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Tuesday, 3 Jun 2025

What We’re Tracking Tonight
For Your Commute
Eat This Tonight
Out And About
Go With The Flow
Enterprise Entertainment Calendar

Perplexed

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Today at a glance

1

The Big Story Today

Private sector activity contracted at a softer pace in May.
2

FOR YOUR COMMUTE

Samsung’s potential breakup with Google.
3

EAT THIS TONIGHT

A saucy spin on comfort food.
4

OUT AND ABOUT

Feel the festivities with Cairokee, Marwan Moussa, and Afroto this Eid.

Tuesday, 3 Jun 2025

What We’re Tracking Tonight
For Your Commute
Eat This Tonight
Out And About
Go With The Flow
Enterprise Entertainment Calendar
1

WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

Private sector activity contracted at a softer pace in May

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the home stretch before the Eid holiday. We’ve got a brisk issue for you today as the news cycle continues winding down.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

Non-oil private sector activity declined at a slower pace in May, with fewer firms reporting cutbacks to customer sales, according to S&P Global’s latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report (pdf). Egypt’s headline figure rose by 1 percentage point to 49.5 in May, up from 48.5 in April, marking the slowest pace of decline in three months. The figure puts the PMI reading just shy of the all-important 50.0 mark separating contraction from growth. Anything above 50 denotes expansion, while anything below indicates contraction.

New orders and overall output continued to fall during the month — albeit at a slower pace. Firms that were surveyed attributed the continued decline in output levels to a decrease in order book volumes amid weaker customer demand.

Another Chinese project is coming to Qantara West: Chinese bag and luggage manufacturer Comfily Hong Kong will set up a USD 20 mn factory in the Qantara West Industrial Zone, after inking a contract with the Suez Canal Economic Zone, according to a statement. The facility — scheduled to go online by the end of next year — will produce 22 mn pieces a year, 80% of which will be earmarked for export.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The snap election in South Korea is on every front page this afternoon, with people heading to the polls to cast their votes for a new president following the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces trial for attempting to impose martial law. The race pits liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung against conservative Kim Moon-Soo, with Lee holding a double-digit lead in final polls. The winner — set to be sworn in on Wednesday without a transition period — will inherit a divided country and mounting economic headwinds from Trump’s tariff hikes and a stalled diplomatic arena with North Korea. (Reuters | AP | Bloomberg)

MEANWHILE IN EUROPE- The Dutch government is on the verge of collapse after far-right politician Geert Wilders pulled his PVV party out of the ruling coalition, saying he couldn’t secure support from his partners for an asylum plan that involved closing borders and deporting refugees. The move is likely to trigger early elections, leaving the Netherlands politically adrift just weeks before it hosts a major NATO summit. (Reuters | BBC)

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re seeing slightly warmer weather in the capital tomorrow, with the mercury set to peak at 33°C during the day and cool to 21°C at night, according to our favorite weather app.

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2

FOR YOUR COMMUTE

Samsung’s potential breakup with Google

We may witness one of the biggest breakups in tech history come January 2026. As the world’s leading smartphone maker by volume, Samsung has long been one of Google’s staunchest allies and most valuable partners. The tech powerhouses’ strategic alliance proved ironclad in January 2025, when the South Korean corporation partially pulled the plug on its own AI voice assistant Bixby in favor of Google’s Gemini AI, making the latter the default AI assistant on their flagship phones — a privilege the Alphabet subsidiary broke the bank for, paying Samsung an “enormous sum of money every month,” according to Bloomberg.

While Google had supposedly secured the privilege for two years, Samsung seems to be having second thoughts just half a year in. According to Ars Technica and Bloomberg, Samsung might drop Gemini in favor of Perplexity AI as soon as January 2026, coinciding with the release of the anticipated flagship S26 series. Both companies are reportedly in private talks to “preload Perplexity’s app and assistant on upcoming Samsung devices and integrate the startup’s search features into the Samsung web browser,” as part of a wide-ranging investment deal between both tech giants, according to anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg.

Is Perplexity coming for the search titan’s throne? The AI search startup is currently in late-stage discussions to raise USD 500 mn at a USD 14 bn valuation, — with Samsung rumored to be one of its biggest investors — and is quickly rising in popularity. So fast was Perplexity’s ascent that it sent Google on a downwards spiral due to which the search market monopolizer quickly introduced a flawed AI Overviews feature in 2Q 2024, and scrambled to introduce AI Mode earlier in May 2025 — both of which were met with a cold welcome.

The beginning of the end of an empire? Apple may be following in Samsung’s footsteps — the Silicon Valley giant showed interest in having Perplexity search replace Google as their default browser, as reported by Bloomberg in May. If a precedent is set by the two largest phone manufacturers, this may spell trouble for the company that has more or less adopted a “if you don’t like it, leave” response to clients and publishers protesting covertly changing guidelines.

This also begs the question: If Samsung moves away from Google Search, will the company leverage access to Android OS as collateral? Google could at the very least threaten to restrict Samsung’s access to key parts of the Android ecosystem, including Google Mobile Services, the Play Store, YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps. Google’s licensing of the Android OS and its trademark requires phone manufacturers to preinstall a suite of Google apps and services, and adhere to exclusivity agreements regarding default assistants and search providers. In April, Google did just that to Motorola, blocking the manufacturer from making Perplexity AI their default assistant.

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3

EAT THIS TONIGHT

A saucy spin on comfort food

Sauce’s colorful exterior makes the restaurant impossible to miss along The Drive — and we finally put in an order to see what all the buzz is about. This US diner-meets-Asian fusion spot promises bold flavors and comfort food all wrapped into one. Spoiler alert: you’ll want to keep napkins handy.

The standout: the katsu honey sriracha. Two generously sized chicken cutlets are coated with mouth-watering, deep-fried crunchy katsu breading — a traditional three-step Japanese coating technique using panko breadcrumbs and spices — topped with a perfectly balanced sweet and spicy sriracha sauce. We’d recommend sharing with a friend — the taste will make it hard to feel generous, but the size of the cutlets will leave you both full. The order includes a side of spiced fries with a distinctive lime flavor. For those who can’t handle their heat (no judgement) Sauce also offers a four-cheese katsu and a creamy truffle version.

Want built-in sauce control? Their crispy honey sriracha sandwich is a more US-style version of the same delicious combo, this time in a brioche bun. The US breading-coated cutlets are accompanied by fresh lettuce, tomato, and pickles. We would recommend either the plain sauced cutlets or this sandwich, but not both — if only to leave room to explore other flavors on the menu.

Room for improvement: The truffle and mushroom burger fell short of expectations. While social media put this dish at the top of our must-try list, it didn’t quite deliver. The sauce leaned heavily towards the mayo rather than the truffle, and the beef patty lacked the juiciness we were looking forward to. While not irredeemable, there is definitely some untapped potential there.

We wouldn’t recommend the creamy carbonara ramen. Despite its Instagram-worthy presentation, the dish failed to deliver on taste. The carbonara flavor was notably absent, with noodles that we felt could be made with instant ramen tossed in butter and chili flakes — a big leap from the rich, creamy dish we expected.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can pass by The Drive by Waterway to get your fix, but Sauce also delivers in New Cairo through Talabat.

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4

OUT AND ABOUT

Feel the festivities with Cairokee, Marwan Moussa, and Afroto this Eid

MARK YOUR CALENDAR-

🏝️ Free up your schedule on Saturday, 7 June and Sunday, 8 June for the second installment of the Makadi Heights Music Festival, taking place at The Haus in Hurghada. Cairokee will inaugurate the summer staple on the first day, while rap icons Marwan Moussa and Afroto wrap up the second. You can book your tickets for either or both days through Ticketsmarché.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Life may sometimes feel like a joke, and Alaa El Sheikh always knows when to deliver its punchlines. Tonight, Tuesday, 3 June, El Sheikh will be joined by Mahmoud El Naggar, Ahmed Hassan, and Kamtcho at CJC 610 as they take to the stage to turn life’s sour lemons into uncensored comedic lemonade — and no joke is off limits. If you’re ready to roll on the floor laughing, roll your way to CJC's official website.

Ready to “Techno and Chill”? On Friday, 6 June at the New Administrative Capital’s Tolip Hotel, Egypt’s Orijins will be throwing quite the global techno gala. Malta-hailing techno pioneer The Element, London-based EDM artist Kasia, Italian DJ Toto Chiavetta, and Amsterdam-based DJ Vomee — alongside other local and regional talents — will be joining forces for a night you likely won’t be forgetting any time soon. You can secure your spot through Techno & Chill.

Are your dancing boots burnin’ up? On Friday, 6 June, CJC 610 will be taking us back in time with a nostalgic medley of our favorite noughties hits with a “Y2K: Dance Fever” throwback night. Curating the tracklist are none other than Waley and Bubblegum Kollectiv. You can secure your spot through CJC’s official website.

HAPPENING LATER-

Spending Eid in Cairo? CJC 610 has quite the special night planned for you. On Saturday, 7 June, the nightlife hotspot west of Cairo will be hosting Egyptian band Black Theama, who’ll be bringing the jazz, the soul, and the Nubian rhythms. Joining them is Egyptian soft rock band Wust El Balad — led by actor and musician Hany Adel. Sounds like a night well spent? We’d agree — you can get your tickets from the official CJC website.

Let your funk flag fly in El Gouna this Eid with Funkside. On Saturday 7 June, Egyptian party gurus Funkside are celebrating Eid with an proudly-loud line-up of both regional and global talents at Cook’s Club El Gouna. Berlin-based artist Johannes Albert will be refilling El Gouna’s endorphins, joined by Cairene DJs Misty, F-Spins, and Tata. Tickets are available on Collard.

It’s almost beats by the beach season, and we’d suggest getting a headstart this Eid in Somabay. Debuting in Egypt, German electronic dance music trio Klangphonics will be joining Belgian synth-pop band Oscar and the Wolf for CJC’s Lumen party experience at Somabay’s Mesca Beach on Saturday, 7 June. Joining them with rhythms of their own are Cairo-based DJs Wolf Fang Midi, Dirty Backseat, and Zeft Funk. You can grab your tickets through Ticketsmarché. P.S. Don’t forget your favorite swimwear.

Feinoh? Well, on Sunday, 8 June, Hisham Abbas will be amping it up at the beach in Ras Sudr at La Hacienda. Celebrating Eid El-Adha with a medley of his iconic hit songs, the veteran icon will be throwing a live concert for the first time in Ras Sudr. Tickets can be purchased through EasyKash.

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5

GO WITH THE FLOW

What the markets are doing on 3 June 2025

The EGX30 rose marginally at today’s close on turnover of EGP 4.4 bn (6.6% below the 90-day average). Local investors were the sole net sellers. The index is up 8.8% YTD.

In the green: Orascom Construction (+1.7%), Juhayna (+1.3%), and Eipico (+1.2%).

In the red: Beltone Holding (-3.3%), GB Corp (-2.8%), and Fawry (-2.3%).

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ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

JUNE

3 June (Tuesday): Alaa El Sheikh Comedy Night at CJC 610.

6 June (Friday): 50 Years of AC/DC concert.

6 June (Friday): Orijins at New Administrative Capital.

6 June (Friday): Y2K: Dance Fever at CJC 610.

7 June (Saturday): Funkside at Cook’s Club El Gouna.

7 June (Saturday): Black Theama and Wust El Balad at CJC 610.

8 June (Sunday): Hisham Abbas at La Hacienda.

7-8 June (Saturday-Sunday): Makadi Heights Music Festival at The Haus, Makadi Heights.

11 June (Wednesday): The Crowd Gigs at Theatro Arkan.

12 June (Thursday): Vidojean at Space Sharm.

13 June (Friday): Hamid El Shari at CJC 610.

20 June (Friday): Tablet el Sitt at El-Sawy Culturewheel.

26 June (Thursday): Jeff Dunham at the New Capital’s Drama Hall.

26 June (Thursday): Lena Chamamyan at Theatro Arkan.

27 June (Friday): Medhat Saleh at Cairo Opera House.

28 June (Saturday): Cairokee Empire concert at Cairo International Stadium.

JULY

4 July (Friday): Amr Diab, Monolinkand WhoMadeWho at Sol Beach Marassi.

19 July - 30 September (Saturday - Tuesday): Art Space at New Alamein.

AUGUST

6-30 August (Wednesday - Saturday): Egypt Sculpture Symposium at New Alamein.

8 August (Friday): &ME at Sol Beach.

OCTOBER

16-24 October (Thursday-Friday): Gouna Film Festival.

30 October - 22 November (Thursday-Saturday): Forever is Now at the Great Pyramids of Giza.

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