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Tuesday, 29 Oct 2024

What We're Tracking Today
Manufacturing
Capital Markets
Startup Watch
Debt Watch
Last Night’s Talk Shows
Egypt In The News
Also On Our Radar
Planet Finance
Going Green
Calendar

China’s BAIC is setting up an EV factory

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Today at a glance

1

Manufacturing

China’s BAIC group to set up EV factory in Egypt with local agent Alkan Auto.
2

Capital markets

KSA’s Adeer wants to set up a real estate fund in Egypt.
3

What We're Tracking Today

United Bank’s IPO roadshow next month?
4

DEBT WATCH

Telecom Egypt secures EGP 18 bn loan.
5

Startup watch

KSA’s Edafa Venture Capital acquires strategic stake in Egypt’s Taskedin.
6

What We're Tracking Today

Sole proprietorships could be allowed to go public soon.
7

What We're Tracking Today

Pharma sales saw a 50% y-o-y increase in 3Q 2024.
8

PLANET FINANCE

Boeing kicks off massive share sale to shore up troubled finances.
9

Going Green

Is Egypt on track toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

Tuesday, 29 Oct 2024

What We're Tracking Today
Manufacturing
Capital Markets
Startup Watch
Debt Watch
Last Night’s Talk Shows
Egypt In The News
Also On Our Radar
Planet Finance
Going Green
Calendar
1

What We're Tracking Today

United Bank’s IPO roadshow is taking place next month

Good morning, all. It’s a lighter news morning as we reach the final hump day of October.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Kouchouk strikes optimistic tone ahead of fourth IMF loan review: Speaking in a briefing yesterday, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said that while in Washington for the IMF and World Bank’s annual meetings he had expressed the government’s expectation that it would have “positive and constructive discussions” with the Fund during the fourth review of our loan program. The review — which if successfully passed will unlock USD 1.3 bn in funds — had been previously expected to commence after the IMF annual meetings wrapped up this past Saturday. We’re now waiting for IMF boss Kristalina Georgieva to land in Egypt “see for herself what is happening in the country” and possibly discuss program adjustments with government officials.

#2- United Bank’s IPO roadshow next month? CI Capital — the firm managing United Bank’s initial public offering — is planning to conduct a roadshow for the 30% stake of the lender going public next month, Al Borsa reports, citing unnamed sources. The promotional tour for the offering will cover several countries in the Gulf — including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait — to attract investors for the bank's private placement, which is set to account for around 25% of the bank’s total share capital, with the remaining 5% allocated to the public offering.

#3- Sole proprietorships could be allowed to go public soon: The EGX is considering allowing sole proprietorships to be listed and traded on the bourse without having to become joint-stock companies — a change that would require an amendment to the Capital Market Act, Al Borsa quotes EGX boss Ahmed El Sheikh as saying.

#4- There might be a new Emirati industrial zone coming to the new capital, with the Administrative Capital for Urban Developments (ACUD) set to ink an MoU with an unnamed company from the UAE for a 500-feddan project in the coming days, ACUD Chairman Khaled Abbas told CNBC Arabia.

A Turkish zone may also be in the cards: ACUD is also in negotiations with a Turkish company over a similar project, Abbas told Al Borsa.

And that’s not all: The company will offer more industrial land mid-2025 seeing as demand for land plots exceeded the 2k feddans initially offered, Abbas said.

Where does the company’s many times delayed IPO stand? “We are close to selecting a financial advisor to revaluate the company,” Abbas said, adding that based on the revaluation the company will decide between floating either the parent company or one of its subsidiaries.

ACUD’s current valuation? The company had a valuation of EGP 280 bn before the float and it is yet to be evaluated post float, he told Al Arabiya, adding that its current valuation could be around EGP 900 bn.

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DATA POINT-

Pharma sales saw a 50% y-o-y increase in 3Q 2024, to reach some EGP 60 bn, Al Arabiya reports, citing unnamed sources from the Federation of Egyptian Industries’ pharma division, who pointed to the increase in prices after pharma players were given the greenlight to hike prices by an average of 25%.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

#1- CEO Women Conference will kick off tomorrow in the capital: The CEO WomenConference will take place tomorrow under the theme The Future of Healthcare in Egypt. The conference will highlight women's role in healthcare, the global focus on public health, and the role of AI in healthcare. The event — which will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel — will also debut the Entrepreneur Zone, a platform that will allow female entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative projects, connect with investors, and build valuable partnerships.

#2- Attention, real estate players: The Decision Makers Conference will kick off tomorrow, bringing together 500 attendees and over 30 speakers to discuss the country’s real estate sector. The conference will host sessions on urban development strategies, attracting foreign investment, and the current challenges and promises of Egypt's real estate industry with input from leading public and private sector players.

PSA-

WEATHER- It’s another cool day in Cairo, with a high of 27°C and a low of 18°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It’s more or less the same in Alexandria, with a high of 25°C and a low of 19°C.

** DID YOU KNOW that we now cover Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

** Were you forwarded this email? Tap or click here to get your own copy delivered every weekday before 7am Cairo time — without charge.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

#1- We just got some more details on the UN’s World Urban Forum, set to take place in Cairo from 4-8 November: The forum — expected to draw around 20k participants from 185 nations — will focus on “localizing the sustainable development goals” under the theme It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities.

What to expect: The forum will include 31 sessions, 27 of which will see Egyptian officials participate, according to a statement. The sessions on Egypt will focus on national project financing and future investment opportunities, while the forum’s exhibition will provide government agencies and real estate developers space to inform visitors about ongoing and upcoming projects.

Registration for the event is available on the forum’s website.

#2- Africa’s top auto aftermarket and feeder industries exhibition is coming to town: The capital will host Autotech 2024, “he premier hub that brings together the biggest industry professionals in the automotive aftermarket and feeding industries,” on 17-19 November and welcome over 9k attendees and over 300 exhibiting companies. The event is also being billed as a chance to network with others in the sector, hold B2B meetings, and see leading figures in the industry speak. Check out the conference’s agenda and find the link to register on the event’s official website.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s a busy morning in the foreign press today, as the situation in Gaza looks increasingly dire and the US elections race continues to heat up.

Israel has moved to ban UNRWA from the country, effectively barring humanitarian aid from the largest aid provider to Gaza and the Palestinians. Several countries — including Germany, the UK, and Belgium — condemned the move. (The Guardian | CNN | Reuters | AP)

Uncertainty over the prospects of a ceasefire continues: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is open to a short truce in Gaza if they could agree on a small hostage swap agreement, though he also denied having received a proposal from Egypt, saying if he had, he would have accepted it on the spot. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi had said a day earlier that he had proposed a two-day ceasefire to exchange hostages, ahead of a 10-day stretch of negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. (Bloomberg | Reuters)

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is pledging to strike more peace agreements with Arab countries in the “day after” the war, Reuters reports.

The situation on the ground: Palestine’s emergency services have warned of 100k Palestinians trapped in Jabalia without food or medical supplies, while in Lebanon, at least 60 were killed in the eastern Bekaa valley yesterday.

The Donald is appealing to religious voters in swing state Georgia as early votes kick off, while Kamala Harris doubled down on her criticism of Trump following a rally of his that saw speakers make racist remarks against Puerto Rico. (Reuters)

IN BUSINESS NEWS- Rivalry between Big Tech heats up: Microsoft is accusing Google of backing a lobbying group designed to undermine its position with competition authorities and that it runs shadow campaigns against Microsoft, while the coalition — the Open Cloud Coalition — claimed it was focused on openness in cloud services, and Google claimed Microsoft is engaging in anti-competitive practices. (Financial Times)

*** It’s Going Green day — your weekly briefing of all things green in Egypt: Enterprise’s green economy vertical focuses each Tuesday on the business of renewable energy and sustainable practices in Egypt, everything from solar and wind energy through to water, waste management, sustainable building practices and how you can make your business greener, whatever the sector.

In today’s issue, we take a look at Egypt’s progress toward achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals — with a particular focus on those that relate to sustainability and the environment.

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Somabay, every reason to fall in love.

2

Manufacturing

China’s BAIC group to set up EV factory in Egypt with local agent Alkan Auto

Another Chinese auto factory in the works: China’s state-owned auto manufacturer BAIC Group has inked an agreement with local agent Alkan Auto to establish an EV factory with the start of production penciled in for the end of 2025, according to a statement from the Industry Ministry. The factory will initially have an annual production capacity of 20k vehicles, which will be ramped up to 50k units by the end of its fifth year of production.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Remember: The Madbouly government has been working to localize the auto industry, introducing the Egyptian Automotive Industry Development Program in 2022, which will offer incentives to auto players with the aim of localizing the industry and its feeder industries in efforts to enhance the country’s existing assembly and manufacturing capabilities — and encouraging new investment to the sector.

Localization and upping exports are part of the game plan: The cars from the factory are set to be sold locally and exported to Middle Eastern and African markets. The company is also planning to gradually increase the factory’s local component ratio from 48% to 58% over an unspecified time frame. The factory will create 1.2k jobs.

Déjà vu? We first heard about the project in September from unconfirmed local media reports, claiming that the two companies were in talks about the project.

It originally looked like BAIC was set to partner with Al Nasr on an EV project: We heard that BAIC inked a MoU with the state-owned Al Nasr Automotive to produce EVs locally back in June 2022, but we never got any confirmation that final contracts were signed.

This is far from the only Chinese auto factory in the pipeline: In September, we heard from unconfirmed reports that Chinese auto giant BYD through its local agent was negotiating to produce two new models locally. In the same month, we also heard that Dayun Guangzhou — whose motorized tricycles and motorcycles are familiar sights on Egyptian roads — also wants to expand its range of vehicles assembled here to also include passenger cars, light transport vehicles, and trucks. Also Kasrawy Group is reportedly looking to begin locally assembling Chinese Jetour and Jac car models.

** In this week's Inside Industry, we looked at the challenges facing automakers in Egypt in the push to localize the industry. Check out the story here.

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3

Capital markets

KSA’s Adeer wants to set up a real estate fund in Egypt

Adeer wants to set up an Egyptian real estate fund: Saudi Sumou Holding Group subsidiary Adeer plans to set up an Egyptian real estate investment fund in partnership with Saudi fund manager Areeb Capital, Adeer CEO Basel El Serafy told Al Borsa. The fund will invest in residential, commercial, and administrative units.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Where things stand: The two companies have started on the procedures for setting up the fund — Areeb Capital will act as the financial partner and manage any real estate funds set up by Adeer. The Sumou subsidiary is in talks with the Financial Regulatory Authority and the EGX over the legislative amendments needed to facilitate the process of setting up real estate funds in the country.

We already have another real estate fund in the making: Last month, it was reported that a consortium including Redcon Properties, Al Baraka Bank, and other institutions has plans to set up a local real estate investment fund with initial investments of over EGP 1 bn. The fund is expected to launch at the end of 2025.

Adeer is no stranger to the local market. The company in July announced that it is working with local real estate player Paragon Developments to build a mixed-use development in the eastern part of Cairo. This came shortly after it inked an agreement with our friends at Hassan Allam Properties to develop a mixed-use development in the east of Cairo with an initial investment of USD 100-150 mn and partnered with local developer Melee Development to develop three clubs in Saudi Arabia, with investments totalling SAR 1 bn.

More to come: El Serafy previously told Asharq Business that the company plans to invest USD 400 mn in the Egyptian real estate sector over the next five years. Adeer is also in the process of establishing several subsidiaries — operating in development, marketing, and management — to expand its operations in Egypt’s real estate market, he added to Al Borsa.

Listing on the EGX? Adeer wants to offer a number of its shares on the EGX in five year’s time, El Serafy said, adding that the company also wants to list some of its subsidiaries on either the main market or the small-cap Nilex over the coming 3-5 years.

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4

Startup watch

KSA’s Edafa Venture Capital acquires strategic stake in Egypt’s Taskedin

GCC VCs still have an appetite for Egyptian startups: Egyptian task management and digital workspace startup Taskedin sold a “strategic stake” to Saudi VC firm Edafa Venture Capital in a USD seven-figure transaction, the firm announced. Details about the size and the exact cost of the stake are yet to emerge.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Slack, but make it Egyptian: The tech startup offers a digital workspace and task management platform through an app that promises to help keep down costs and push up productivity. The app offers virtual meetings, attendance tracking, payment transfer services, AI chatbots, collaborative checklists, project organization, and more. You can check out the rundown of services offered by the startups on its YouTube channel (watch, runtime: 8:38).

The app also has one feature that makes it particularly attractive in the region: Unlike its big international competitors, Taskedin has the option of having its application be in either Arabic or English — potentially filling an important gap in the market.

What’s the money for? The fresh funds will help Taskein expand into the GCC — with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia — and to other countries further afield, according to the VC

More Egyptian-bound investment from Edafa in the pipeline? Edafa described the acquisition as part of its plan to expand in the Egyptian market. Edafa wants to invest some SAR 50 mn in Egypt in 2025, through the purchase of stakes between 10-60% in 25 tech startups, Edafa CEO Essam Ali told Al Borsa. The VC will also be providing the startups with technical support, helping them expand.

The firm also signaled its intention to expand elsewhere in the region, with plans to open branches in Bahrain, Kenya, and Qatar.

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5

DEBT WATCH

Telecom Egypt secures EGP 18 bn loan

Telecom Egypt secured EGP 18 bn, seven-year syndicate loan to refinance its existing short-term facilities, according to a statement. CIB, Banque Misr, and the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) led the syndicate of 13 banks. “The funds will help the telecom provider “improve its cash flow, ensure adequate liquidity, and enhance financial flexibility as the company executes its long-term growth plans,” according to the statement.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The breakdown: CIB and Banque Misr are providing some EGP 4.9 bn each, while NBE is providing EGP 2.5 bn, according to a separate statement (pdf). All three banks are lead arrangers and bookrunners.

What they said: “We are confident that our ongoing debt restructuring program, which we initiated last May—coupled with our focused efforts to optimize CapEx allocation—positions us well to further enhance our financial position, capitalize on future opportunities, and continue to deliver value to our shareholders,” Telecom Egypt’s CEO Mohamed Nasr said.

Remember: We first heard about these loan negotiations back in July, with unnamed sources telling local outlets that the funds — at that time expected to be secured in August — would be divided into an EGP 12 bn tranche earmarked for paying off the company’s short-term credit facilities and a second tranche that would fund operations and network development.

Advisors: Zaki Hashem was legal advisor to the lenders, while Adsero Ragy Soliman & Partners served as TE’s legal advisor.

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6

LAST NIGHT’S TALK SHOWS

Turkish ambassador discusses the state of Egypt-Turkey relations

A closer look at Egypt-Turkey relations: Ala Mas’ouleety’s Ahmed Moussa hosted Turkish ambassador to Egypt Salih Mutlu Sen to discuss trade relations and regional tensions. Turkey wants to increase trade with Egypt to USD 9 bn by the end of this year, the ambassador said (watch, runtime: 4:31). The countries’ geographic proximity coupled with reduced tariffs will help boost trade relations, he noted, adding that trade between the two countries could reach USD 50 bn in 50 years and up to USD 100 bn in 100 years.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Turkey supports Egypt’s role in the Gaza ceasefire talks: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has taken direct action in the war on Gaza through Egypt’s current push for a ceasefire, Sen told Moussa. He expressed Turkey’s hope that the ceasefire agreement would go through while simultaneously stressing that its terms must include a commitment to allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza in order to address the current food shortage (watch, runtime: 2:12).

Turkey is also in favor of prosecuting those leading Israel’s war, Sen continued, saying that Turkey has already begun calling on international organizations to prosecute those leading Israel’s war on Gaza in international courts (watch, runtime: 7:28).

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7

EGYPT IN THE NEWS

Egypt’s 2011 revolution makes its off-broadway debut

A new play pulls the 2011 revolution back in the limelight: The New York Times is out with a review of the musical We Live in Cairo, which centers around a group of six friends navigating the turmoil of Egypt’s 2011 revolution. The show is now being staged at New York Theater Workshop.

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8

Also on our Radar

Beni Suef, Sharqia are getting EGP 4.8 bn worth of projects

INVESTMENT-

#1- ITDA inks EGP 4.8 bn contracts for three projects: The Supply Ministry’s Internal Trade Development Authority (ITDA) inked two contracts with Emaar and one with Cello that will see a total of EGP 4.8 bn invested in three new projects in Beni Suef and Sharqia, set to be completed within two years, according to a statement.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Emaar is set to pump EGP 4.2 bn into the two Beni Suef developments,the first development will span 47 feddans with some EGP 3.8 bn in investments, and will include retail, commercial, and logistics facilities, according to Al Borsa. The second project, a commercial area, will be built on a 2.4k sqm plot with EGP 400 mn in investments.

Cello will be pouring EGP 600 mn into the third project, which will see a commercial area developed on four feddans in Sharqia.

PLUS- ITDA also signed an agreement with the Center of Data Analytics & Consultancy to help ITDA develop its work systems.

ITDA to offer additional plots to investors. The Authority plans within the next six months to offer investors new land plots across Egypt’s governorates to set up commercial areas and markets, Asharq Business quotes authority head Heba El Sayed as saying.

#2- El Sisi talks investment with Dutch PM: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof over mutual investment opportunities in a number of fields, including agriculture, water management, industry, and green hydrogen production, according to an Ittihadiya statement.

ENERGY-

El Sisi talks gas production with Eni CEO: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with Italian energy giant Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi to discuss joint efforts to support Egypt’s natural gas production, according to statements from Ittihadiya and Eni. El Sisi emphasized Egypt’s commitment to improving the investment climate in the country, with Descalzi affirming Eni’s commitment to growing in its role as one of Egypt’s largest energy players.

Remember: Eni is set to resume drilling at the Zohr gas field in December of this year, Oil Minister Karim Badawi said last week. The government aims to increase production at the gas field — Egypt’s largest and the Mediterranean's largest-ever find — by 220 mn cubic feet per day through the drilling.

COMMODITIES-

Where is our delayed wheat shipment? Egypt will start receiving its delayed shipment of 430k tons of Russian wheat in November, Supply Minister Sherif Farouk told Bloomberg, rebutting earlier reports from Bloomberg about the shipment potentially not moving forward. The minister provided no details on the reason behind the delay. The shipment was initially supposed to be delivered in October or by the first week of November at the latest.

REAL ESTATE-

#1- Real estate developer Madinet Masr recorded EGP 36.7 bn in sales across 4k units sold — more than double the figure recorded during the same period last year — across projects during the first nine months of the year, it said in a statement(pdf). The developer attributed its performance to a string of successful launches, including new phases in Taj City, Sarai, and The Butterfly in Mostakbal City.

#2- Mountain View launches new west Cairo project: Real estate developer Mountain View has launched a new 715-feddan project — dubbed Kingsway — in Sixth of October alongside Kings Polo, the company said in a press release (pdf). The project will include polo and equestrian fields, as well as over 2k villas, with open spaces and lakes making up 80% of the area.

INFRASTRUCTURE-

SWDC to take over the construction of the SCZone’s Kemet Data Center: Intro Holding subsidiary Intro Technology signed an MoU with Sterling and Wilson Data Center (SWDC) to construct and manage the Kemet Data Center in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), according to a company statement (pdf). Data center engineering leader SWDC will act as the project’s EPC contractor, overseeing design, budgeting, timeline management, and systems testing and accreditation. The firm will also maintain the facility for 3-5 years after the project’s completion.

Remember:Earlier this month, Intro Technology inked an MoU with Omani data center leaderOman Data Park to set up the Kemet Data Center with USD 450 mn in investments.

M&A-

EgyFert welcomes new shareholder: Nas Investment Holding acquired a 32.4% stake in EgyFert, purchasing 3.1 mn of phosphate exporting company MidFert Misr ’s shares in the fertilizers producer, according to two separate EGX disclosure. Nas paid EGP 60 per share, putting the transaction value at some EGP 186.6 mn. The transaction leaves MidFert with a 0.1% stake in EgyFert.

DEVELOPMENT FINANCE-

GIZ invites poultry producers to apply for more grants: The German development agency GIZ is launching the second phase of funding for small poultry producers in Egypt, inviting companies to submit their proposals ahead of GIZ’s next review in November, Poultry Producers Union deputy head Tharwat El Zeiny told Al Borsa.

The details: GIZ is looking to provide some USD 330k in funds to around 30 poultry producers as part of the second round — a significant bump up from the USD 176k offered to 16 companies in the first phase of the program, according to Al Borsa. The funds aim to boost productivity and job creation in the sector, in line with the agency’s broader efforts to support SMEs.

EARNINGS-

Alexandria Mineral Oils Company (AMOC) reported a net income of EGP 479 mn during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, up 13.7% y-o-y, according to a disclosure to the EGX (pdf). The company saw its revenues rise 26.1% y-o-y during the quarter to EGP 8.9 bn.

ALSO WORTH NOTING-

#1- Suez Canal Bank launched the Daily Cash Account, which offers daily interest rates up to 23% annually. The EGP account does not require a minimum balance.

#2- Emirati fintech platform NymCard is working to roll out remittance services for Egyptian expats.

#3- Local funeral services startup Sokna is looking into stepping into six new markets over the coming period.

#4- Online furniture marketplace Homzmart and Misr Amreya have signed a strategic agreement in an effort to boost the local textile industry and support Egyptian exports, according to a statement (pdf).

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9

PLANET FINANCE

Boeing kicks off massive share sale as it looks to dodge junk credit rating

Boeing is planning a USD 19 bn share sale that will see the embattled planemaker offering up 90 mn ordinary shares and USD 5 bn in depositary shares, the company said yesterday in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering — which could land Boeing up to USD 21.8 bn in proceeds when factoring potential over allotments — comes as it looks to shore up liquidity and prevent its credit rating from descending to junk status, Bloomberg reports.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background and outside sources.)

The proceeds of the share sale will go towards general corporate purposes, “which may include, among other things, repayment of debt, additions to working capital, capital expenditures, and funding and investments in our subsidiaries,” the aerospace giant said in its filing. Boeing will likely funnel some of the fresh funds towards restarting and scaling production once an agreement is hammered out to end an ongoing worker walkout.

Market reaction: The company’s shares closed down 2.8% yesterday at USD 150.69 apiece.

REFRESHER- Boeing unveiled plans earlier this month to raise up to USD 25 bn through stock and debt offerings and another USD 10 bn in credit from major lenders as it struggles to maintain its credit rating with USD 11.5 bn in company-owed debt maturing through 1 February 2026. The present crisis marks the first time that the planemaker has found itself at risk of losing its investment-grade credit rating.

Boeing has had a rough time of it as of late: The company reported USD 6 bn in third quarter losses last week, putting its losses so far this year at some USD 8 bn, with CFO Brian West painting a bleak picture for the firm’s freecash flows well into next year. A six week-long walkout by machinists has halted production at several of the aircraft maker’s production lines, including those for “cashcow” 737 Max aircraft. The strike is estimated to cost Boeing up to USD 1 bn per month and negotiations with the 33k striking workers hit a deadlock over pensions last week.

The aircraft maker is also grappling with the fallout from a string of recent safety failures, beginning with a mid-air panel blow out on a Boeing aircraft in January that pushed the US Federal Aviation Administration to put in place a production cap on the 737 Max line. This was followed by whistleblower claims that the aircraft maker is not adhering to safety guidelines at its production plants.

ADVISORS- Boeing tapped Goldman Sachs, BofA Securities, Citigroup and JP Morgan as lead joint bookrunning managers on the offering, while Wells Fargo Securities, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank Securities, Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, RBC Capital Markets and SMBC Nikko are acting have stepped in as joint bookrunning managers.

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Asia-Pacific markets are off to a good start this morning, with most indexes in the green in early trading. Japan’s Nikkei extended yesterday’s gains, while the Hang Seng Index and mainland China’s Shanghai Composite are also up. Korea’s Kospi index is down slightly.

It’s a different view over on Wall Street, where US futures are all in the red despite the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all closing up yesterday.

EGX30

30,774

-0.1% (YTD: +23.6%)

USD (CBE)

Buy 48.63

Sell 48.76

USD (CIB)

Buy 48.64

Sell 48.74

Interest rates (CBE)

27.25% deposit

28.25% lending

Tadawul

12,053

-0.1% (YTD: +0.7%)

ADX

9,308

+1.1% (YTD: -2.8%)

DFM

4,537

+1.3% (YTD: +11.8%)

S&P 500

5,824

+0.3% (YTD: +22.1%)

FTSE 100

8,286

+0.5% (YTD: +7.1%)

Euro Stoxx 50

4,970

+0.5% (YTD: +9.9%)

Brent crude

USD 71.42

-6.1%

Natural gas (Nymex)

USD 2.26

-2.2%

Gold

USD 2,753

-0.1%

BTC

USD 69,908

+2.9% (YTD: +65.6%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The EGX30 fell 0.1% at yesterday’s close on turnover of EGP 4.7 bn (13.2% above the 90-day average). International investors were the sole net sellers. The index is up 23.6% YTD.

In the green: Credit Agricole Egypt (+4.4%), Ezz Steel (+3.9%), and B Investments Holding (+1.6%).

In the red: Juhayna (-2.6%), AMOC (-2.2%), and Telecom Egypt (-2.1%).

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Our weekly deep dive into the green economy and ESG issue in Egypt.

Published every Tuesday in EnterpriseAM.

Read going Green
10

Going Green

Is Egypt on track toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

Our SDG progress was a mixed bag in 2024: While Egypt has made progress on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), significant work remains to reach the country’s 2030 targets, according to the UN’s recently published Sustainable Development Report 2024 (pdf). The report notes advancements in Egypt’s clean energy initiatives, but many climate-related and social goals are still behind schedule — in line with global and regional trends.

(Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

What are the SDGs? The SDGs are a universal framework adopted by the UN in 2015 aimed at tackling 17 interconnected goals that cover environmental, economic, and social issues. Each goal has specific targets and indicators, with countries evaluated on their progress in areas like poverty reduction, clean energy, and sustainable infrastructure.

About the SDG scoring system: Depending on how countries score out of 100 in each SDG — which is broken down into several indicators — the country receives either a red (major challenges remain), orange (significant challenges remain), yellow (challenges remain), or green (SDG achieved) scores. The trend directions for each country are also broken down into colored indicators, with red signifying a decrease in progress, orange indicating stagnation, yellow reflecting moderate improvement, and green denoting that the country is on track or maintaining the SDG achievement.

Egypt is more or less on the right track: Egypt’s SDG achievement ranking saw a slight downtick this year, with modest improvements in some areas and setbacks in others. The country’s overall score came at 69.2 in 2024, down slightly from 69.6 last year, placing it in 83rd place out of the 167 countries researched in the report. However, this ranking places Egypt above the average regional score of 65.6 and ahead of all MENA countries except Tunisia, Morocco, the UAE, and Algeria.

Five of the goals are directly related to the environment — SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 15 (life on land). In terms of trends, the country scored orange on affordable and clean energy — meaning that significant challenges remain. It scored red — indicating major challenges — on the life below water, life on land, and sustainable cities SDGs. On a more positive note, Egypt received a yellow score on climate action, with indications that the country is making moderate progress on getting the climate action SDG on track.

The report noted that there are significant challenges remaining on the affordable and clean energy goal, particularly due stagnating carbon emissions levels and no improvements to clean energy’s share of the nation’s power mix. For climate action, the report notes that Egypt’s progress on reducing carbon emissions to an extent that would get them on track to meet the SDGs has stalled.

What we’re doing on that front: The Madbouly government has a plant to reduce COs emissions by 17 mn tons a year through the closure and decommission of 5 GW of gas-fired power plants by 2025.

The government has been working to push clean energy and climate solutions through a slew of projects and initiatives aimed at integrating more clean energy into the national grid, reducing emissions, and encouraging private investments in green projects. We’ve seen the government lay out a comprehensive plan to add 28 GW of renewable energy to the country’s energy mix over the next five to seven years and see 3-4 GW-worth of renewable projects go live and start feeding the national grid by next summer. Meanwhile, the national low carbon hydrogen strategy maps out how the country can achieve ambitious goals to potentially capture between 5-8% of the global clean hydrogen market by 2040.

That’s not all: Egypt’s and Africa’s first voluntary carbon market launched over the summer, and the Financial Regulatory Authority has begun listing new carbon reduction projects since last month. The government sees renewables making up 18.6% of Egypt’s total energy mix by FY 2026-27, up from 11.5% last fiscal year and 13.8% forecasted for this fiscal year, aiming for renewables to make up 42% of the energy mix by 2030.

But we’re lagging behind on the sustainable cities front: Egypt’s cities failed to meet the SDG targets — which evaluate cities’ and other communities’ safety, inclusivity, and sustainability — meriting a red score. The report noted in particular stagnant progress on combatting pollution and enabling public transport access across the country.

Remember: Egypt’s air was deemed among the most polluted in the world last year according to the IQAir’s World Air Quality Report 2023, which said that the country’s average PM2.5 concentration reached a record 42.4 — 8.5 times the World Health Organization’s annual air quality guidelines. The new Madbouly cabinet has set its sights on bringing down pollution levels, with plans to set up more monitoring systems for air and noise pollution and solutions for waste funneling toward the Nile and other bodies of water.

Life on and off of land is also not making the SDG cut, according to the report. The life below water SDG — for which Egypt received a red rating — places priority on sustainable management of fish stocks, water pollution levels, and marine biodiversity protection, with Egypt seeing downward progress on ocean pollution and fish stock overexploitation. Egypt’s life on land SDG score — also red — saw the country’s already low score for land protection stagnate, with only 38.8% of terrestrial sites important to biodiversity protected as of 2023.

HOW DOES EGYPT STACK UP TO THE REST OF THE REGION?

Egypt’s SDG progress reflects common challenges across the MENA region: Many of our neighbors face substantial hurdles on environmental SDGs — notably in affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities, life below water, and life on land, where overwhelmingly red and orange scores indicate significant challenges.

The silver lining to a somewhat dour regional outlook is that when considered alongside neighboring countries, Egypt is doing pretty well in a couple of key categories. Our renewable energy expansion has earned us a higher rating on affordable and clean energy than every country in the region except Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and the UAE, which are on par with orange ratings. Our yellow climate action rating also places us on par with countries like Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, and above Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar — all of which received red ratings.

How Egypt and MENA compare globally: Globally, Egypt and other MENA countries are working to close the gap on key SDGs, yet they still trail behind regions like Northern Europe and East Asia. The 2024 SDG Index reveals that Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Denmark continue to lead in SDG achievement.

Your top green economy stories for the week:

  • Plstka to expand operations to five additional governorates: Cleantech startup Plstka intends to expand its operations into Gharbia, Dakahlia, Alexandria, Minya, and Assiut by 2025. (Al Mal)
  • Egypt launches factory to turn recycled banana fibers into cardboard boxes: A factory under the Military Production Ministry will turn recycled banana fibers into cardboard boxes that Papyrus Australia will then buy and sell to both locally and internationally. (Statement)
  • Ikarus Electric is planning on spending at least EGP 430 mn to set up EV charging stations with 600 fast chargers planned to be built by 2031. (Al Mal)
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CALENDAR

2024

OCTOBER

30 October (Wednesday): The CEO Women Conference, Cairo, Egypt.

30 October (Wednesday): Decision Makers Conference, Cairo, Egypt.

NOVEMBER

2-3 November (Saturday-Sunday): The Iraq Investment Forum.

4-8 November (Monday-Friday): World Urban Forum, Cairo, Egypt.

7-9 November (Thursday-Saturday): FinExpo Conference and Exhibition, Cairo.

8-9 November (Friday-Saturday): Carerha Summit 2024, Cairo, Egypt.

10-12 November (Sunday-Tuesday): Falak Startups’ Fund Manager Masterclass, Cairo, Egypt.

12-15 November (Tuesday-Friday): Arab African Investment and International Cooperation Summit, Aswan, Egypt.

17-19 November (Sunday-Tuesday): Autotech Exhibition for Automotive Aftermarket & Feeder Industries, Cairo, Egypt.

21 November (Thursday): Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

25-27 November (Monday-Wednesday): Annual Digital Nation Conference, Cairo, Egypt.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Egypt Energy Show, Cairo, Egypt.

28-30 November (Thursday-Wednesday): Cairo International Wood and Wood Machinery Show, Cairo, Egypt

30 November (Saturday): Deadline to apply for renewable energy projects under the peer-to-peer (P2P) system.

DECEMBER

16-17 December (Monday-Tuesday): Mining World Conference 2024, London, UK.

26 December (Thursday): Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2H 2024: Gov’t to launch the Cairo Ring Road BRT buses.

3Q 2024: Egyptian-Armenian Joint Committee.

First week of November: Egypt-Turkey high-level trade consultation mechanism.

November 2024: Egypt to host the World Urban Forum (WUF12).

End of 2024: The launch of the high-speed train line linking Ain Sokhna with Al Alamein City.

2025

7-10 April 2025 (Monday-Thursday) : EFG Hermes One on One conference, Dubai, UAE.

May 2025: Egyptian Exporters Association (Expolink) exhibition, Italy.

July 2025: The first operational trail of Egypt-KSA electricity interconnection line.

March 2025: Operation of phase one of the Amotope wind farm

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2Q 2025: Safaga Terminal 2 to start operations.

Mid-2025: The Administrative Capital for Urban Developments to roll out the second phase of offering industrial plots to investors.

2027

20 January-7 February: Egypt to host the African Games

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

End of 2027: Trial operations at the Dabaa nuclear power plant expected to take place.

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