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Friday, 16 Jan 2026

The Week In Review
The Enterprise Guide
At The Movies
Hot And Fresh On The Go
What To Listen To
The Enterprise Entertainment Calendar

Books that won’t overstay their welcome

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1

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

No green card for you

Good morning, friends, and welcome to the weekend. It’s been a busy week — from a looming US visa freeze to Egypt’s CBAM reprieve and a potential Eurobond issuance. We’ve got the full rundown below.

And if you’re looking to stay cozy indoors this weekend, we’ve put together a guide to short reads you can finish in a single sitting.

🗞️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

POLICY-

Egypt is one of 75 countries facing an indefinite freeze on US immigrant visa processing starting next week. An internal State Department memo first picked up by Fox News says the Trump administration will pause the issuance of immigrant visas for dozens of nations — including Egypt, Iran, and Russia — effective Wednesday, 21 January.

ECONOMY-

#1- Annual urban inflation was unchanged at 12.3% in December, the same pace at which prices rose the month before. This came even as the price of food and beverages rose 1.5% year-on-year last month compared to 0.7% y-o-y in November.

#2- The Finance Ministry will unveil its new public debt management strategy later this month. The rollout comes after a year-long delay triggered by volatility in global debt markets. The strategy will focus on long-term structural debt reduction and helping the government diversify its financing sources in coordination with international advisors.

ENERGY-

#1- Egypt is in a high-stakes standoff with Israel over our USD 35 bn gas agreement as Cairo refuses to accept what amount to new “Israel first” clauses inserted by the Israeli government.

#2- The government inked agreements backing two integrated clean energy projects worth some USD 1.8 bn — a solar and battery storage facility led by Norway’s Scatec. Critically, that solar facility will be fed by a battery manufacturing plant here in Egypt that’s being set up by China’s Sungrow.

#3- Egyptian-regasified natural gas has started heading to Lebanon and Syria under separate agreements signed with both sides over the past few weeks. We’re delivering some 50 mcf / d of gas to each of the countries through the Arab Gas Pipeline and supplies will double during the winter months.

#4- Egypt and Libya have resumed talks for a massive increase in the scale of their electricity interconnection, aiming to take it from about 150 MW in capacity today to a 2 GW line that could help solve eastern Libya’s chronic electricity problems.

CAPITAL MARKETS-

The government might use the tax code as part of a bid to solve one of the EGX’s most long-standing issues — liquidity. A package of tax reforms currently being finalized would see the exchange introduce a tiered, performance-based tax system that rewards companies based on their actual trading volumes and freefloat size.

TAX-

The European Union looks set to give Egyptian exports an exemption from its carbon tax until the end of 2027. Two Egyptian government officials tell us the exemption from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will give energy-intensive manufacturers in Egypt — specifically in the iron, steel, cement, and fertilizer sectors and at a later stage electricity and green hydrogen — a crucial two-year window in which to decarbonize before facing punitive border tariffs.

DEBT WATCH-

The Finance Ministry is in advanced talks with transaction advisors to issue between USD 1.0 to USD 1.5 bn in Eurobonds as early as this month. The ministry is looking to capitalize on a sharp narrowing of risk premiums, with five-year credit default swaps on Egyptian debt falling below 270 bps — their lowest level in six years.

LOGISTICS-

The government abandoned plans to tighten import restrictions in the Port Said Freezone. Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development Kamel El Wazir decided to maintain the existing quota system and allow the general import of auto spare parts to continue.

INDUSTRY-

Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk is spearheading a comprehensive review of Egypt’s customs tariffs to accelerate industrial localization and transform Egyptian ports into “industrial and logistical hubs.” Speaking to the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), Kouchouk emphasized that the restructuring is designed to ensure fair competition and encourage the expansion of the transit trade sector, according to a ministry statement.

REAL ESTATE-

Real estate developers could soon receive a 10-year tax break for launching projects in remote areas, away from the country’s current urban clusters.

AGRICULTURE-

We may be close to self-sufficient when it comes to sugar production, but manufacturers say they’re bleeding cash. As the sugarcane harvest kicks off in Upper Egypt, a sharp divide has emerged between the narrative heralding the strategic success of boosting domestic supply and the difficult financial reality facing the country’s refiners as they work overtime to ensure supply targets are met

🌍 AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

It’s been a busy week in the global press, with all eyes on the White House. US President Donald Trump is already moving to ringfence Venezuela’s oil wealth, following the abduction of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro. Trump signed an executive order to block creditors and courts from seizing Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts, declaring the funds sovereign property held for diplomatic use.

ALSO- US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is facing a criminal probe over the renovation of the Fed’s headquarters in Washington. Investigators are looking into whether he lied about the scope of the renovation, the cost of which hit USD 2.5 bn this year, up from an initial estimate of USD 1.9 bn. Trump has long attacked Powell and pushed him to drive interest rates lower and has frequently complained about the renovations.

MEANWHILE- Protests in Iran intensified despite an ongoing crackdown by the police, leading to an estimated 2.6k deaths. Trump has several times said he was ready to come to the “rescue” of Iranians, prompting Iran’s speaker of parliament, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, to warn the US against any interference, saying: “Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” he told parliament.

IN THE BUSINESS PRESS- US-based luxury retailer Saks filed for bankruptcy, after finalizing a USD 1.75 bn financing agreement that would keep its stores open. Plus: Netflix is considering turning its takeover bid for Warner Bros into an all-cash offer, a move that would help solidify it as the stronger suitor after Paramount Skydance (along with Gulf investors and Larry Ellison) made an all-cash, USD 108.4 bn hostile takeover bid for the company.

IN TECH- Nvidia has become the poster child of a shifting AI boom, but the Financial Times asks if its USD 4.5 tn valuation rests on what some criticize as a “Ponzi scheme” of circular transactions.

PLUS- OpenAI is continuing its diversification drive, saying it will source chips from AI startup Cerebras in a USD 10 bn multi-year agreement. It earlier lined up supply from AMD and Broadcom earlier.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND-

We’re in for a cool couple of days in the capital, with temperatures in Cairo are set to reach a peak of 21°C and a low of 12°C today, and more of the same expected tomorrow at 22°C and 13°C respectively, according to our favorite weather app.

🎤 HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-

Amr Diab is coming in fresh for the new year with a concert at Al Manara Arena on Friday, 16 January. Presented by Orange, the night promises a packed setlist of the icon’s chart-topping hits. You can book your tickets now on Ticketsmarché.

90s icon Hamid El Shari is landing at CJC 610 on Friday, 16 January alongside DJ Andy Cheiko for a nostalgic night of Arabic pop and electronic grooves. You can get your tickets on Cairo Jazz Club’s website.

🎤 HAPPENING NEXT WEEKEND-

It’s the time of year to stock up on books. The Cairo International Book Fair returns to the Egypt International Exhibitions Center for its 57th year, running from Wednesday, 21 January until Tuesday, 3 February. Catch the opening night on Friday, 23 January celebrating the centennial of the iconic filmmaker Youssef Chahine with a special performance by the Philharmonic Orchestra led by maestro Nader Abbassi.

In celebration of the release of El Sett, Cairo Prints 6 is honoring Umm Kulthum in a special exhibition at Cinema Radio, running from Thursday, 22 January to Saturday, 24 January. Presented by Cairopolitan, the gallery will showcase works from over 80 local and international artists inspired by the enduring icon. For more details, you can visit Cairopolitan’s Instagram.

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2

THE ENTERPRISE GUIDE

Short reads for a winter weekend

📖 Some winter weekends call for staying in — warm, quiet, with a hot drink in hand. But escaping the cold indoors can make us feel restless quickly — Netflix binges lose their appeal, and even your current novel might feel like it’s dragging.

If reading more is one your 2026 resolution list and you’ve committed to an ambitious Goodreads challenge, we have some suggestions. Whether you’re working through a reading slump or need a palate cleanser before your next big read, here are some short, impactful reads you can finish in a single sitting.

📚 Bite-sized fiction

#1- So Late in the Day — Claire Keegan: This trilogy of short stories from the SmallThings Like These author explores dynamics between men and women through three distinct narratives: a man dumped by his fiancée (remaining oblivious as to why), a writer who receives an unexpected guest, and an unhappily married woman whose infidelity puts her in danger.

At around 100 pages, the anthology can be consumed in under an hour. Keegan’s prose is precise, and each story delivers an impact well beyond its length.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the paperback at The Bookspot, and the eBook on Amazon.

#2- The Seep — Chana Porter: Fans of Pluribus will find familiar territory here. The Seep follows Trina as she navigates a world transformed by the gentlest of alien invasions — a virus that causes humanity to share one consciousness, collapsing borders and financial institutions in exchange for happiness. Like Carol Sturka, Trina isn’t having it, and sets off to find a young boy seemingly unaffected by the change.

At 200 pages, it’s the longest on this list, but reads quickly. It’s a disorienting, absorbing sci-fi — good company while waiting more than a year for the next season of Pluribus.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the eBook on Amazon.

#3- Three Stories from Cairo — Gretchen McCullough: This short story collection is Cairo like you’ve never seen it before — all three stories share one crucial trait: they’re unapologetically risqué. Written in both English and Arabic (the book itself is split in half), each explores a taboo or a facet of Egyptian society often kept in the shadows.

One story follows an apartment of unconventional outcasts; another traces animosity between an Egyptian mother and her “deviant” British neighbor. Reader discretion is (heavily) advised.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the paperback version at Diwan.

#4- The Crane Husband — Kelly Barnhill: A single mother comes home with a crane and announces him as her husband — her family just has to deal with it. From the author of When Women Were Dragons, this unsettling novella serves as an allegory for domestic abuse, generational trauma, and complicated family dynamics.

At 77 pages, it’s tightly written and well-paced — a strong introduction to Barnhill’s work.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the eBook on Amazon.

😱 Fleeting horrors

#1- The Fall of the House of Usher — Edgar Allan Poe: Not to be confused with the Netflix adaptation, Poe’s original is a slow-building dread. When the unnamed narrator visits his old friend Lord Usher at his decaying estate, intending to lift the man’s spirits, he finds a house with its own designs.

At 36 pages, it’s brief — though the 19th century prose may slow you down.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the eBook at no cost on Apple Books.

#2- The Yellow Wallpaper — Charlotte Perkins Gilman: A woman diagnosed with “hysteria” is prescribed isolation in a summer house. There, she begins fixating on her room’s yellow wallpaper, descending deeper into psychosis.

In fewer than 30 pages, Gilman delivers a harrowing account of a woman severed from reality. Over 130 years since publication, The Yellow Wallpaper remains a foundational work of feminist literature and a pointed critique of patriarchal webs.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the eBook at no cost on Apple Books.

#3- The Night Guest — Hildur Knútsdóttir: At 190 pages, this book may be longer than the others in this section, but it moves quickly. The narrator, Iðunn, wakes up daily with injuries she can’t explain — no break-in, no intruder. When attempts to get help fail, she investigates on her own, and what she discovers is genuinely unexpected — don’t bother guessing.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the eBook on Amazon.

#4- The Pigeon — Patrick Süskind: The author of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer turns to a different kind of horror — the kind conjured by the mind itself. Middle-aged Jonathan Noel has built a life on a thin thread of routine and false stability. When a pigeon appears outside his door, it unravels him.

Over 77 pages, The Pigeon traces Noel’s quick psychological spiral. The premise may sound absurd, but the horror lies in recognizing that what seems trivial to most can be catastrophic for someone else, and that maybe we’re closer to madness than we’d like to admit.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the eBook on Amazon.

🖋️ Poetry en passant

#1- Cairo: The Undelivered Letters — Mai Serhan: This is a collection of letters addressed to Cairo from its inhabitants — human and otherwise. The book explores the city through their struggles, dreams, and heartaches. A quick, thought-provoking read.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the paperback version at Diwan.

#2- Sea Prayer — Khaled Hosseini: This illustrated short story from the author of AThousand Splendid Suns follows a father and son preparing to board a refugee ship. As the father recalls memories of home, the gravity of their situation becomes clear.

Inspired by Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed up on a Turkish beach in 2015, Sea Prayer is spare in text but heavy in impact. The illustrations add an emotional punch that’s likely to leave a bruise.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the ebook on Amazon.

⭐ Honorable mentions

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3

At the Movies

My Father’s Scent is a deeply human masterpiece + Gawaza Wla Ganaza proved the latter

🎥 Family dynamics and childhood trauma in My Father’s Scent (Kulunia): After participating in numerous festivals over the past year, director Mohamed Siam’s film My Father’s Scent (screening as Kulunia in Egypt) has finally begun made it to the big screen in Egyptian and Arab theaters. It marks a truly promising start to the new year for audiences.

Farouk (Ahmed Malek) is a troubled young man struggling with depression, drowning in melancholy and substance abuse — pathways he turned to following his mother’s death and his strained relationship with his father, Omar (Kamel El Basha), and his brother. The film opens with the father waking up from a months-long coma, and upon returning home, Farouk’s older brother asks him to care for their father for just one night.

The relationship between Farouk and Omar is turbulent, dry, and incredibly harsh, underscored by internal anger and resentment. The father views his son as a total failure, while the son sees his father as negligent, cruel, and absent. During this bleak winter night, the two are trapped together in the house, forced to confront the ghosts and memories of the past.

The film offers an excellent depiction of complex, human emotions and family dynamics. Perhaps the finest choice made by the filmmakers was to steer completely clear of dialogue clichés typical of this genre. Artistically expressing childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics is thorny territory that can easily devolve into dramatic confrontations, flowery speeches, and clear-cut blame or guilt as the end nears.

In reality, many true stories are open-ended, without apologies, reconciliation, or justification. The film portrays that adeptly, with stellar performances across the board. Malek proved he can talk the talk and walk the walk, showing exactly why he walked away with Best Actor at El Gouna Film Festival for the role. El Basha’s portrayal of Omar was notable as well, with the seasoned actor mastering a flawless Alexandrian accent, and delivering an impactful emotional performance. We’d be remiss not to mention Mayan El Sayed’s appearance, which we found charming, bringing a sort of lightness to an otherwise heavy production.

Speaking of production — the filmmakers hit all the right marks. From the choice of Alexandria as a setting, to the color grading, and even the inclusion of the storms synonymous with the coastal city’s winter, down to the sound of Abdel Halim Hafez playing in the background, the film utilized every single element possible to reflect the turbulent state of its protagonists. While, truth be told, we did notice some minor logical lapses, they did not distract from the film, which succeeded on all fronts in our humble opinion.

WHERE TO WATCH IT- The film is screening at Vox Cinemas at City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Alexandria, as well as Citystars, D5 and CFCM’s Scene Cinema, Cima Arkan, P90, and Zawya. Watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 1:59).

AND- A movie we think lost the plot: Gawaza Wla Ganaza, starring Nelly Karim, Sherif Salama, Entisar, and a host of other stars, tells the story of Tamara (Karim) and Hassan (Salama), who are preparing for their grand wedding at a stunning nature resort in the heart of the Fayoum desert.

Tamara and Hassan’s families are as different as night and day. Tamara’s family comes from old money, though circumstances have shifted, forcing them to accept a union with Hassan’s family — who, in the eyes of the bride’s mother (Lebleba), are unworthy. On the other hand, Hassan’s family thank their new money status to their importance in the world of butchery, amassing wealth recently after years of poverty.

Despite the friction, the couple insists on the marriage, albeit for different reasons. Tamara sees the union as a way to secure the future of her only son from a previous marriage, while Hassan believes she is a perfect match and that their life together will be meaningful. These fundamental differences are meant to transform into comedic paradoxes… presumably.

The main issue with this film is its lack of soul. The breathtaking landscapes, Nelly Karim’s truly dazzling costumes (which we undoubtedly admired), and the loud soundtrack could not compensate for the absence of a strong, genuine story. The dialogue felt weak, and the narrative was erratic and strange.

Furthermore, the characters lacked solid dramatic construction. This left the audience — us included — in a never-ending state of confusion. Personal motives were unclear, and those that did emerge during the events were, unfortunately, unconvincing. Even the comedy was largely absent, barely managing to squeeze out a shy chuckle here or a faint smile there.

Our verdict? This is a film fit for a casual watch on your living room sofa — as long as you don’t expect more from it than it can actually deliver.

However, if you insist on seeing it… The film is screening at Vox Cinemas in City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Alexandria, as well as Citystars, CFCM and D5’s Scene Cinema, Cima Arkan, and P90. Watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 1:43).

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4

HOT AND FRESH ON THE GO

A Slice of heaven

🍪 There’s a certain kind of weekend morning that calls for pastry over a proper meal — something warm, fresh, and uncomplicated. Enter Slice by Nutcracker, a small-batch bakery that opened last month in New Cairo’s U Venues. The menu is split between sweet and savory — expect Roman pizza, focaccia, cinnamon buns, tarts, and cakes — all baked fresh.

We leaned sweet and tried a bit of everything. One thing we learned quickly: Slice takes pistachio seriously. None of the options had the artificial, neon green versions that have become the common signifier of the trend. But Slice has the real thing. The praline pistachio cookie hit the mark on all fronts — it’s a soft cookie that maintains its structural integrity, with a balanced sweetness from the praline, and a bold but not overwhelming pistachio flavor.

Battle of the pecans: The pecan tart had a solid crust, crisp without being brittle (that survived a night in the fridge), with powdered sugar that kept it on the lighter side. But the pecan cake took the… well, cake. Its dense consistency didn’t translate to heaviness, and the spices were perfectly balanced and perfectly suited to a winter morning. The caramelised edges kept us going back for more and more forkfuls until we were fighting over the last bite.

Don’t underestimate the cinnamon buns. They were generous in size, fluffy and light without being airy and unsubstantial, and the cream cheese was tangy enough to offset the sweetness without throwing off the balance. You’ll find a classic option and a pecan option, but the second only adds some crumbled pecan on top — not enough to justify choosing it over the plane.

But none of us are without fault, and Slice’s is their walnut and pecan cookies. They were dry, stale, and flavorless, and took us by surprise after bites out of an otherwise stellar cast of baked goods.

💵 Per person: EGP 300-400 per person

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes

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5

WHAT TO LISTEN TO

Spy stories straight from the source

👂 What actually happens in the world of espionage is, by design, meant to stay hidden. But I Spy, a podcast by Foreign Policy, gets former intelligence agents and those closest to them to talk. Each season takes on a single story or a set of related incidents from some of the world’s most notorious political cases — assassinations, political disasters, covert operations — and breaks them down across several episodes.

The production quality won’t leave you wanting. Foreign Policy uses cinematic soundscapes, reporting excerpts, and documentary-style narration to draw you further into an already-compelling subject matter, but it’s the storytelling that holds your attention.

The latest season, After Hotel Rwanda, is a four-part series hosted by National Security Reporter Robbie Gramer. It follows Paul Rusesabagina, the activist and former hotelier whose story was depicted in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda starring Don Cheadle. During the Rwandan genocide, Rusesabagina sheltered hundreds of people — an act of quiet heroism that later made him a national figure. Years later, he found himself back in Rwanda, this time as a prisoner.

Gramer pieces together the story with help from Rusesabagina himself and his daughter Anaïse Kanimba, who originally reached out to get her father’s case more attention. “Every minute you have a cloud above you that does not allow you to do anything but worry,” Kanimba says in the series. The season unpacks Rwanda’s political climate, Rusesabagina’s actions during the genocide, and how his circumstances reversed so dramatically. How that happened is worth discovering on your own.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can tune in on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anghami | YouTube.

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THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

🗓️ JANUARY

12 December – 15 January (Friday-Thursday): Cairo Art Fair at TAM Gallery, Abu Rawwash.

21 December – 18 January (Sunday-Sunday): The Stadium at District 5.

12 January – 31 March (Monday-Tuesday): Al Rawi Awards submission period.

15-16 January (Thursday-Friday): Umm Kulthum Musical at Movenpick’s The Theater, 6th of October City.

16 January (Friday): Amr Diab concert at Al Manara Arena.

16 January (Friday): Hamid El Shari ft Andy Cheiko at CJC 610.

16 January (Friday): Ain Gamal Vol.56 at Theatro Arkan.

21 January (Wednesday): Black Theama x Wust El Balad at CJC 610.

21 January – 3 February (Wednesday-Tuesday): Cairo International Book Fair.

22 January (Thursday): Tablet El Sitt in Downtown at Hilton Cairo Grand Nile.

22-24 January (Friday-Thursday): El Sett Art exhibition at Cinema Radio.

23 January (Friday): Cairo International Book Fair opening ceremony.

23 January (Friday): Saad Eloud at Hilton Cairo Grand Nile.

23 January (Friday): Amr Selim at Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

24 January (Saturday): Mahmoud Rodaideh at CJC 610.

25 January (Sunday): January 25th Revolution / National Police Day.

30 January (Friday): Cairo Marathon normal registration ends.

31 January (Saturday): Eyad El Mogy: El Sabt El Momtaz – The Last Dance at Hilton Cairo Grand Nile.

FEBRUARY

6 December – 15 February (Saturday-Sunday): Cairo Prints at Cairopolitan in Garden City.

6 February (Friday): Cairo Marathon at Heliopolis, Merryland Park.

11-15 February (Wednesday-Sunday): Animatex at AUC Tahrir Square.

17 February (Tuesday): First day of Ramadan (TBD).

MARCH

20 March (Friday): Eid Al-Fitr (TBD).

APRIL

2 April (Thursday): Hany Shaker at Theatro Arkan.

13 April (Monday): Sham El Nessim.

25 April (Saturday): Sinai Liberation Day.

MAY

1 May (Friday): Labor Day.

26 May (Tuesday): Arafat’s Day.

JUNE

16 June (Tuesday): Islamic New Year.

30 June (Tuesday): June 30th Revolution.

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