theater at Rawabet Art Space. Their most recent production is an Egyptian adaptation and production of renowned playwright Yasmine Reza’s Art. The play will have only three performances starting tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday. You can buy your tickets here.

Enter the improv world in 2024. Starting Friday, 5 January, Ramsi Lehner will be hosting a ten-class improv workshop to help you improve your public speaking skills, expand your range as an actor or performer, help you develop your standup comedy, or even just make you better at communication. The classes will take place every weekend on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30pm to 10:00pm. Register here to claim a spot.

ART-

See the tale of three women through art at the A Tale of an Ethereal City exhibition by Khadiga Abou Hussien in collaboration with Rasha Arous & Sara Kouedi at Bibliothek Art Gallery. The exhibition opened its doors yesterday and will continue until Tuesday, 2 January from 7-10pm.

Bring your kids to hang out with their ancestors at Family Funfestby Kult Creative at The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Activities will include interactive games, workshops, and scavenger hunts from Friday 22 until Saturday 23 December starting from 11 am. Get your tickets from Ticketsmarche.

MUSIC-

Warm up your vocal chords, gang. Karaoke Night is back at ROOM Art Space and Cafe. ROOM’s doors are open every Tuesday (including tonight) through to 27 February for you and your friends to belt out your favorite tunes, starting at 8pm and ending at 10pm. You can reserve your spot here. Keep in mind that the entry fee is accompanied by an EGP 50 minimum order per person.

Get ready for the season with the Cairo Opera House which will be hosting a series of events celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve:

The Cairo Symphony Orchestra will host a Christmas concert on Saturday, 23 December at 8pm. You can book your ticket from here.
For Disney fans: The Disney Classics concert will be held at the Opera’s Main Hall on Monday, 25 December. The concert will start at 8pm. Tickets are available here.
Don’t miss the Nutcracker ballet shows. The performances will be presented by the Cairo Opera Ballet, along with the Cairo Opera Orchestra. The first show will be held on Tuesday, 26 December, and will continue until Thursday, 30 December. Tickets are available here.
The orchestra will also put on another concert on Sunday, 31 December celebrating New Year’s Eve. Click here to book your ticket.

SPORTS-

Double Dribble Leagues is for the guys and gals who play ball. Time to dust off your basketball and jersey and head over to Maadi Sporting Club to watch this season of the Double Dribble league that focuses on adult men, women and mixed-team basketball games. The season’s games are on every Friday and end on Saturday, 23 February 2024. Click here for more details.

The Cairo Half Marathon is taking place in a few months: Mark your calendars for Friday, 1 March and start stretching. Cairo Runners is bringing back a fan favorite, offering the same distances as The TriFactory. Tickets are available until 27 February, giving you ample time to convince seven of your friends to join, which will get a 10% reduction in price when you register.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS-

Get into the Christmas spirit with these festive events all around the capital.

Want to sit back and enjoy some Christmasy tunes? Arkan Plaza has you covered. Their Christmas Show, put together by Gaby Bishara, will bring you the smooth sounds of Louis Armstrong and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself in a blend of your favorite jazz tunes and classic Christmas tracks. Clear your schedule this Friday, 22 December to head on over.

Kazoku is hosting a Christmas Dinner on Monday, 25 December, in celebration of this festive season. Head on over at 9pm and enjoy the great food we’ve come to expect. Mira Cassisseya will be performing throughout the evening. Interested? You can find more information in the link provided above.

Looking for something a bit more intimate? Villa Belle Époque cordially invites you to dinner on Christmas Eve Sunday, 24 December. Live entertainment and a five course dinner… What more could you ask Santa for? Don’t forget to reserve ahead of time.

The classic Christmas staple The Nutcracker Ballet will be performed at the Cairo Opera House by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company everyday starting 26 December up until the 30th.

FILM-

Catch a GFF film in Downtown: El Gouna Film Festival’s program continues today with a curated selection of films showing at Downtown’s Zawya cinema.

Zawya cinema will be screening five movies for the late director Ali Badrakhan until next Tuesday, 26 December. You can check out the schedule here.

Eins Christmas Bazaar is bringing you some handmade goodies, kicking off this past Friday and continuing until Sunday, 1 January, 2024. The bazaar is being held at the Gallery, in Maadi.

EVENTS-

Today is the last day of ThatReallyCoolStudio focus Palestine, the occupation, and how we got here. Tonight, the studio will be hosting a series of talks, an exhibition, an art auction, and a video library — plus food — for those interested in learning more about Palestine. All the proceeds from this event will be donated to Gaza humanitarian relief.

Talent by duo authors Daniel Gross and Tyler Crowen is a guide for any new entrepreneur or young human resources professional. How to spot and retain highly talented people is the secret sauce that keeps an organization thriving. Crowen, an economics chair at George Mason University, and Gross, an investor and entrepreneur, will be sharing some of the fundamentals about how to get and keep the right people.

The book explores the complex nature of human creativity and its unpredictability, doing so, it unravels the secrets of identifying individuals with the potential to make a change within their society and their organization.

The book discusses several points in the search for impactful talent which includes how to interview people effectively, match them to the right positions, and evaluate their intelligence and personality traits. The authors also discuss how to do this through online meetings and calls, particularly after the pandemic.

It also sheds light on the undervalued and overlooked talents. Here we mean women, minorities, and people with disabilities. The authors go about defining what to look for and how to utilize them effectively. They also offer a good take on how to find professionals in the fields of gaming, sports and beauty alongside the strategy to recruit new people to join your cause and believe in your vision.

What it does not do…is mention the impact of AI on hiring and talent management nor the impact of the current conflicts on hiring trends.

You can find the book on Amazon.

What the markets are doing on 20 December, 2023

The EGX30 fell 1.0% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 2.9 bn (10.7% below the 90-day average). Regional investors were net buyers. The index is up 70.1% YTD.

In the green: Alexandria Containers and Cargo Handling (+3.7%), E-finance (+1.6%) and Telecom Egypt (+1.4%).

In the red: Edita (-3.2%), Credit Agricole (-2.8%) and B Investments Holding (-2.6%).

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

DECEMBER

10-26 December (Sunday-Tuesday): Ali Badrakhan’s cinema at Zawya Cinema.

14-21 December (Thursday-Thursday): Gouna Film Festival (GFF), Gouna.

19-20 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): How Did We Get Here: Conversations about Palestine at ThatReallyCoolStudio.

21 December (Thursday): Art staged performance by Yasmina Riza at Rawabet Art Space.

22-23 December (Friday-Saturday): Family Fun Fest by Kult Creative at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

22 December (Friday): The Christmas Show by Gaby Bishara at Theatro Arkan.

22 December (Friday): Tamer Ashour Live Concert at Dandy Mall.

22 December (Friday): The High Five Stand Up Comedy Show at The Marquee, CFC.

22-23 December (Friday-Saturday): The Garden Market, Christmas Edition at Merryland Park.

22-23 December (Friday-Saturday): LA Winter Vibes Market at the Egyptian International Exhibition Center.

23 December (Saturday): Pyramids Half Marathon by The TriFactory.

23 December (Saturday): The Cairo Symphony Orchestra’s concert at Cairo Opera House.

24 December (Sunday): Christmas Eve at Villa Belle Époque.

25 December (Monday): Walt Disney concert at Cairo Opera House.

25 December (Monday): Christmas Dinner at Kazoku.

26-30 December (Tuesday-Saturday): The Nutcracker at Cairo Opera House.

31 December (Sunday): The Cairo Symphony Orchestra New Year’s Eve concert at Cairo Opera House.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2023: The inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Q1 2024: Opening of the newly developed Pyramids Plateau in Giza.

2024

JANUARY

5 January-2 February (Friday-Friday): Intro to Improv with Ramsi Lehner.

7 January (Sunday): Coptic Christmas.

25 January (Thursday): Revolution Day.

26 January-6 February (Friday-Tuesday): Cairo International Book Fair.

MARCH

1 March (Friday): Cairo Half Marathon by Cairo Runners.

11-12 March (Monday-Tuesday): Creative Industry Summit.

APRIL

9 April (Tuesday): Eid El Fitr (TBC).

25 April (Thursday): National holiday in observance of Sinai Liberation Day (TBC).

MAY

1 May (Wednesday): National holiday in observance of Labor Day (TBC).

5 May (Sunday): Coptic Easter.

6 May (Monday): Sham El Nessim (TBC).

JUNE

15-19 June (Saturday-Wednesday): Eid El Adha (TBC).

30 June (Sunday): June 30 Revolution Day (TBC).

JULY

7 July (Sunday): National holiday in observance of Islamic New Year (TBC).

23 July (Tuesday): Revolution Day (TBC).

SEPTEMBER

15 September (Sunday): National holiday in observance of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (TBC).

OCTOBER

6 October (Sunday): Armed Forces Day.

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