Good afternoon, all. It is a relatively quiet day in local business news as we enjoy the last of the August news slowdown.
THE BIG STORY TODAY-
More Japanese schools to come: The government has plans to expand the network of Japanese schools in the country to 1.7k by the end of the fiscal year 2026-2027, according to a statement. There are also plans to set up 62 Japanese technological and vocational schools by then.
Japanese schools are no stranger to the local market, with the Education Ministry rolling out Egyptian-Japanese schools across the country over the past few years as part of a partnership with Japan. We dove deeper into the topic in a Blackboard published in 2022.
THE BIG STORY ABROAD-
No single story is leading the conversation in the international press this afternoon: Bloomberg is out with its poll on the Israeli central bank’s next move when it meets this afternoon, while the Financial Times is looking at China’s plan to take USD bns of bonds to market this year and what this could mean for its treasury market. CNBC remains hyperfixed on Canada’s decision to impose 100% import tariffs on Chinese EVs, which one journalist called a shot in the foot.
Get Enterprise daily
The roundup of news and trends that move your markets and shape corporate agendas delivered straight to your inbox.
** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:
A mega phosphoric acid plant in the works set to give the local fertilizer industry a boost: A local consortium led by Abu Tartour For Phosphoric Acid will set up a USD 1.2 bn phosphoric acid production plant.
Indian investments incoming? Head of the Trade Ministry’s Commercial Representation Authority Yehia El Wathek Bellah held a series of meetings with representatives from major Indian companies to discuss potential investments in Egypt.
That’s a wrap on Africa’s largest tech merger: Egyptian B2B e-commerce platform MaxAB and Kenya-based Wasoko have completed the largest tech merger the continent has ever seen.
☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- The mercury is peaking in Cairo tomorrow at 36°C before simmering to a low of 25°C by nightfall, according to our favorite weather app. It’s a little cooler in Sahel and Alexandria, with highs of 31-33°C and lows of 24-25°C.
Space is going private. Three years ago entrepreneur Jared Isaacman conducted the first space mission without a professional astronaut on board. This time, the bn’aire has his sights set on launching the first commercial spacewalk tour, named Polaris Dawn, into orbit. The voyage, initially planned to launch today but postponed due to unsuitable weather conditions, will be taking three privately trained astronauts into space.
This could be a milestone for the commercial space sector, but private missions are no strangers to space. NASA has been known to look to private companies like SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for space shuttle manufacturing and other space endeavors — as evidenced by SpaceX undertaking the rescue of two stranded astronauts on behalf of NASA. Now that space is no longer monopolized by the US government agency, private companies have the technology, resources, and clearance to revolutionize space travel.
But it’s not all fun and games. The Polaris Dawn crew has missions of its own, the first of which is to test the SpaceX spacesuit. If proven safe, the crew may attempt to solve a USD 10+ mn problem for NASA by raising the altitude of the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope, launched in 1990, has been inching closer to Earth, putting it at risk of being pulled in by the planet’s gravitational pull and burning up in the atmosphere.
You’re not alone in thinking that this would make for a compelling disaster film. Some NASA employees fear that the agency is giving up more and more of its stronghold over space for little in return. Without governmental oversight, the missions are becoming more dangerous and less reliable, threatening the reputation of NASA for enabling them. The Polaris Dawn crew have no sanctioned training, meaning that damage to the telescope is a not-too-distant probability, as is the endangerment of the crew’s lives.
How do you stay a family when one parent is behind bars?Daughters, winner of the Festival Favorite award at Sundance 2024, follows four girls as they prepare for a father-daughter dance taking place in a US prison.
Directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae don’t treat this event as a spectacle — they give it its due as a profound examination of the emotional struggles faced by these families. This event allows the fathers, who are often only given the chance to communicate with their families through video calls or from behind plexiglass barriers, a chance to spend time with their daughters in the flesh. We see these incarcerated men prepare for the dance, alongside footage of their daughters’ lives as they deal with the absence of their parent.
The film looks to the future, not the past. Rather than dwell on the reasons the fathers landed in prison, Daughters shows their efforts to connect with their children, and focuses on the effects of the transformational offer to do so. It gives the viewer space to challenge their ideas about incarceration and the effectiveness of a punitive system that often neglects the rehabilitative and emotional needs of both prisoners and their families.
In its final act, Daughters reflects on the longer-term impact of the dance, tracking the families’ lives over the next few years. The results are mixed, ranging from hopeful to deeply sorrowful, prompting a critical examination of whether the current system serves justice or merely perpetuates suffering.
WHERE TO WATCH- You can watch the series on Netflix or watch the trailer (runtime: 2:47).
Related
⚽ La Liga’s third gameweek is still in full swing, with four matches lined up tonight before the final whistle blows tomorrow with the showdown between Real Madrid and Girona.
Valladolid vs. Leganes (8:00 pm).
Athletic Club vs. Valencia (8:00 pm).
Atletico Madrid vs. Espanyol (10:30 pm).
Real Sociedad vs. Alaves (10:30 pm).
Related
☕EAT THIS TONIGHT-
Karak Boy brews up a bold new caffeine adventure. If you’ve been clinging to your morning cappuccinos but are ready to switch up your routine, Karak Boy is here to gently guide you into a more cultured caffeine experience.
What is Karak? Karak is a strong, aromatic black tea that originates in South Asia, brewed with bold spices including cardamom and cloves, and mixed with milk for a creamy, balanced flavor.
Karak Boy excels at crafting the quintessential South Asian delight, available all day, everyday. Their menu offers three distinct flavors of the tea: the classic cardamom, a spicy ginger, and a luxurious saffron. The original and saffron variations are clear fan favorites, offering rich, comforting flavors that are hard to beat. The ginger karak, while not as universally adored, may appeal to those who love a zesty kick or are looking for a detox option.
But Karak Boy isn’t just about stellar tea, their menu also features a selection of Indian comfort foods. Enjoy freshly made flatbreads like chapati and paratha, stuffed with either falafel and veggies for breakfast, or butter chicken for lunch.
When it comes to dessert, you’re in for a treat with their milk cakes. The saffron milk cake stands out with its delicate and aromatic flavor, while the plain classic and the trendy pistachio offer a delicious finish to your meal.
WHERE TO FIND THEM- Karak Boy is open in New Cairo — their 24/7 branch — Zayed, Dokki and Maadi, open from 7:30 am to 12:00 am. That also means they only deliver to these areas. You can place your order either through their online website or through Talabat and El Menus.
Related
🎤 OUT AND ABOUT-(all times CLT)
Immerse yourself in Omar Khairat’s musical mastery. The musician will be taking the stage alongside the Cairo Opera Orchestra as part of the 32nd International Citadel Festival for Music and Singing. The event will take place tonight at 8pm, at the Mahka Theatre of Salah El Din Citadel. Grab your tickets here.
Don’t miss BUE Theatre Team’s Arees El Bahr play. The theater team has already performed at New Alamein and is now taking the show to Rawabet Art Space in Cairo on Friday and Saturday. The show starts at 8:00 pm. Secure your spot here.
This is the last week you’ll be able to fly through the sky on a paramotor.Sky Sports Egypt are offering a 15-minute bird’s eye view of Alamein in North Square until Friday, 30 August. Buy your tickets here.
None other than Wegz to close out the iconic new Alamein Festival. The concert will take place Friday, 30 August at 10pm at the U-Arena. You can grab your tickets here.
End Sahel season on a high note with Adriatique at AHM Club in Silversands, where you can dance the summer away, or what’s left of it. The event will take place on Saturday, 31 August, and you can get your tickets here.
HAPPENING LATER-
Komedy Koshk + Boom Room: Prepare for a Stand Up Comedy Night with Khaled Jwad, Paula Rizk, Mohamed Farghaly, Engy Hashem, and Abdoul in collaboration with Komedy Koshk at Boom Room at Madinaty’s Open Air Mall. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, 3 September at 9:00pm. Grab your tickets here.
And if you want to LOL but Madinaty is too far away, the High Five stand up comedy show with Abdelrahman Mohamed, Badr Nour Eldin, Gamal Ramzy, Fekry Tarek, and Pola Samwel is coming to Theatro Arkan in Sheikh Zayed on Friday, 6 September starting 8:00 pm. Book your spot for the show here.
Think you have what it takes to write a real page turner? Attend this Fiction Workshop withMai Serhan at Diwan Heliopolis and find out. The workshop will begin on Saturday, 14 September and sessions will take place every Saturday for six weeks. Book your spot here.
Mark your calendars for the 100 Years of Singing Concert with Ali El Haggar: The singer’s performance will honor the late Baligh Hamdi. The show will take place at Cairo Opera House’s mail hall on Friday, 13 September at 8:30pm. Secure your seat here.
Omar Khairat will return to the Cairo Opera House with two back-to-back performances accompanied by the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. He will take the stage on Monday, September 23 and Tuesday, September 24 at 8:30pm.
Prepare for the sixth edition of The Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon. Pick your race of choice and start training, because the marathon will take place on Saturday, 14 December. Note: The price to register is going to keep increasing. So sign up now through this link for the lowest price guarantee.
Related
💡 UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-
What does it mean to live communally? Find out in Group Living and Other Recipes by Lola Milholland, a vibrant memoir that blends personal narrative with cultural and environmental insights. Through a mix of anecdotes, recipes, and reflections, Milholland explores the dynamics of communal living and multicultural experiences, both things our author knows a thing or two about.
The book chronicles Milholland’s life growing up in a family deeply invested in eco-minded, communal living. Milholland’s life saw her jump around between the US — where she grew up — and Japan — where she studied, which pushed her into drawing comparisons between both cultures. Her writing also sees her examining her Filipino heritage and her friend’s Thai background, all which she does so effortlessly through metaphors linking cooking and community.
The target audience? The book will resonate most with readers who share Milholland’s values of environmental stewardship and communal living, serving as a reminder of the importance of connection and shared experience.
The EGX30 rose 1.1% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 4.6 bn (16.9% above the 90-day average). Local investors were net sellers. The index is up 23.4% YTD.
In the green: Ezz Steel (+11.5%), Eastern Company (+7.2%) and Palm Hills Developments (+6.4%).
In the red: Juhayna Food Industries (-3.4%), Fawry (-2.1%) and Heliopolis Company For Housing (-1.8%).
Egypt Edition 
UAE Edition 
Saudi Edition 
MENA <> India Corridor 
Logistics (MENA) 
Climate (MENA) 
Share Issue
