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Neanderthal genes

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

Raya IT has its eyes on an IPO next year

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and happy Sunday. Our week is getting off to a busy start here at home.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

Raya IT to list on the EGX: Raya Holding plans to offer a 30-35% stake in its IT arm Raya Information Technology through an IPO that’s set to kick off in 1H 2024, it said in a statement (pdf). The IPO will be managed by our friends at EFG Hermes.

The plan has been in the making for some time: Local media reported back in March 2022 that Raya Holding had consolidated it its IT businesses — by transferring its ownership in Raya Network Services, Raya Network Power, Raya Data Center to a subsidiary that was at the time called Raya Systems — ahead of a plan to list its IT arm on the EGX or offer shares to new investors.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

It’s a mixed bag of headlines in the international press this afternoon. Israel continues its rampage through Gaza, despite protests and calls for a ceasefire over the three Israeli hostages that were shot dead by the IDF while holding makeshift white flags because they were thought to be Palestinian. According to an anonymous source, Israel’s spy chief and Qatar’s prime minister, who helped mediate the previous weeklong truce, held talks on Friday but no agreement was reached. Meanwhile communications are down for the fourth day in a row, the longest blackout since 7 October, making it virtually impossible for aid to reach those in need. (Reuters | Bloomberg)

ON THE BUSINESS SIDE- Investors expecting interest rates to stay soaring will be harshly disappointed by the recent rally in global bond markets, reports the Financial Times. Yields are low following the Fed’s strongest indication that it wouldn’t raise borrowing costs and would make 0.75 percentage points of cuts in 2024. The benchmark 10-year US treasury yield dipped 4%, a first since August, while the two-year yield reached its lowest since May.


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:

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.

enterprise

*** It’s Inside Industry day —your weekly briefing of all things industrial in Egypt. Inside Industry focuses each Sunday on what it takes to turn Egypt into a manufacturing and export powerhouse, ranging from initial investment and planning to product distribution, through to land allocation to industrial processes, supply chain management, labor, automation and technology, inputs and exports, regulation and policy.

In today’s issue: We look at the year that’s coming to an end for the industrial sector, with stubborn challenges that have carried over from last year.

🌥️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect an overcast day with the mercury peaking at 23°C during the day and dropping to cooler 15°C in the evening, according to our favorite weather app.

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FOR YOUR COMMUTE

Maybe they were born with it? Maybe it's Neanderthal genes. PLUS: Research on AI in businesses show that they still need human guidance

Being a highly functional morning person has to do with variants of Neanderthal genes we’ve been passed down: New research published in the Genome Biology and Evolution journal theorizes that DNA inherited from Neanderthals increases the likelihood of being “a morning person.” Humans who evolved in what eventually became Africa, where the sun would be in the sky for a good 12 hours, did not need to be up early in the day to go out and hunt. This contrasts with our Neanderthals, who spent most of their days in cold weather with less sunshine, and where food was scarce.

As a result of Homo sapiens’ migration, up to 4% of modern humans’ genes are inherited from Neanderthals, particularly among people of modern European and Asian descent. The study compared genes from modern humans to DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans, another extinct relative, and indicates that ancient interbreeding between these groups helped our ancestors adapt to new environments.

Don’t give up hope, night owls:Whether you are the carrier of the ‘early bird’ gene or not, there are a lot of outside factors that can influence sleep patterns like routine and light exposure, meaning our genetics are not the sole determinants of our ability to get up earlier or later in the morning, The Guardian notes.


Human guidance will still be needed but it looks like AI will probably replace task-based work, according to a report from Resume Builder that surveyed 750 business leaders who currently or plan to use AI.Some have already replaced human employees with AI, with37% of respondents saying AI hasreplaced workers in 2023 and 44% predict even more layoffs in 2024.

These numbers don’t speak for traditional and small businesses, though, says resume and career strategist at ResumeBuilder, Julia Toothacre. In fact, there’s no evidence that it will cause mass unemployment, we just need to look back at labor’s historical flexibility.

There are also the regions that don’t even have internet access,and AI may come as the last of their worries, the article adds.

Now is not a time to ponder getting laid-off as opposed to what can be done to use AI at work. For example, as chief product officer at software company Asana, Alex Hood, contends that much of the time at work is spent doing “work about work” such as meetings, appraisals, and updates. He further suggests that AI can tackle task-based work to increase efficiency and allow humans to focus on self-development and refining their work processes. How? For starters, defining what tasks AI can perform, says Marc Cenedella, founder of Leet Resumes and Ladders.

This is for HR: Employees need to train on using AI as a part of their professional development + employers should consider providing that chance. Toothacre, even though she isn’t convinced of the severity of structural layoffs, she recommends that people study how AI could impact employees’ positions in their industry to make sure to know what to expect. In the report, she advised workers to, “figure out what part of your position can’t be taken over by AI or where AI might need human intervention and become the go-to person for those tasks.”

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ENTERPRISE RECOMMENDS

Game of Thrones fans will enjoy Seven Kings Must Die

📺 ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

Game of Thrones meets Macbeth in Netflix’s Seven Kings Must Die. The movie acts as a sequel and conclusion to Bernard Cornwell ’s novel The Last Kingdom, which has been adapted into a Netflix show. If you haven’t seen the show’s five seasons, fret not — Seven Kings Must Die is a standalone film, so you can enjoy it without committing to watching The Last Kingdom.

The story unfolds in a highly dramatized 10th century England: The pagan Danes and the Christian Saxons of the time are already struggling to get along when Saxon King Edward the Elder passes away, leaving the throne in contestation. A warrior by the name of Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), who was born a Saxon but raised by the Danes, pinballs between alliances when an oracle prophesizes that seven of the eight kings will die before England is united.

Complicated alliances and numerous betrayals adorn the film’s first hour to culminate to what we all expect of a period piece: A bloody battle. Outnumbered armies, cunning military ploys, last-minute reinforcements, blood, mud, and war cries… director Ed Bazelgette doesn’t leave much to be desired from war.

While newcomers to the Last Kingdom universe will find the film easy to enjoy, fans of the series may be left disappointed. Several key characters were reported missing only to be killed offscreen or left unmentioned altogether. Also, the pacing may seem off, as the writers try to cram a season’s worth of material into a two-hour movie. But Bazelgette does an excellent job of doing what he can with what he has: Delivering a comprehensive and well-staged story.

Seven Kings Must Die is streaming on Netflix.

Hold your breath for the Liverpool and Man U match tonight kicking off in the Anfield Stadium at 6:30pm. This meet marks the end of gameweek 17 of the Premier League, where Liverpool, the leader, is trying to stay on top while being fiercely pursued by Arsenal, in second place, as Man U’s ranking plummeted to seventh place yesterday.

The Gunners are on a mission to catch up with the Seagulls: Arsenal hosts Brighton, which is in eighth place (one point behind United) today at 4pm.

More matches scheduled at 4pm:

  • Brentford vs Aston Villa
  • West Ham vs Wolves

Over in LaLiga, Real Madrid is aspiring to lead — even if it’s temporary: Real Madrid will be meeting with Villarreal tonight at 10pm. The team wants to dominate LaLiga, stepping over leading Girona, which will be playing with Deportivo Alaves tomorrow. The royal team stands two points behind the leaders of the competition.

Other key games to watch tonight in the European leagues:

  • Lazio vs Inter Milan (Serie A, 9:45pm)
  • Leverkusen vs Frankfurt (Bundesliga, 6:30pm)
  • Bayern vs Stuttgart (Bundesliga, 8:30pm)
  • Lille vs Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, 9:45pm)

🎤 OUT AND ABOUT-
(all times CLT)

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.

MUSIC-

Warm up your vocal chords, gang. Karaoke Night is back at ROOM Art Space and Cafe. ROOM’s doors are open every Tuesday 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.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS-

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

Want to sit back and enjoy some Christmassy tunes? Arkan Plaza has you covered. TheirChristmas 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 on 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-

Zawya cinema will be screening five movies for the late director Ali Badrakhan until Tuesday, 26 December. You can know more about the schedule from 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.

THEATER-

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 Thursday, 21, Friday 22, and Saturday, 23 December. 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.

EVENTS-

ThatReallyCoolStudio is shining the light on Palestine, the occupation, and how we got here. Tuesday and Wednesday, 19-20 December, the studio will be hosting a series of talks, an exhibition, an art auction, a video library, and food for those interested in learning more about Palestine. All the proceeds from this event will be donated to Gaza humanitarian relief.

SPORTS-

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.

👂 EARS TO THE GROUND-

This Is Actually Happening is not for the faint of heart. It revolves around real-life experiences of our biggest nightmares: Suspecting your child is possessed, stabbed 27 times by a serial killer, or your limbs were caught in a machine, are some of the real experiences that actual victims share with us during the podcast.

Whit Missildine, the host, keeps his presence to a minimum. He introduces the episode and signs it off, but the remainder of the time is given to each speaker. It’s clear that he asks prompting questions to explore the subject matter, but they are seamlessly edited out so that each story sounds like an uninterrupted monologue.

One more time for the people in the back: This Is Actually Happening is not for the faint of heart. These are real-life accounts of very difficult experiences. This includes themes of near-death experiences, witness accounts, mental illness, abuse, and suicide. Catharsis or closure is not ensured at the end of the episode — PTSD might ensue. We warned you.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can find This Is Actually Happening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Audible.

This publication is proudly sponsored by

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GO WITH THE FLOW

What the markets are doing on 17 December, 2023

The EGX30 rose 0.3% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 2.8 bn (11.9% below the 90-day average). Local investors were net buyers. The index is up 69.8% YTD.

In the green: ADIB (+7.8%), Juhayna (+5.9%) and Orascom Development (+4.2%).

In the red: Elsewedy Electric (-2.1%), E-Finance (-2.1%) and Sidpec (-1.9%).

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INSIDE INDUSTRY

Industry players in Egypt had hopes of a good year in 2023, but challenges remained

After hopes of things looking up, 2023 didn’t bring much relief for industry: At the outset of 2023, industry players were hopeful that the challenges of the previous year — including FX shortages, rising raw material prices, and record high inflation — were in the rearview mirror, giving them a chance at a more forgiving 2023. Meanwhile, there was also hope that the state ownership policy document — the long-term strategy rolled out last year that plans to see the government making full and partial exits from more than 79 industries, helping to double the private sector’s share of the economy to 65% within three years — would help give business a shot in the arm. However, many of the challenges of last year rolled over into this year, making it another relatively difficult year for industry.

There were plenty of government initiatives backing up an optimistic outlook: In addition to the state ownership policy document and the government’s identification of nine priority sectors to get a hand from its EGP 200 bn import substitution program, the Madbouly Cabinet also rolled out new regulations at the end of 2022 to boost investments. These included facilitating the process for companies to obtain a golden license, as well as making automotive-linked engineering industries eligible for several incentives provided under the Investment Act. Cabinet also followed up by introducing new tiers of licenses — specifically silver and diamond licenses — to help capture interest among industry players.

More incentives: The Supreme Investment Council also enacted a package of 22 decisions geared towards encouraging private sector investors, aiming to address the demands and complaints of Egypt’s industrial investors and level all challenges and hindrances facing players in the industry sector. These decisions were all met with optimism and a positive sentiment, but business figures Enterprise spoke with at the time stressed the importance of implementation.

And signs of an improving business environment: The removal of the requirement at theend of 2022 for businesses to use letters of credit (L/Cs) to finance imports was a huge source of optimism, as the FX shortage made it difficult for importers to access L/Cs and left them unable to bring goods and raw materials into the country.

But macroeconomic conditions overshadowed many positives: Although importers were able to turn the page on L/Cs as we kicked off 2023, the FX shortage in the country has yet to be resolved. In addition to companies facing difficulties securing the FX needed to finance imports of goods and raw materials required for manufacturing, other controls on foreign currency transactions have also made it more challenging for companies to finance critical infrastructure. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) introduced limits on FX transactions on debit and credit cards at home and abroad in October, posing a massive challenge for companies to pay for tech infrastructure services.

The silver lining: Some businesses are looking at ramping up exports: Faced with an increasingly challenging FX environment, many manufacturers are either thinking seriously about pivoting towards exports, or doubling down on existing export capacity. Some manufacturers we spoke with this year, such as TCI Sanmar, have increased the share of their production output earmarked for exports, while others that have been export-oriented for years — including Oriental Weavers, Insutech, and Pyramid Glass — are focused on remaining competitive on a global scale as exports continue to gain growing importance for their business.

And there remained a handful of legacy hurdles and questions: Industry players continued to complain of problems with industrial land allocation, with some saying that a shortage of land availability amid skyrocketing demand created a parallel market for industry-geared plots rife with inflated prices. Although the government rolled out a new online system through which industrial land developers can purchase, develop, and resell land to industry, the system addressed the under-supply issue but drove up costs as private industrial developers were made responsible for building the necessary infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the country’s automotive industry is still struggling to get on its feet, despite intermittent signs of government backing to encourage automotive assembly and manufacturing. The Supreme Council for Vehicle Manufacturing — which is responsible for drafting policies, strategies, regulation and legislation governing the wider automotive industry, including EVs — held its first meeting early in the year. We also saw some movement on the EV front, with signs our first locally manufactured EVs — a low-range, low-speed commuter for urban areas — could roll off production lines soon. However, the government has yet to launch its long-awaited automotive strategy, the Automotive Industry Development Program, which is expected to provide incentives to carmakers in a bid to increase local assembly and component manufacturing here, up the sector’s competitiveness to become a regional manufacturing hub, and bolster export volumes.


DECEMBER

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

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.

21-23 December (Thursday-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, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

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

25 December (Monday): Disney Classics concert, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

25 December (Monday): Christmas Dinner at Kazoku.

26-30 December (Tuesday-Saturday): NutCracker shows, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

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

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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