Good morning, friends. It is shaping up to be another busy day with the news cycle showing no signs of slowing down.
So, when do we eat? Maghrib prayers are at 5:55pm in the capital, and you’ll have until 4:51am tomorrow to hydrate and caffeinate ahead of fajr.
PSA-
WEATHER- It’s another sunny day in Cairo, with a high of 24°C and a low of 13°C, according to our favorite weather app.
It’s more or less the same in Alexandria, with a high of 23°C and a low of 13°C.
It won’t stay sunny for much longer, with the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) warning of a 2-4°C dip in temperatures starting Wednesday.
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ICYMI- Missed this week’s Inside Industry? In our weekly vertical exploring all things industry and manufacturing, we sat down with Amr El Sawaf, general manager of Elsewedy Cables to explore the company’s journey, market leadership, and how it’s navigating an increasingly competitive global industry. Check out our interview here.
WATCH THIS SPACE-
#1- The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (SFE) has set the wheels in motion for its plan to take over all state companies by forming a committee to take stock of state-owned companies as it prepares to take charge of their administration, Al Borsa reports, citing unnamed sources. The review, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2Q this year, will see the committee start off by categorizing firms based on the complexity of their transfer.
ICYMI- Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib last week unveiled a plan by the government to transfer the administration of all state-owned companies to the SFE as part of a strategy to maximize their returns. The SFE’s role will focus on attracting private players and potentially going public with the companies.
The targeted companies will be added to the pre-IPO fund as part of a wider restructuring strategy for the SFE and all of its sub-funds, including the pre-IPO fund itself, according to the news outlet. The sub-fund was set up back in 2022 to prepare state-owned enterprises for listing on the EGX by offering stakes to strategic investors.
#2- Egypt to set up the world’s largest green hydrogen plant? The General Authority for Investment and Freezones is pitching a USD 17 bn investment to build what it says will be the world’s largest green hydrogen plant in South Sinai, Al Arabiya reports citing a government document. The facility, to be developed in partnership with the Military Production Ministry, would produce up to 400k tons of green hydrogen annually. The first phase is set for completion in 2030, with additional phases rolling out in 2033 and 2035.
#3- Geos plans to make its EGX debut this year: Local contractor Geos for Trading andContracting plans to offer 33.33% of its shares in an IPO next quarter, the bigger chunk will be allocated for a private placement and the rest for a public offering, sources told Al Borsa. The company recently raised its capital to EGP 105 mn from EGP 70 mn, allowing it to list directly on the main market.
Advisors appointed: The firm has appointed Prime Holding to manage its upcoming EGX offering next quarter and FACT as an independent financial advisor. The company is preparing to submit its listing application this month following the finalization of its 2024 financial results.
#4- Work on Gregy to begin soon with EUR 1 bn financing: Egypt and Greece are set to begin implementing their 3 GW electricity interconnector (Gregy) before the end of 2H 2025, with the project set to receive a grant and concessional financing totaling EUR 1 bn, Al Arabiya reports, citing unnamed government sources. Three European financial institutions have expressed interest in financing the project, with negotiations expected to conclude next month.
ICYMI- The EU last year signaled its intention to invest in our green hydrogen ambitions and projects like Gregy to enable exports of Egyptian renewable energy into Europe as part of its EUR 7.4 bn aid package for Egypt.
How will the electricity be portioned out? Greece is reportedly set to receive 1 GW of the project’s output, while the remaining capacity will be exported to other EU countries, primarily Germany and Italy, through Greece’s grid.
#5- Eight Turkish apparel and textile manufacturers are in talks to enter the Egyptian market this year, Head of Egypt’s Apparel Export Council Marie Bishara told Al Borsa. Investors are assessing industrial zones and eyeing temporary production partnerships with local manufacturers until their facilities are operational.
Why it matters: The move could boost Egypt’s garment exports by 25% to USD 4.1 bn by 2026, up from USD 3.3 bn this year, Bishara said.
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HAPPENING TOMORROW-
#1- Egypt will host an emergency Gaza-focused Arab League summit to develop and agree on a plan for reconstruction in a push against the Trump-proposed plan to forcibly displace 2 mn Gazans from the enclave. The meeting comes amid tensions and Israeli efforts to derail the ceasefire, with Israel cutting off aid to the enclave in a bid to force Hamas to agree to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
What to expect? Egypt is set to unveil its plan to reconstruct Gaza during the summit. Once the plan is signed off, Egypt will push for international backing and donor funding, with a focus on European financial support, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a presser (watch,runtime: 42:05) yesterday.
Remember: Last month Egypt said it will propose “a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a manner that ensures the Palestinian people remain in their homeland and aligns with their legitimate and legal rights.”
Another emergency meeting already scheduled: Following the summit, foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation will convene in Saudi Arabia for an emergency meeting to look into how to present the reconstruction plans, Abdelatty said.
#2- Health check for our non-oil private sector incoming: Economists, policymakers, and private sector players will be closely watching to see if the country’s non-oil private sector will expand for a second consecutive month when S&P Global releases Egypt’s PMI figures for February tomorrow. The country’s PMI saw its strongest expansion in over four years in January, driven by solid growth in output and sales volumes. The headline PMI reading rose to 50.7 in January, up from 48.1 in December, marking the second expansion since November 2020.
THE BIG STORY ABROAD-
Israel has deliberately blocked all humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza strip after the six-week ceasefire came to an end yesterday. The decision is broadly perceived as a means of exerting pressure on Hamas to agree with Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement instead of moving on to phase two — which would see Hamas freeing the remaining hostages in exchange for Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza, paving the way for a lasting ceasefire.
“There will be no free lunches,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting yesterday. Seemingly bolstered by the new US administration, he insisted that a ceasefire won’t proceed without a hostage release.
A unified regional denunciation: Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza as a blatant violation of international law and a weaponization of starvation, urging global action. Equally sharp responses were drawn from Qatar and Saudi Arabia ’s foreign ministries. (Bloomberg | AP | The Guardian | Wall Street Journal | Washington Post | France 24)
MEANWHILE- After Zelenskiy’s diplomatic meltdown at the White House two days ago, European leaders have agreed to present the US with a Ukraine peace plan, hoping it will push Washington to offer security guarantees. At a London summit yesterday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a “coalition of the willing” to draft the proposal. (Reuters | AP)
ALSO- The 2025 Oscars just wrapped up — here are some of the most notable highlights:
- Kieran Culkin won best supporting actor for A Real Pain.
- Best animated feature went to Flow, marking Latvia’s first-even Oscar win.
- Sean Baker took home best original screenplay for Anora.
Moment worth noting: Best documentary winners Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor used their acceptance speech to call for a “political solution” to the war in Gaza. “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” the Palestinian Adra said. The directors took home the Oscar for their documentary No Other Land, which shines the light on the daily struggles of those in Gaza amid Israeli attacks and is a collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers.

*** It’s Blackboard day: We have our weekly look at the business of education in Egypt, from pre-K through the highest reaches of higher ed.
In today’s issue: We take a look at the efforts to open up branches of Egyptian universities abroad as part of the government’s plan to improve the country’s higher education standing in the region and further afield.




