Gaza border crossing opens to injured Palestinians, foreign passport holders

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

Central Bank of Egypt expected to hold interest rates when it meets later today.

Good morning, friends. We’ve (nearly) slogged through a crazy week together. We hope you’re looking forward to sliding into the weekend as much as we are, but with an interest rate hike and a downgrade both likely in the cards, it’s unlikely there will be any rest for the wicked among us.

HAPPENING TODAY- It’s interest rate day: The Central Bank of Egypt is expected to leave interest rates unchanged when it meets today, according to a majority of the analysts we surveyed this week.

FYI- The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged yesterday — but is it done tightening? The Financial Times and Bloomberg have different interpretations of Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments in the post-meeting presser yesterday. We have more information in this morning’s Planet Finance, below.

HAPPENING TOMORROW- A third downgrade in the cards? Fitch Ratings will publish its review of our sovereign credit rating on Friday, 3 November. Moody’s and S&P Global Ratings both downgraded our rating deeper into junk territory in recent weeks due to our foreign-currency shortage and mounting debt problems.

WATCH THIS SPACE- Egypt is courting ADQ for more investment: The UAE will discuss “a broad plan” for investments in Egypt, said Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ chief and UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Alsuwaidi following meeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, according to a Cabinet statement released Tuesday.

Jordan is also looking for a little bit of love: The UAE’s Investment Ministry signed an MoU with Jordan to provide USD 2 bn for infrastructure and development projects in both countries, including renewables, manufacturing, transportation, and pharma, the Emirati state news agency WAM reports. It was also agreed that the ADQ set up a joint investment fund with Jordan Capital and Investment Fund.

DATA POINT- Lebanon: We have high real food inflation. Egypt: Hold my beer.Real food price inflation in Egypt was the highest globally in the three-month period between June to September, according to the World Bank’s latest food security update (pdf). The metric — a measure of food inflation minus overall inflation — came in at 36% y-o-y in September. Egypt also ranked fifth on the list of countries with highest nominal food inflation, which registered 74% last month. The report got ink in Bloomberg.

HELP SUPPORT GAZANS-

Want to support relief efforts in Gaza, but don’t know where to start? 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 charities we’re listing below are Egyptian organizations working on Gaza relief that we think you can trust if you want to make a donation.

#1- Egyptian Red Crescent Society is one of the nation’s leading providers of humanitarian and emergency medical services. The Egypt Red Crescent accepts donations in EGP online and is on Fawry with the service code 99981. You can also donate to the organization through this Banque du Caire account: 49/403/30 (EGP) or 1065/601/30 (USD — code: BCAIEGCX030).

#2- Egyptian Food Bank: The food bank has launched “Aid Gaza,” a hunger-relief campaign to supply essential food items to the people of Gaza. You can make an online donation through EFB’s website or the unified bank account number 888777 at every bank in Egypt. Do you live abroad? The EFB has a list of its verified accounts at major institutions (along with account numbers) here.

#3- The Mersal Foundation is a non-profit medical organization running medical aid convoys to Gaza. It is on Fawry using service code 9200 or you can donate through its EGP accounts at major national banks including CIB (100034654454), Banque Misr (5450001000003297), Emirates NBD (1019409332701), National Bank of Egypt (1953071376769426268), AAIB (1015996610010201), QNB (7352031181714268). The group lists other ways you can donate on its Facebook page.

#4- Lifemakers: The NGO, which has a record of providing medical, educational and social care services to Palestinians, has been helping to prepare aid convoys ahead of dispatch to deliver food, medical supplies, water, blankets, clothing, and other essentials to the besieged Gaza strip since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Donate through the foundation’s website or use Fawry code 950. Lifemakers also accepts donations for Gaza relief in EGP via CIB (account 100034226827) and NBE (0773070478998401017).

THE BIG STORIES ABROAD-

This morning, all eyes are on Rafah after Egypt opened the Rafah border for the first time since the conflict broke out in Gaza on 7 October, allowing in hundreds of foreign nationals and injured Gazans. We have more in this morning’s War Watch, below. (Associated Press | Reuters | Bloomberg | Financial Times | New York Times | Washington Post | Wall Street Journal | BBC)

The latest on ground: Israeli forces are continuing to push deeper into Gaza and are currently launching attacks close to the Al Quds Hospital in Tel Al Hawa, a neighborhood in southwest Gaza, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

Blinken is heading back to the region tomorrow: US State Secretary Anthony Blinken will arrive in Israel on Friday, before traveling to Jordan where he will discuss the need to deliver humanitarian assistance to those in Gaza. Blinken’s visit comes amid increased US pressure on Israel to minimize civilian casualties, and two days after Jordan recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv in protest at Israel’s war.

What is Hezbollah’s next move? We might get a better idea on Friday when its leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver his first public comments since the war started more than three weeks ago.

THE BIG BUSINESS STORY OF THE DAY- Major countries have come together to try to prevent the robots from turning us all into Clippy — but is it enough? Twenty-eight major countries have for the first time agreed on the need for the safe development of artificial intelligence and common regulations to rein in increasingly powerful large language models, the Financial Times reports.

Arab countries have signed the Bletchley Declaration: The declaration, signed at the first AI Safety Summit by countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the US, and China, is designed to prevent AI from having potentially “catastrophic” consequences for humanity. Ahead of the summit, Chinese AI scientists have called for tight controls such as implementing kill-switches in AI systems and requiring developers to spend 30% of their budget on safety measures.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

It’s the beginning of a new month. Among the news triggers to watch out for in the coming weeks:

PMI: S&P Global will publish its Egypt PMI figures for October on Sunday, 5 November;
Foreign reserves: The central bank will release October’s foreign reserves figures next week;
Inflation: Capmas and the CBE will publish the latest inflation data on Thursday, 9 November.

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

Egypt-Gaza border crossing opens to foreign nationals, injured Palestinians + Israel attacks Jabalia a second time

Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing yesterday for the first time since the beginning of the conflict on 7 October, allowing a limited number of foreign nationals and seriously wounded Palestinians to leave the enclave. Egyptian state broadcaster Al Qahera (watch, runtime: 5:05) reported last night that more than 360 foreigners crossed the border yesterday as well as 45 Palestinians with serious injuries. The Palestinians are receiving medical treatment in hospitals in North Sinai. About 6k foreigners have been stuck in Gaza since the conflict started more than three weeks ago.

More to follow? Under the Qatar-mediated agreement to open the crossing, 500 people were permitted to leave territory yesterday. Some 1k will cross daily starting today, according to the Financial Times, citing four people it says have knowledge of the matter.

A plea for Egypt to take in more: A spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry said Egypt has agreed to treat 81 Palestinians but said that hundreds of thousands need to leave the territory (watch, runtime: 6:25). The Gaza Health Ministry is selecting the most “dangerous and complex cases” to send to Egypt as there is no way to treat them in the strip.

Egypt is not taking in refugees: Egypt has vehemently rejected plans advanced by a number of Israeli officials to forcibly displace Gaza’s 2.3 mn population into the Sinai. In the government’s strongest statement yet, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly raised the prospect of a military confrontation with Israel if it tried to drive Gaza’s refugees across the border. The Israeli military has displaced an estimated 1.4 mn people over the past 25 days.

Time for plan B? A day after leaked Israeli proposals to resettle Palestinians in Egypt made global headlines, Bloomberg published an article detailing other post-war plans being discussed by Israeli and US officials. The two allies have discussed putting together a multinational force involving US troops on the ground should Israel defeat Hamas, as well as the idea of installing a UN administration, according to people the news outlet says have knowledge of the matter. The White House has distanced itself from the narrative, with spokesperson John Kirby saying that the US has no plans to place its troops in Gaza now or in the future.

Other proposals floated by former US policymakers imagine making Gaza the Arab world’s responsibility, with suggestions that Egypt, Morocco and the UAE could provide public security services on the ground “for a new civil administration” while Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Qatar provide reconstruction funding.

ON THE GROUND-

A second attack on Jabalia: The Israeli military launched its second assault on the Jabalia refugee camp in as many days yesterday in an attack they claimed killed another Hamas commander, according to Reuters.

More than 1k casualties: The two attacks on the city’s largest refugee camp killed at least 195 Palestinians and injured 777 others, while 120 are still missing under the rubble, Reuters writes, citing figures from local officials. The death toll from Tuesday’s airstrikes w as put at 133 earlier in the day by the medical director of the Indonesian hospital, where the victims are being treated.

Global outrage over the attacks continued yesterday, with Jordan pulling its ambassador from Israel and the UN suggesting the IDF may have committed a war crime.

Jordan has recalled its ambassador to Israeluntil Tel Aviv agrees to a ceasefire and ends the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel’s ambassador to Jordan, who left Amman earlier this month due to the fears of unrest, will not be permitted to return.
Latin America: Leftist governments in South America have begun curbing ties, with Bolivia severing diplomatic ties with Israel, and Chile and Colombia pulling their ambassadors from Tel Aviv.
The UN is becoming increasingly outspoken: The UN Human Rights Office yesterday said the Jabaliya attack could be a possible war crime and its humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, called it an “atrocity.” Meanwhile, the UN Child Rights Committee said it was “outraged” by the violence being inflicted on children. “Grave human rights violations against children are mounting by the minute in the Gaza Strip,” it said.
Europe: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrelll said he was “appalled” by the nature of the attack.

More aid enters: The Palestinian Red Crescent yesterday received 55 trucks of aid from the Egyptian Red Crescent, pushing the total number of trucks that crossed into Gaza since 7 October to 272.

More hospitals could close due to fuel shortages: The Turkish Friendship Hospital, the only hospital that provides cancer treatment in Gaza, closed yesterday due to a lack of fuel. Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the largest hospital in the enclave, could stop operating tomorrow, the ministry said. Fifteen hospitals and 32 primary health-care centers are now out of service due to the conflict or the lack of fuel, and the 13 that remain open have all received repeated orders from the IDF to evacuate.

The comms blackout returns: Palestinian telco Paltec said that all mobile and internet services in Gaza went down several times yesterday due to international connections being severed. This is the second time Israel has cut off communications in the strip in the past week.

Another 200 people lose their lives: More than 8.7k Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, almost three-quarters of whom are children, women and the elderly, the Palestinian Health Ministry said yesterday. More than 22k people have been injured, and a further 2k people are missing and could be trapped under rubble, it said. (Palestinian Health Minis try)
UN workers are being killed in record numbers: Seventy UNRWA workers have been killed and at least 22 have been wounded. This is the highest number of aid workers killed in a conflict in such a short time. (UNRWA)

Auto sales at their highest level in a year in September

The automotive rebound continues:Vehicle sales rose again in September to reach their highest level in a year, according to figures released yesterday by the Automotive Marketing Information Council (AMIC). Distributors sold almost 9.9k vehicles in September, up almost 23% from August, and the highest monthly figure since September 2022.

In detail: The increase was driven by passenger car sales, which jumped 27% m-o-m and 15% y-o-y to 7,887 units. Bus sales also saw significant growth, rising about 39% to 689 units, while truck sales slightly slid back by about 1%.

But sales remain far below last year’s levels: While this month’s total auto sales figures mark a continued recovery month-on-month, they remain about 13.5% lower than the 11.4k vehicles sold in September 2022. Bus (-62%) and truck (-53%) sales were both down markedly y-o-y. Distributors move 61k units in 9M2023, marking a 61% decrease from the same period last year.

The nation’s car import bill has gone up: The value of passenger vehicles imported to Egypt increased 124% y-o-y to USD 209.8 mn in August, according to state statistics agency Capmas. The state-run statistics agency gives no figures that would allow us to break this figure down and understand how much of that increase in spending on imports comes down to volume versus manufacturer pricing and mix.

The big picture: Distributors and assemblers alike continue to face challenges securing the FX they needs, though the recent uptick in unit sales likely owes to the recent willingness of state-run banks and a handful of others to accept cash deposits of FX and allocate it directly to cover imports.

The caveats: AMIC reflects data contributed by member distributors, who include most (but not all) industry participants.

Tasaheel Finance issues EGP 3 bn in securitized bonds. PLUS: NUCA has another issuance in the wings.

There’s plenty more news from the nation’s red-hot securitization market, which has now seen the value of bonds taken to the market rise more than a third compared to the same time last year.

UP FIRST- CI Capital has closed an EGP 3 bn securitized bond issuance for MNT-Halan’s microfinance subsidiary Tasaheel Finance, CI said in a statement (pdf). The four tranches of the issuance were rated Prime 1, A+ and A by the Middle East Ratings and Investor Services (MERIS) rating agency.

There could be more to come soon: The issuance is the fourth in a three year, EGP 13 bn program that Tasaheel kicked off in June 2022 with an EGP 2.6 bn issuance, followed by an EGP 2.7 bn issuance in January, and an EGP 3.3 bn issuance in July. The company could sell another EGP 1.3 bn of securities before the year is out, according to targets announced in July.

The debt market is booming right now, particularly in non-bank financial services, with securitization being a good tell “for companies to maintain their capital adequacy ratio within limits set by the Financial Regulatory Authority, as well as utilize issuance proceeds to reinforce the company's financial position, maximize profitability, and return on equity while using them as a hedge against inflation,” said Amr Helal, CEO for the sell side at CI Capital’s investment banking unit.

Advisors:CI Capital acted as the sole financial adviser, issuance manager, and lead arranger. Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy acted as the legal advisor and KPMG-Hazem Hassan Consulting was the auditor.

DATA POINT- Egyptian companies have issued more than EGP 60.6 bn of securitized bonds so far this year, according to data tracked by Enterprise — 33% more than what was taken to market across the whole of 2022.

NUCA READIES NEXT ISSUANCE-

ALSO- Another huge issuance for NUCA? The New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) is reportedly waiting on the Financial Regulatory Authority’s (FRA) approval and a credit rating report from MERIS before it goes ahead with another EGP15 bn issuance, Al Mal reports, citing sources it says are in the know. NUCA is hoping to start the issuance within weeks, according to the local media outlet, and use the fresh funds for infrastructure works for new cities under construction.

Remember: NUCA in July closed an EGP 15 bn issuance, the largest in Egypt so far this year and the first of a EGP 30 bn program.

Advisors:Al Ahly Pharos, CI Capital, and CIB are reportedly set to promote and manage the issuance. Dreny & Partners will act as counsel, and Baker Tilly as financial advisor. Alawwal Bank will act as custodian, while the National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, and Banque du Caire are expected to act as underwriters.

EFG Hermes-backed education firm could enter Saudi market. PLUS: Vortex has so far invested EUR 300 mn in Ignis

EEP eyes expansion in KSA: EFG Hermes-backed Egypt Education Platform (EEP) is studying the possibility of launching in Saudi Arabia within the next 12-18 months, co-CEO of EFG Hermes Karim Moussa told Enterprise. The company is looking into rolling out its own homegrown Egyptian brands in the kingdom or acquiring and investing in new brands, Moussa added. “We see a great opportunity to leverage EEP’s operational know-how in the KSA and generate further income for our operations in Egypt,” he said. “The kingdom has very ambitious plans for its education sector.”

Refresher: EEP Is an education management firm that counts EFG Hermes and the Sovereign Fund of Egypt among its anchor investors. It owns a network of schools and nurseries as well as majority stakes in academic content provider Selah El Telmeez and Option Travel, which offers student transportation.

Local expansion is also on the company’s radar: EEP plans to open two new schools in Cosmic Village in Sixth of October, Moussa confirmed, without disclosing further details.

MOVES BY EFG HERMES ON THE ENERGY FRONT-

Vortex’s investments in Ignis hit EUR 300 mn mark: EFG Hermes’ energy investment platform Vortex Energy has so far invested EUR 300 mn in Spanish renewables developer Ignis Energia, said Moussa, who is also the CEO of Vortex. Some EUR 140 mn was injected by the Vortex Energy IV fund, while the other EUR 160 mn was deployed by co-investors managed by the company. When asked about the size of the stake that Vortex has acquired, Moussa said only that it “gives Vortex joint control rights with Ignis’ existing management.”

Remember: Vortex Energy in 2021 signed an agreement to gradually invest a total of EUR 625 mn in Ignis in exchange for an undisclosed stake in the firm. The company announced in June 2022 that it had deployed some EUR 222 mn and it was reported by local media in December of that year that another EUR 46 mn was deployed.

Change of plans: Vortex is currently in talks with Ignis to update its funding plans in light of the changing market conditions, Moussa said. The company has not yet deployed the EUR 176 mn capital injection that was initially penciled in for 1Q 2023.

Ignis is growing strong: The company has signed almost 1 GW worth of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with blue-chip industrial European and international counterparties in the last year, Moussa said.

Gas starts flowing from Wintershall’s East Damanhur well. Plus: Eni forecasts November LNG exports

It’s not all doom and gloom in our gas industry. Our energy report this morning is a welcome (partial) antidote to a run of bad news from the industry that reached something of a crescendo this week as rolling blackouts stretched to two hours daily following Israel’s decision to stop selling us natural gas.

In short: Wintershall Dea has started production at its East Damanhur concession, Eni is optimistic about the relaunch LNG exports, and our first ever joint work program with the International Energy Agency (IEA) signed off and ready to go are good news for an industry that has had a tough few weeks.

HERE’S THE BREAKDOWN-

#1- Gas has started flowing in East Damanhour: German oil giant Wintershall Dea has started gas production at its East Damanhour onshore concession, it said in a statement earlier this week. Its ED2-X well is set to produce around 10 mn scf of gas a day. The well is operated by Wintershall, which has a 40% share in the project alongside local energy giant Cheiron Energy (40%), and Croatian national producer INA (20%).

Good news for the Damanhour partners, good news for us: “Bringing this well into production enables us to deliver additional energy at a time when it is much needed in Egypt,” Windershall COO Dawn Summers said.

#2- Eni is still confident about its LNG export plans: Italian energy giant Eni anticipates exporting Egyptian liquified natural gas this month, as seasonal demands wanes, Asharq Business reported, citing CEO Claudio Descalzi. The CEO’s statement’s mirror reports earlier in the week that the company’s COO for natural resources Cristian Signoretto thought that their LNG exports would start again as winter approaches.

ICYMI- We have barely exported any LNG since the start of the summer due to declining local production and rising domestic demand from a sweltering summer. The value of the country’s LNG exports fell almost 60% y-o-y to USD 2.3 bn during the first seven months of the year and we only made up 2% of Europe’s imports in 2023, down from 4% the year before.

#3- But, Eni’s Orion X1 well may take a bit longer to be operational than we thought: The offshore USD 130 mn project with an estimated 10 tn cubic feet of gas reserves will begin operation within three years, Asharq Business reported, citing a source it says has knowledge of the project.The Italian energy giant had planned to begin drilling operations in September, local media reported back in April.

#4- A new Egypt, IEA joint work program should also give the industry a boost: The OilMinistry inked a two-year joint work program with the International Energy Agency’s (IEA), under which the two sides will work closely to tackle methane emissions, renewable energy deployment, and hydrogen production, according to an IEA statement on Tuesday. “We are eager to take forward new areas of cooperation with Egypt as the country accelerates its energy transition while ensuring supplies remain affordable and reliable,” IEA head Fatih Birol said.

EFG Hermes tops EGX brokerage league table in October

EFG Hermes topped the EGX’s brokerage league table again in October, with a market share of 18.5% according to figures released by the exchange (pdf). Rounding out the top five were CI Capital (5.9%), Mubasher Securities (5.2%), Thndr Securities (5.0%), and Al Rowad Securities (4.0%). EFG has held the top spot every month but one so far this year.

Plastic Bank cleans up Egypt, aiBank gets Arab banking award

We have Thursday Kudos this morning for:

Canada-based social enterprise Plastic Bank has collected 13 mn kilograms of plastic in Egypt over the past three years, equal to 500 mn plastic bottles, it said in a statement (pdf) last week. The organization has 28 collection centers in 11 of Egypt’s governorates and 2.1k members. Egypt accounts for 13% of the total amount of plastic collected by the company around the world, which has reached 100 mn kilograms (5 bn plastic bottles).

aiBank was named as the “fastest growing bank in the Arab region” by the World Union of Arab Bankers, the Arab Investment Bank (aiBank) said in a statement (pdf) on Sunday. The bank’s net income jumped 56% y-o-y to EGP 450 mn in 1H 2023 on the back of its expanded loan portfolio, new e-payment and depository products, and the growth of its branch network.

^^ Have you or your company done something good in the community? Drop us a note on editorial@enterprisemea.com (make sure to tell us the 5Ws and the H) and we’ll consider it for a future Thursday.

The slaughter in Gaza continues to dominate last night’s talk shows

Leading last night’s coverage was the news that the first group of foreign nations and wounded Gazan residents crossed the border into Egypt.

Injured Palestinians and foreign nationals cross into Egypt, as a convoy of 100 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip: More than 360 foreign passport holders and 45 injured Gazans made it through the Rafah crossing yesterday, in addition to 100 aid trucks going the other way, Al Qahera News (watch, runtime: 5:05), Masaa DMC (watch, runtime: 4:00), and Hadith fi Misr (watch, runtime: 3:05) reported. Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told Al Hayah Al Youm’s Mohamed Sherdy that the injured were sent to hospitals in Bir al-Abd, Al Arish, and Sheikh Zuweid and a field hospital was also at the ready (watch, runtime: 9:47).

The situation in Gaza remains dire: Israel’s assault has reached its most “severe and harshest stage” in terms of the level of attacks by the Israeli military and the humanitarian crises that face Gazans, Palestinian Red Crescent Abdul Jalil Al Hanjal told Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:39). “Hospitals and primary care centers are gradually going out of service in Gaza due to a lack of supplies, fuel, and energy,” Gaza Red Cross spokesman HIsham Mhanna told Masaa DMC (watch, runtime: 4:35). Mhanna added that “we were able to send six aid trucks through the Rafah crossing on Friday and are working on distributing it to the central hospitals in Gaza, while we are completely unable to deliver any of it to the hospitals in the north.”

The West isn’t interested in peace: “The United States, United Kingdom, and the Western countries do not want to stop the war,” Ahmed Moussa told his viewers on Sada El Balad (watch, runtime: 3:21).

Elections 2023: “If I ever become president, I will work for the recovery of the Egyptian economy within 3 months, I will ensure good relations with Turkey and Iran, and I will work to mobilize the international position to resolve the GERD crisis,” presidential candidate and head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party Farid Zahran told Hadith fi Misr (watch, runtime: 4:32 | 3:08 | 3:10).

More funding from the AfDB. PLUS: ICON is heading to Saudi and we’re in for Indian, and German investments

DEVELOPMENT FINANCE-

We’re getting USD 349 mn from the AfDB before year end: The AfricanDevelopment Bank (AfDB) plans to lend out some USD 349 mn to fund public and private projects in Egypt before the end of the year, bringing the bank’s total spending on the country to USD 730 mn for the year, the lender’s country manager Abdourahmane Diaw told Asharq Business. AfDB has earmarked USD 148 mn of the new sum for on-lending to MSMEs and companies operating in agriculture, renewables, desalination, and logistics.

PUBLIC FINANCE-

UPDATE- Here’s how much our Deutsche Bank-Bank ABC loan is going to cost us:The Finance Ministry is paying 11.1% interest on its seven-year USD 500 mn loan from Deutsche Bank and Bank ABC, according to a House of Representatives document Al Borsa says it has seen. Kuwaiti ins. company Dhamanis guaranteeing 5.75% of the interest.

MANUFACTURING-

#1- ICON is setting up another project in Saudi: A subsidiary of local building materials manufacturer Industrial Engineering for Construction and Development (ICON) will build a SAR 40 mn (USD 10.7 mn) light gauge steel (LGS) factory in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk, the company said in a press release (pdf). The 31k m2 factory will kick off trial operations in 2H 2024 and aims to cover the Saudi and Gulf markets’ needs of LGS for prefabricated buildings when fully operational. ICON earlier this year secured a SAR 106 mn contract for the production and delivery of prefabricated buildings for the Saudi mega city Neom project.

#2- India’s Platinum Industries breaks ground on PVC factory: Plastics manufacturer Platinum Industries began construction on its 10k sqm PVC and CPVC factory in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) yesterday, the SCZone said in a statement. The company will invest some USD 6 mn in the first phase and USD 4 mn in the second phase of the project, which aims to produce 30k tons of PVC annually when fully operational in 18 months time. The factory intends to meet local market needs and export some 70% of its production to regional markets.

We’re seeing a lot of investments from our new BRICS buddy: Indian companies have committed around USD 3.3 bn to projects in the SCZone, Indian ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte said. Much more may be to come, with India’s Ocior Energy inking preliminary contracts to set up a USD 4 bn green hydrogen plant last August.

ENERGY-

#1- Mitsubishi extends maintenance contract for our power plants: Mitsubishi Power has inked agreements with the Madbouly government extending the 16-year long-term service agreement for the maintenance and management of six gas turbines at the Sidi Kerir, El Atf, and Cairo North power plants, according to a press release from the company. The Japanese International Corporation Agency-funded agreement will help improve power supply stability, efficiency, and reduce maintenance downtime and costs for the plants, according to a Electricity Ministry statement.

INVESTMENT-

More German investments incoming? Fifteen German companies have expressed interest in a number of Egyptian sectors including infrastructure, energy, and green hydrogen, durin g a m eeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly earlier this week. They also hinted at future cooperations with local players to set up factories for the manufacture of factory machinery, medical supplies, and medicine.

TRANSPORT-

From Abu Dhabi to Sphinx Airport:Budget airlineWizz Air completed its first flight from Abu Dhabi to Cairo’s Sphinx International Airport yesterday, CNN Business Arabic reported. The airline is operating four flights a week between the two airports.

US Federal Reserve holds rates steady

Fed leaves rates unchanged: The US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged for the second consecutive meeting yesterday, it said in a statement. Interest rates will stay at a 22-year high at 5.25-5.5% following an aggressive monetary tightening cycle, which has pushed rates to their highest level since 2001.

But they hinted that future hikes may be coming: “The process of getting inflation sustainably down to 2% has a long way to go … The committee will always do what it thinks is appropriate at the time,” Fed chair Jerome Powell said in a presser following the announcement (watch, runtime: 51:34).

Analysts think differently: “The statement leans to the dovish side … The fact that they left rates unchanged for the second time in a row suggests the Fed might leave rates unchanged in December. And if they do, that means the Fed is done,” Spartan Capital Securities’ Peter Cardillo told Reuters.

Markets rallied on the news: US stocks rose following the announcement, with the benchmark S&P 500 gaining 1.1%, the tech-dominated Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.7%. The gains offset a few turbulent weeks for US stocks triggered by fears of further rate hikes and political tension due to the war on Gaza, which pushed both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite into correction.

It was a different story for the oil market, with prices slipping to a three-week low. Brent crude futures dipped 0.5% to USD 84.63 a barrel following the Fed’s announcement — its lowest price since 7 October when the war on Gaza broke out, Reuters wrote.

EGX30	22,433	-0.5% (YTD: +53.7%)
USD (CBE)	Buy 30.83	Sell 30.96
USD at CIB	Buy 30.85	Sell 30.95
Interest rates CBE	19.25% deposit	20.25% lending
Tadawul	10,815	+1.2% (YTD: +3.2%)
ADX	9,429	+0.9% (YTD: -7.7%)
DFM	3,893	+0.4% (YTD: +16.7%)
S&P 500	4,238	+1.1% (YTD: +10.4%)
FTSE 100	7,342	+0.3% (YTD: -1.5%)
Euro Stoxx 50	4,092	+0.8% (YTD: +7.9%)
Brent crude	USD 84.63	-0.5%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 3.49	-2.3%
Gold	USD 1,987.50	-0.3%
BTC	USD 35,336.62	+2.5% (YTD: +113.6%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The EGX30 fell 0.5% at yesterday’s close on turnover of EGP 3.5 bn (46.2% above the 90-day average). Local investors were net sellers. The index is up 53.7% YTD.

In the green: Palm Hills Development (+9.5%), E-Finance (+3.4%) and Oriental Weavers (+2.7%).

In the red: Mopco (-4.5%), Orascom Development (-4.2%) and Eastern Company (-4.0%).

My Morning Routine: Akshat Harbola, Spotify’s new MENA and South Asia managing director

Akshat Harbola, MD of Spotify MENA and South Asia: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Akshat Harbola (LinkedIn), the managing director of Spotify Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

I'm Akshat and I am the managing director of Spotify Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.I'm an economist and a business management professional by training. During my university days, I managed quite a few independent music bands. After graduating, I worked in the management consulting industry for about 10 years before moving to consumer tech at Google. For the last seven years, I've been at Spotify, where I’ve worn different hats. My previous role was the head of strategy for MENASA. Joining Spotify felt like a return home because I’ve always loved to be engaged in music.

My morning routine starts with waking up my daughter and getting her ready. After that, I often go for a run and put on some of my favorite playlists. Then I sit down for some coffee and reading. I usually block the first part of my day for deep work — I try to keep that time of day relatively meeting-free, at least for three days a week. I use that time to focus on big opportunities and challenges.

Music consumption tends to reflect the demographic structure of each market in the region. In Egypt, for instance, Spotify and general music charts are primarily led by Egyptian pop. You also see a lot of hip hop, indie, and mahraganat consumption. In the UAE, you see a mixed bag of Filipino, South Asian, and Arabic music doing well because the society is very multicultural. In KSA, where the music scene is undergoing a transformation, there’s a lot of interest in international music, but also very fast growth of local music genres like Khaleeji and Sheilat.

A trend we're seeing across the region is increased music exports. Between 2019 and 2023, we've seen a 40% increase in streams for MENA artists. And that’s not just the legends like Fairuz, Amr Diab, or Nancy Ajram. Moroccan artists like Kouz1 and ElGrandeToto are very popular in markets like France, Germany, and the Benelux region more broadly. The consumption of Moroccan music in Europe is very encouraging. And artists from the UAE who don’t even sing in Arabic are finding audiences across the globe.

When it comes to music, I love Cairokee. They’re topping my playlist right now, and I’d recommend them to anyone — regardless of whether they're an Arabic speaker or not. Other than that, I primarily listen to rock music, so another band that I’d vouch for is the Jordanian group JadaL.

An audio book that I'm listening to right now is How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp. I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in finding out how mass market brands are built.I'm also a big fan of The Huberman Lab, a podcast by a Stanford professor who uses neuroscience to offer insights on how to lead a productive life and improve your mental and physical health. A recent episode I really enjoyed explores why music makes you feel the way it does.

My philosophy is to work hard and then completely disconnect in the evenings. After work, I engage in activities that allow me to switch off completely. That’s either meditation or some sort of workout — like swimming or running — depending on how much energy I have.

Work-life balance needs to be established as a number one priority. Everyone has an individual responsibility to create that balance, especially those in leadership roles. If you're unable to manage yourself and your life right, then as a leader, you need to go back to the drawing board and fix that problem before you start looking at the business. I've had my own challenges with feeling burnt out and overwhelmed — there are definitely ups and downs. But ultimately, I like to set the tone so that nobody's trying to burn themselves out trying to impress me.

I've tried quite a few things to stay focused and organized. Ground zero is working on my health and cultivating a sharp mind. Once I have that in place, my core system is making sure that my calendar reflects my priorities on a weekly basis. I also continuously adapt my schedule as I go because our business moves very fast.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is what I call “renewing the novice license,” which means finding opportunities that allow you to feel like a rookie. I was introduced to the concept by one of my mentors early on, and it has since shaped the trajectory of my career. I moved from consulting to consumer tech even though I had never served a consumer tech client, then on to music tech with no formal training.

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER

29 October - 2 November (Sunday- Thursday): Cairo Water Week.

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

3 November (Friday): Fitch to review Egypt’s sovereign credit rating.

5 November (Sunday): Senate back in session.

8 November (Wednesday): Turkish-Arab Economic Forum 2023, Istanbul.

9-15 November (Thursday-Wednesday): Intra-African Trade Fair, Cairo.

12 November (Sunday): House of Representatives to reconvene.

12 November (Sunday): Deadline for technical and financial offers for Misr Aluminium Company rehabilitation project (extended from 12 October)

14-15 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Destination Africa, Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski Hotel.

14-15 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Egypt VC Summit, Conrad Hotel.

15 November (Wednesday): Deadline for MTO to buyback Dice Sports and Casual Wear’s 46.9% Stake.

15-24 November (Wednesday-Friday): Cairo International Film Festival, Cairo.

19-22 November (Sunday-Wednesday): Cairo ICT, Egypt International Exhibition Center.

22 November (Wednesday): Deadline to apply to FRA for credit rating license.

23 November (Thursday): Worldview Education Fair, Cairo. (Register here)

30 November-12 December (Thursday-Tuesday): COP28, Dubai.

Signposted to happen some time in November:

Egypt to issue Samurai bonds.
Bidding deadline for 5 gold mine concessions in the Eastern Desert (TBC).

DECEMBER

1-3 December (Friday-Sunday): Egyptian expats vote in the presidential election.

4-7 December (Monday-Thursday): Egypt Defence Expo, Egypt International Exhibition Center.

9-15 December (Saturday-Friday) :The Engineering Export Council of Egypt’strade mission to Saudi Arabia.

10-11 December (Sunday-Monday): eGlobe Expo, St. Regis Almasa Hotel, Cairo.

10-12 December (Sunday-Tuesday): Voting in presidential election takes place in Egypt.

12-13 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Reserve interest rate meeting.

12-14 December (Tuesday-Thursday): Food Africa Expo, Egypt International Exhibition Center.

20 December (Wednesday): End of sugar export ban.

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

Signposted to happen sometime in December:

Gov’t expects to finalize sale of a stake in military-owned bottled drinks company Safi
Gov’t expects to finalize stake sale for military-owned fuel retailer Wataniya.
Gov’t expects to finalize sale of Zafarana wind farm
Kenyan trade conference in Egypt.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2023: The inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

2H 2023: Egyptian government expected to sign agreements with a consultant for the EuroAfrica electricity interconnector.

2H 2023: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expected to hold a summit.

3Q 2023: E-Finance to launch in Saudi Arabia.

4Q 2023: EGX to launch its new futures exchange.

4Q 2023: EGX to launch a shariah-compliant index.

End of 2023: A Developments’ first phase of the Lazoghly development completed.

2024: Standard Chartered Bank to open a branch in Egypt.

25 February 2024 (Sunday): Deadline for bidders for oil and gas expansion in the 23 new regions.

Q1 2024: Opening of the new developed Pyramids Plateau in Giza.

June 2024: Gov’t expects to finalize sale of Beni Suef combined-cycle power plant.

1H 2024: Gov’t expects to finalize sale of four water desalination plants.

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

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

November 2024: Egypt to host the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12).

2Q 2025: Safaga Terminal 2 to start operations.

2024

JANUARY

7 January (Sunday): Coptic Christmas.

17 January (Wednesday): A delegation of Egyptian companies to visit Istanbul.

25 January (Thursday): Revolution day.

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.

JULY

7 July (Sunday): National holiday in observance of Islamic New Year (TBC).

23 July (Tuesday): Revolution Day.

SEPTEMBER

2-5 September (Monday-Thursday): Egypt International Airshow, El Alamein International Airport.

15 September (Sunday): National holiday in observance of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (TBC).

OCTOBER

6 October (Sunday): Armed Forces Day.

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