Apple delivers on AI promises

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

NBE invests EGP 250 mn in new education platform targeting 100 schools in 27 governorates

Good afternoon, friends, and kudos to you for making it to the weekend. It’s been a busy week both at home and beyond, and we’ve got the latest for you below. To send you off into the weekend, we’ve got a somewhat light — albeit lengthy — issue this afternoon, with Apple under the spotlight. We break down the latest announcements from the 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference and check out Apple TV’s latest thriller brought to life by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

First up, the news…

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

📍 NBE puts EGP 250 mn into a new education platform targeting 100 schools across Egypt’s governorates: The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) acquired a 20% stake in the Egyptian Alliance for Education — an initiative bringing together CIRA Education, NBE, and 10 other companies — raising the platform’s total capital to EGP 1.25 bn, according to a press release. The alliance, founded by CIRA Chairman Hassan El Kalla, seeks to establish more than 100 new schools across the 27 governorates, “bringing quality education at a grassroots level with affordable fees,” CIRA CEO Mohamed El Kalla tells EnterpriseAM. The first four schools are slated to open this year in Qena, Kafr El Zayyat, and Alexandria, El Kalla adds.

ALSO- Korra Energi makes its EGX debut: Shares of Korra Energi closed up 19.5% at EGP 3.55 on its first day of trading today, according to market data. Some 269.7 mn shares changed hands, generating EGP 977.9 mn in turnover. The energy solutions firm floated an 11% stake valued at EGP 735 mn in what marked the EGX’s second IPO of the year — following Gourmet’s blockbuster February debut — and the first since the Iran war broke out.

Active contracts currently stand at EGP 15 bn, with a pipeline exceeding EGP 40 bn, Ayman Korra, the company's founder and CEO, told EnterpriseAM at this morning's bell-ringing ceremony. “There is strong momentum on the EGX and high demand for serious companies,” he said, adding that his decision to float only 11% of the company was a deliberate signal. “My confidence in the company is why I chose not to offer 30% or 40%; I prefer to retain a large portion.”

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 Regional tensions remain the dominant force across the digital front pages this afternoon as the US and Iran continue exchanging fire. After the US launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran last night, resulting in retaliatory strikes by Tehran on US bases in the region — in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan — Iran’s new Strait Authority announced that the Strait of Hormuz “will be closed until further notice,” citing the US attacks. The announcement came shortly after an Iranian official accused the US of attacking a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman earlier today.

Progress is reportedly being made on an agreement, according to Iranian sources with knowledge of the matter cited by Reuters. Meanwhile, three Indian sailors who were reported missing earlier this week were confirmed dead following an attack on an oil tanker earlier this week, India’s shipping minister Sarbanada Sonowal wrote on X.

^^ Read more on: CNN, BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, and Financial Times.

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

The government fully cleared its outstanding arrears to international oil companies — totaling USD 6.1 bn accrued since June 2024. Settling the debts has already unlocked a USD 19 bn investment pledge from global energy majors, which sets the state up to hit its USD 6.2 bn sector FDI target next fiscal year;
Annual urban inflation cooled for a second consecutive month in May, easing 0.3 percentage points to 14.6% y-o-y, broadly in line with market expectations. However, monthly inflation accelerated to 1.6% m-o-m from 1.1% in April, reflecting lingering price pressures. The reading is close to HC Securities’ forecast of 14.7% and Reuters’ median estimate of 14.5%;
No talks are underway for a new IMF program to follow the current USD 8 bn Extended Fund Facility after it expires in December. Even after the program ends, the Fund will continue conducting periodic economic reviews and providing technical and advisory support.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Keep your sunscreen close, folks. Tomorrow brings sunny skies and a high of 36°C, with a welcome cooldown to 24°C. The North Coast can look forward to a gentler day, with temperatures peaking at 30°C before dropping to a low of 20°C after dark, according to our favorite weather app.

Apple’s WWDC 2026 roundup: Siri AI, iOS 27, and more

🍏🤖 Apple has finally made its AI move. At its latest Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the tech giant unveiled a slate of much-anticipated AI-powered features alongside the new iOS 27. Siri AI emerged as one of the WWDC keynote’s biggest highlights, joined by Apple Watch OS updates, macOS Golden Gate, privacy and safety modifications, and several overdue software updates. It looks like the EU might be a little late to the Apple x AI party, though. Let’s get into the details.

A better, AI-powered Siri

Everything’s better with an app: Siri didn’t just get an AI upgrade — it also got its own app. For the past few years, Apple has noticeably lagged behind its peers in the AI race, but this AI-powered Siri goes a long way toward closing the gap, especially as Apple’s partnership with Google’s Gemini AI finally comes to fruition.

Siri AI works across Apple’s whole roster: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, CarPlay, and AirPods. On the iPhone, Siri AI is situated in the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen and, when triggered by the side button, appears as an iridescent blob. The dedicated Siri AI app operates like a chatbot and, according to Apple, is a “profoundly more capable assistant.” The AI version is also supposedly a better conversationalist, with improved contextual awareness and a more expressive voice, with complete voice customization. Conversation history is also synced across your Apple devices via iCloud.

Siri AI has “broad world knowledge,” extracted from online sources and personal data stored on your device. Its capabilities extend beyond its own app, accessing multiple apps to draft messages with its writing assistant, gather photos and videos into shared folders, help you book tickets to an event, and set up reminders on your calendar. If splitting the bill at the end of a group dinner is your worst nightmare, it can help with that, too. Much like Google’s Lens, Siri will also be able to work through the iPhone’s camera app to help you identify objects when you point your camera at them.

Where else you’ll find Apple’s new AI features

Safari, in particular, picked up some of the most handy updates. If you’re prone to falling down shopping or research rabbit holes, the browser can understand the content of your tabs and automatically group them into topical folders for easier navigation. Waiting for your favorite shoes to go on sale or come back in stock? Safari’s new “Notify Me” feature can alert you whenever a change takes place on a website. If a website reports that your password has been compromised, Safari can even update it for you — a feature that plenty of netizens don’t seem too happy with. On top of that, Safari is becoming even more customizable with the new “Describe an Extension” feature, which lets users generate browser extensions simply by describing what they want them to do.

The feature that has the internet talking: Fumbled the angle of a once-in-a-lifetime picture? The photo app’s new AI-powered Spatial Reframing feature aims to save the day. This feature helps you modify a photo’s composition and perspective after it’s been taken, and it also generatively fills in the background when you crop or resize the image. Apple’s AI image-generation tool, Playground, also received an upgrade, with more photorealistic image generation and greater editing flexibility. AI-edited photos will also now automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark.

Among Apple’s most ambitious updates this year, the AI-infused Photos app also proved one of its most controversial. Spatial Reframing, in particular, drew criticism from users who saw it less as a harmless editing tool and more as a manipulative tool that alters photos for the sake of aesthetics. Anticipating backlash, Apple stressed during the keynote that it has a “deep respect for the craft of photography.”

Design refreshes and software improvements

iOS 27 is here: The latest operating system will be available on iPhone 11 models and newer, a welcome boost for device longevity. Beyond the headline-grabbing AI features and Siri AI, notable additions include a new perimenopause dashboard in the Health app and the ability to share Photos albums with Android and Windows users while preserving full-resolution images. Apple also claims significant performance improvements, with iOS 27 running 30% faster overall, photos launching 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers seeing an 80% speed boost.

Mac users are also getting a new operating system: Golden Gate. It’s the first Apple OS designed exclusively for MacBooks using Apple’s custom silicon chips. The tech company also rolled out a number of much-needed tune-ups. The Liquid Glass design, introduced in 2025 and widely criticized for being “beautiful but hard to read,” is getting a readability boost thanks to a new material that diffuses light more effectively. A transparency slider lets users choose how glassy they want their interface to look. Elsewhere, sidebars will now extend edge-to-edge, and sidebar icons will become sharper and regain some of their color.

Privacy, parental control, and child safety

Apple’s AI rollout may be overdue, but the company used the keynote to highlight its privacy-first approach to AI. The AI features may need access to much of what’s on your device, but Apple assures users that most requests are processed on-device. When a query requires cloud computing, it will be handled through its secure Private Cloud Compute system. User data is neither stored nor accessible to the company or anyone else.

Healthier digital habits were a major focus of the keynote. Apple expanded its parental controls with tools that let parents decide which apps their children can access and when, approve website requests through the new “Ask to Browse” feature, and control who their children can contact. Gory and violent content, including nudity, will also be blurred and flagged to parents across communication apps.

Public and market reax

So, what’s the verdict? With the new features set to roll out in a public beta in July and a wider release after the annual iPhone event in September, users and investors alike are waiting to see if Apple’s demos deliver in practice. The company’s stock saw a modest uptick following the WWDC, bolstered by its AI-powered and safety-focused updates. But the intraday boost proved short-lived as Apple saw its worst day since February, with a 3% drop in shares last Tuesday.

Adding to the mixed reception is the EU dispute over Siri AI’s delayed rollout in the region. Apple points to EU tech rules, while the European Commission says the company has not yet met required privacy and security standards.

The keynote largely highlighted how far Apple still appears to be behind in AI, especially when stacked against companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, both of which are already promoting agentic tools for developers and office workers. Some viewed Apple’s AI-heavy keynote as overcompensating for a lack of broader innovation, while most felt its late arrival in the AI race made the announcement less groundbreaking than anticipated. Still, the personalized AI-powered Siri experience has left analysts optimistic, with some calling it the boldest consumer AI play yet — and a potential rival to ChatGPT and Gemini.

Cape Fear is a gory thriller we can’t get enough of

📺🔪 Revenge is a dish best served… 17 years later? Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, and Javier Bardem, Apple TV’s newly released Cape Fear breathes new life into a classic thriller. An adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s 1957 novel, The Executioners, and a modern remake of the 1962 and 1991 films, also titled Cape Fear, you’d think the story would have nothing new to offer, but Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg beg to differ, presenting a 10-episode limited-series reboot that — just two episodes in — had us glued to our screens, stomachs churning.

The plot: Max Cady (Bardem) was sentenced to 17 years in prison for murdering his pregnant wife. Upon his release, after new evidence exonerating him, he tracks down Anna (Adams) and Tom Bowden (Wilson), his defendant and his prosecutor… who are now happily married with two kids. Conflict of interest? Indeed. While Max can’t make up for lost years, he can make the Bowdens’ lives a living hell — which is exactly what he does and then some.

You’ll want to keep the remote handy. If you’re a fan of gore, you’ll be in for a treat. If the opposite rings true, stay on alert. Right off the bat, the show starts off with quite the gruesome scene that sets a foreboding tone that never dissipates. The color grading, the score, and the cinematography all reinforce that feeling of impending doom. The show feels more like a theatrical release than your average late-night couch binge — and it’s production money well spent.

From the pacing to the dialogue to the stellar performances, it’s 10s across the board. Adams and Wilson deliver award-worthy performances, and Bardem fills for his character’s former portrayer, Robert De Niro, with grace. The supporting cast — ripe with fresh faces — also delivers commendable performances.

The Apple TV series isn’t interested in being just another adaptation — it offers a new story with different stakes, veering away from both its source material and its predecessors. Rather than taking the story at its source value, it asks: What would a story like this look like today? In 2026, there’s no shortage of ways to terrorize someone — and Max Cady plays all his cards. Our verdict? So far, Cape Fear is delivering, and we can’t wait to see how the rest of the season plays out.

WHERE TO WATCH IT- Cape Fear is streaming on Apple TV, with episodes dropping weekly on Fridays. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:28).

Mexico and South Africa kick off the 2026 World Cup

⚽ It’s World Cup time. All eyes turn to the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City today, where the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off with Mexico taking on South Africa at 10pm Cairo time on beIN Sports Max 1.

Tomorrow’s fixtures

South Korea faces the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico, at 5am Cairo time, before Canada hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto at 10pm. Both matches air on beIN Sports Max 1.

Saturday’s fixtures

The United States takes on Paraguay in Los Angeles at 4am, while Qatar faces Switzerland at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium at 10pm. Both games air on beIN Sports Max 1.

Sunday’s morning fixtures

Brazil meets Morocco at the New York New Jersey Stadium at 1am on beIN Sports Max 2. Haiti takes on Scotland in Boston at 4am on beIN Sports 1. Australia faces Turkey at BC Place in Vancouver at 7am on beIN Sports Max 2.

New tournament, new rules

Before the action gets underway, here’s a look at the most important new refereeing changes coming into force this tournament — all designed to cut down on time-wasting and on-pitch misconduct:

No covering your mouth. Players will receive a straight red card for covering their mouth with their hand while speaking to an opponent. The rule targets racist incidents and verbal abuse;
The five-second countdown. If a player or goalkeeper takes too long on a goal kick, the referee can begin a visible five-second countdown using their hand. If the ball is not played in time, the opposition is awarded a corner. The same rule applies to throw-ins;
Get off the pitch. Any substituted player has only 10 seconds to leave the field. If they dawdle, the incoming substitute must wait until the next stoppage — at least a minute later — before entering. That leaves the team temporarily a man short. No more slow-walking to the tunnel;
Injured? Off you go. The same logic applies to injured players receiving treatment on the pitch — they must leave and can return only after at least one minute of play has resumed. Goalkeepers are exempt;
No theatrics. Players are banned from leaving the pitch in protest of a referee's decision — and those who do can be shown a straight red. Team officials who encourage players to walk off in protest risk being sent to the stands. A direct response to scenes at the recent Africa Cup of Nations final;
More VAR. Referees will now use VAR to review decisions for the first time in a number of new situations: second yellow cards, cases of mistaken identity, offensive fouls preceding freekicks or corners, and incorrectly awarded corners.

A nostalgic soiree with Ghassan Yammine at AUC Tahrir

🎼 Lebanese singer, composer, and pianist Ghassan Yammine is landing in Cairo to perform at AUC Tahrir Square’s Ewart Hall on Tuesday, 16 June, for a Nostalgia Soiree. Yammine will be accompanied by the Harmonia Mundi Orchestra. The evening kicks off at 9pm — you can get your tickets via Tazkarti.

What the markets are doing on 11 June 2026

The EGX30 fell 0.9% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 10.7 bn (26.9% above the 90-day average). International investors were the sole net buyers. The index is up 21.5% YTD.

In the green: Orascom Construction (+1.5%), GB Corp (+1.1%), and CIB (+0.5%).

In the red: Ibnsina Pharma (-4.0%), Misr Cement (-3.2%), and Abu Qir Fertilizers (-3.2%).

THE ENTERPRISEPM ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

🗓️ JUNE

7 April - 20 June (Tuesday-Saturday): Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at District 5 by Marakez in New Cairo.

11 June (Wednesday): Reda El Bahrawy at The Village, Sheikh Zayed.

11 June (Thursday): The Stadium at Playa Strip by G developments, North Coast.

12 June (Friday): Anoushka at Ewart Memorial Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

12-13 June (Friday-Saturday): Darb 15’s Garage Sale in Maadi.

13 - 27 June (Saturday-Saturday): One Mn In Your Pocket - Real Estate Training at Tolip El Narges, New Cairo.

16 June (Tuesday): Nostalgia Soiree with Ghassan Yammine at Ewart Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

17 June (Wednesday): Islamic New Year.

18 June (Thursday): Dr. Khaled Ghatttass at Al Manara Main Hall.

20 June (Saturday): Mohamed Helmy’s Globally Local 2nd Show at Cairo Stadium.

21 June (Sunday): Medhat Saleh at the Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

25 June (Thursday): Elissa at Almasa Hotel in Nasr City.

26 June (Friday): Hamaki at El Arena.

26 June (Friday): The Play Festival at City Gate, New Cairo.

28-29 June (Sunday-Monday): Omar Khairat at the Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

16 April - 30 June (Thursday-Tuesday): Early bird registration for The Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon.

30 June (Tuesday): June 30th Revolution.

JULY

1 July - 2 November (Wednesday-Monday): General registration for The Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon.

10 July (Friday): Ghaiboba by Saleh El Nawawy at Teatro 90.

23 July (Thursday): July 23rd Revolution 1952.

23 July (Thursday): Marwan Pablo & Lege-Cy at Porto Golf.

24 July (Friday): Adriatique at the North Coast.

31 July (Friday): Shorelines Festival at Almaza Bay.

AUGUST

6 August (Thursday): Deep House Bible at North Coast.

7 August (Friday): Sherine at Porto Golf, Alamein City.

7 August (Friday): Cairokee at D-Bay, North Coast.

21 August (Friday): Black Coffee at Cubix North Coast.

25 August (Thursday): Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday.

SEPTEMBER

26 September (Saturday): John Achkar’s Feena Nehke at Theatro Arkan.

OCTOBER

1-4 October (Thursday-Sunday): She Arts festival across Cairo and Alexandria.

6 October (Tuesday): Armed Forces Day.

15-23 October (Thursday-Friday): El Gouna Film Festival.

24 October (Saturday): Blue 25th Anniversary Tour at New Capital.

NOVEMBER

5 November (Thursday): Gala De Danza at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

11-20 November (Wednesday-Friday): Cairo International Film Festival.

28 November (Saturday): Shakira at the Pyramids of Giza.

DECEMBER

11-12 December (Friday-Saturday): TheMarakezPyramids Half Marathon at the Pyramids of Giza.

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