INVESTMENT WATCH - China Fortune Land Development Company (CFLD) is at it again and looking to invest USD 4 bn in developments in the New Administrative Capital over the next five years, according to an Ittihadiya statement picked up by Al Borsa. This latest wave of mega investments from CFLD will be geared towards developing industrial parks in the new capital, a specialty for the company.
So what exactly is going on with CFLD’s investments? The offer, which was discussed at a meeting between the ministers of investment and housing with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Tuesday, will supposedly bring CFLD’s investments in the new capital to USD 13.5 bn over the next ten years. This would essentially mean that the company may have lowered its projected 10-year investment from USD 20 bn, as we have heard numerous times since the first pledge was announced last year. We’ve heard, as recently as last May, that the company was still looking to invest the USD 20 bn — geared towards developing 14,000 feddans in phase 1 of the new capital — and that it would sign a contract soon.
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NTA signs USD 4 bn MoU with Bombardier for development of Metro’s Line 6: The National Tunnels Authority (NTA) signed an MoU on Tuesday with Canada’s Bombardier to begin conducting feasibility studies and preparing designs ahead of constructing the Cairo Metro Line 6, a Transport Ministry statement says. The agreement, which sets the project’s initial investment value at USD 4 bn, also covered the supply of locomotives and equipment necessary for the line’s operations and maintenance. The two sides agreed that local components will make up 40% of the project’s total input. Bombardier is expected to arrange financing for the project once designs are set by the end of July. The 24-stop Line 6 will cut across Cairo and should be operational by 2022, as we noted yesterday.
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In a sign that we may be heading towards becoming an energy hub by 2018, the Oil Ministry is letting go of one of its FSRUs next year, just as production from the Eni’s Zohr field comes online later this year, Oil Minister Tarek El Molla tells Al Borsa. He tells the newspaper that Egypt will stop importing natural gas by 2018, and will begin exporting gas by 2019. The oil ministry had said on Monday that its deadline for gas independence was moved forward to 2018.
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The Supply Ministry is looking to revert back to an old wheat milling system that would allow it to give companies a set price for their milling services, Al Borsa reports. Under the new system, the Supply Ministry would also have to acquire wheat bran for the Agriculture Ministry’s livestock projects. The ministry is currently in talks with wheat mill owners to determine a fair price per tonne of milled wheat, with the Federation of Egyptian Industries lobbying for EGP 540 per tonne in exchange for the ministry collecting the wheat bran, Supply Ministry spokesperson Mohamed Sewid said. The ministry plans to reach a final agreement by the end of the month and bring the new system into effect the month after that.
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Contractors want state to include new fuel and electricity price hikes under Contractors Compensation Act: Contractors are requesting that the state factor in the effects of the latest fuel and energy price hikes when repricing their contracts under the Contractors’ Compensation Act, New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) chief Zein Al Abidin Mohamed tells Al Borsa. Companies are blaming the rise in the costs of building materials on “the instability of the government’s fiscal policies.” The Housing Ministry has already started revising contracts that came into effect in 2016 and is waiting for the legislation — which will compensate state contractors for losses incurred after the EGP float — to determine the exact price differentials, unnamed government officials tell the newspaper. NUCA’s initial estimates had reportedly set the compensation value at 7% of the original value of the contract, they add. The Sherif Ismail cabinet had approved this month a six-month extension on all contracts with the private sector signed between 1 March and 31 December 2016 to make them eligible for compensation. The bill, however, has been in the works for several months, with rumors even suggesting that the House of Representatives was studying alternatives, claiming the act would cost state coffers EGP 10 bn that it simply can’t afford. Maybe contractors should just be thankful they have that much.
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Belarus’s MAZ bids on EUR 9 mn auto factory in Egypt: Belarusian automaker MAZ could be launching a new factory in Egypt under a EUR 9 mn contract if it wins a tender issued by the ministries of defense and military production, the Belarusian Telegraph Agency reports. The fate of the project, which would produce around 2,000 vehicles a year, will be determined after the company is done testing a custom-made chassis for Egypt in the Sinai deserts.
Belarusian utility vehicles maker Amkodor is also in talks with Egyptian partners to establish a manufacturing project in Cairo and is set to begin selling loaders in the Egyptian market in 2H2017. Amkodor is also bidding on a USD 3 mn contract to supply grain-dryers.
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M&A Watch- The Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority (EFSA) has approved a mandatory tender offer by Saudi outfit NAD Development & Investment Company to acquire the remaining to acquire 100% of Egypt for Poultry (Egypco) at a share price of EGP 2.57, according to an EFSA notice. NAD, which already owns a 38% stake in the company, is estimated to pay c.EGP 75 mn for the remaining 62%. NAD is chaired by Nawaf Abdullah bin Dayel, who had reportedly invested in three Egyptian agrifood companies between May 2011 and 2012.
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Several new British companies are looking to enter the Egyptian market with new investments, having been encouraged by the country’s recent economic reforms and improvements to the business climate, according to UK Ambassador John Casson. Casson did not provide details on the companies or the expected size of investments. According to the ambassador, the companies are eyeing investments in renewable energy, basic commodities, telecoms, infrastructure, banking, education, and wastewater systems. Casson also pointed to the 61% increase in British tourists’ overnight stays in Egypt (no thanks to the UK government) as evidence of British companies’ commitment to Egypt.
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Cairo’s hotel market appears to be on track to achieving pre-2011 occupancy levels, says Colliers International’s latest MENA Hotel Forecasts report for June-August 2017. Occupancy levels in Cairo are seen rising to a 72% average, despite a 17% year-on-year drop in revenues per available room due to the exchange rate. Occupancy rates for Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada are also expected to stand at 41% and 42%, respectively, while Alexandria is seen reaching a 75% average occupancy.
This comes as the number of tourist visiting Egypt grew 68.4% year-on-year in April to 716K, according to CAPMAS figures which ran in Al Mal. Visitors from the EU increased 101.5% y-o-y to 270K. German tourists made up the bulk of EU arrivals, with their numbers increasing 40.7% followed by visitors from the UK, whose numbers grew 10.4%, while tourists from Italy increased 9%.
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EARNINGS WATCH- Qatar National Bank Alahly reported a consolidated net profit of EGP 2.73 bn in 1H2017, up from EGP 1.97 bn in the same period last year, according to Reuters.
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MOVES - The CBE’s board of directors approved the promotion of five CBE Assistant Sub Governors on Tuesday. Rami Aboul Naga has been bumped up to Deputy Governor for the monetary markets sector and reserve management, while Mai Aboul Naga is now Deputy Governor for Observing and Supervising banks. Ayman Hussein is now Deputy Governor for the Payment Systems and IT and Mohamed Ali became Deputy Governor for the Internal Auditing. Hany Omar has been promoted to Deputy Governor for Security, according to Al Mal.
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CORRECTIONs - A couple of Mia Culpas this morning with our apologies. First, a grave typo went out yesterday in our coverage of inflation report. Monthly inflation recorded 0.8% in June 2017 for both core and urban inflation and not 1.8% as we have said in the story. We would also like to clarify in our story on university tuition increasing 10%, we had said that the American University in Cairo collects half of its fees in USD or EGP equivalent, which is not the case anymore. AUC had amended its tuition payment policy in March to cope with the EGP float, whereby Egyptian students pay their tuition in EGP. We don’t like making excuses for ourselves, but if we had to, we pick the heat. h/t SE and DR
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Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) is reportedly planning an IPO of its service stations unit, with a value of as much as USD 14 bn, Bloomberg reports. ADNOC is expected to tap investment banks for the listing as early as this week. Sources tell Bloomberg, however, that the IPO is not certain, and the plans may be scrapped. The company had said earlier this week it was considering selling minority stakes in some of its service units, and was looking to accelerate its growth in cooperation with international partners.
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Flat6Labs has made its first closing on its EGP 100 mn Flat6Labs Accelerator Company (FAC) fund, which will allow it to accelerate more than 100 Egyptian early stage startups over the next five years, the company said in a statement. The fund will provide each startup with EGP 1 mn in seed funding, in addition to training and mentorship services. FAC’s first closing comes as Egypt Ventures signed an agreement to invest EGP 10 mn in Flat6Labs. “Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward for Egyptian entrepreneurs and startups and we’re thrilled to be spearheading it with our flagship accelerator program in Cairo,” Flat6Labs founder Ahmed El Alfi said. Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr signed the agreement with Flat6Labs, Egypt Ventures, and NI Capital, the ministry announced yesterday. The agreement is in cooperation with the Egyptian American Enterprise Fund and the International Finance Corporation.
Separately, Egypt Ventures wants to increase its capital to EGP 1 bn from EGP 451 mn, according to Deputy Investment and International Cooperation Shehab Marzban who is also the company’s CEO. Egypt Ventures was established by the ministry, the Saudi Fund for Development, and NI Capital last March.
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In other startup news, MENA on-demand video streaming service STARZ PLAY raised a total of USD 125 mn since its launch in 2015, the company announced. New investments in 2017 include those from Lionsgate’s Starz, asset manager State Street Global Advisors, and media and tech investment firms SEQ Capital Partners and Delta Partners. The funds will go towards enhancing customer experience and acquiring new programs. STARZ PLAY has 700,000 paying subscribers.
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