Follow these steps to maintain healthy bones

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

IMF’s talks with Egypt have been about a flexible exchange rate, but not a float -Georgieva

Good morning, wonderful people, and happy Friday to you all.

WE HAVE A PROGRAMMING NOTE before we jump into our three-minute wrap up of the week — we’d be grateful if you could take a moment to read on.

Please join us in welcoming Dar Ventures to the Enterprise family. Dar Ventures is the venture capital arm of Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners), the world-class design and engineering consultancy born here in the Arab world and founder of the award-winning top 10 international design firm Sidara.

Dar Ventures shares our values: Whether you’re an exec, a rising manager, or an entrepreneur, Dar Ventures love working with people who have ambition — who want to make the world a better place. They empower innovators and researchers to deliver innovative solutions and products that won’t just reimagine the architecture, construction, and engineering industries, but do right by people and the planet.

We’ve known folks at various arms of Dar for years and know they’re as passionate as we are about tech, sustainability, and building great businesses.

We love Dar Ventures not just because they’re tech nerds (as we are), but because they explicitly want to change the physical world in which we live. Less than 5% of global VC funding gets allocated to businesses that want to change the so-called “built-up environment” — a figure we think is even lower in our part of the world.

Creative thinking about how to make our cities, public spaces, homes, offices, and factories better places isn’t optional — it’s an imperative. From rising temperatures to rising sea levels, few countries in the world are as exposed to the impact of climate change as we are.

The Enterprise Weekend Edition is available without charge solely thanks to the generous support of our advertisers. We’re delighted that the folks at Dar Ventures have chosen to help support our community.

The Enterprise Weekend Edition comes out each Friday at 9:00am CLT. We’ll be back on Sunday at 6am with Enterprise Egypt AM. Until then: Enjoy the weekend.

LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

ECONOMY-

#1- Goldman Sachs says we’re not ready for a devaluation: Under current conditions, it is unlikely that a managed devaluation would meet the Madbouly government’s policy objectives, nor does the bank see a full float taking place, it said in a report seen by Enterprise. Egypt should act now “to curb FX demand and build liquidity buffers ahead of any prospective attempt to clear the market through a devaluation of the official FX rate,” the bank advised.

#2- Reviews of Egypt’s IMF loan program near completion: The Fund’s long-stalled first and second reviews of Egypt’s loan program are in their final stages and are expected to be completed “in a few short weeks,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters this week on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. The Fund is preparing a “large amount” of additional funding to “give a dose of confidence to the Egyptian economy by enhancing the size of the support program.” Georgieva said. The Fund’s talks with Egypt have been about a more flexible exchange rate, but not a float of the EGP, she added.

PRIVATIZATION WATCH-

#1- New privatization program targets: Egypt aims to raise some USD 6.5 bn through the privatization of state-owned companies and assets by the end of the year, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said at the Annual Arab Fiscal Forum in Dubai. The target refers only to finalized sales made during 2024, a government source confirmed to Enterprise.

A large chunk of the USD 6.5 should be raised by June through stake sales of Wataniya, Gabal El Zeit wind farm, Port Said and Damietta Container & Cargo Handling companies, United Bank, and a Siemens-built power plant in Beni Suef, our source told us.

#2- More details came to light regarding the potential Ras El Hekma sale: The government and Talaat Moustafa Group could together retain a 20% stake in the North Coast’s Ras El Hekma after Abu Dhabi takes over the USD 22 bn project.

Refresher: Earlier in the week, GAFI head Hossam Hieba confirmed that officials were in talks about a potential investment and its size after days of rumors regarding the project and that an Emirati consortium had been picked to develop the 180 mn sqm parcel of land.

WAR WATCH-

Cairo played host to another round of Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks on Tuesday, featuring a number of Israeli, US, Qatari, and Egyptian officials, including CIA’s William Burns, head of Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet Ronen Bar.

Yet still no breakthrough on a ceasefire agreement: Negotiations on a ceasefire agreement were left unresolved, but mediators claimed to make “relatively significant” progress in the latest talks and are now focusing on “crafting a final draft” over a six-week ceasefire agreement, an unnamed Egyptian official said.

Attacks on Rafah:Israel launched airstrikes in Rafah this week, killing at least 100 Palestinians and injuring hundreds more. More than 1 mn displaced Palestinians are currently sheltering in the southern city of Gaza. Many of the Gazans in Rafah — originally designated as a safe zone by the Israeli military — have now begun to flee amid Israeli shelling and airstrikes this week and in growing anticipation of a ground invasion.

DIPLOMACY-

#1- Erdogan was in Cairo for the first time since 2012: Israel’s war on Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories topped the agenda when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. The two sides also discussed economy, trade, tourism, energy, and defense.

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#2- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva kicked off his Africa tour in Egypt: The president of fellow Brics member Brazil was in Egypt for two days of meetings this week. Lula met with President Abdelfattah El Sisi yesterday and the two sides signed MoUs on scientific research and livestock imports.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT WEEK-

The Madbouly government could name the new shareholder of Wataniya next week, after it received three final bids for a 30% stake of the fuel retailer, Al Masry Al Youm reported on Wednesday, citing what it said are senior government sources. Wataniya has been in the works for the past three years. Taqa Arabia was the only firm to have publicly declared interest in the filling station operator, but several other companies have been said to be lodging bids, including Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Shell.

The Egypt Energy Show is kicking off on Monday, 19 February at Egypt International Exhibition Center, New Cairo. The three-day event will gather 35k energy industry professionals and host over 80 conferences on energy transition and sustainable production.

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

AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

We questioned how old the leader of a country should be, after US President Joe Biden mistakenly described President Abdel Fattah El Sisi as the president of Mexico (watch, runtime; 12:35) at a press conference called to address claims in a special prosecutor’s decision not to recommend Biden be charged with mishandling state secrets. Not to be outdone, Trump has also recently confused the leaders of Hungary and Turkey, said he defeated Barack Obama (not Hilary Clinton) for the presidency, and confused his primary challenger, Nikki Haley, with former house speaker Nancy Pelosi.

EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell called on the US to cut weapon sales to Israel in response to a question about US President’s Biden’s comments last week that “the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top.” Meanwhile, a Dutch court has banned the sale of F-35 spare parts to Israel, upon ruling that there was “a clear risk” that the plane was being used for serious violations of international law in Gaza.

Global leaders and decision makers descended on the UAE to attend the World Governments Summit in Dubai, including several Egyptian officials who took to the stage. Madbouly was center stage for a 10-minute speech, where he touched on the private sector’s role in the economy and Egypt boosting its renewables capacity.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND- It’s going to be partly cloudy in the capital city today, with a high of 19°C, before it hits a nighttime low of 11°C. You can catch some sun tomorrow, with a high of 20°C and a nighttime low of 12°C.

HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND-

Don’t miss out on Mohamed Mounir, Ramy Sabry, and Sharmoofers taking the stageatFamily Park. The event will take place tonight with gates opening at 1pm and performances starting at 7pm. Get your tickets through Tazkarti.

Oud player Saad Al Oud and his band will be playing at Theatro Arkan this Saturday. The night of classical Egyptian music will open its doors from 7:30pm and begin at 8pm. You can get your tickets at Ticketsmarche.

Experience three days of three types of love at HydeOut with Bonds of Love. It started yesterday with Laugh is in the Air, followed by yesterday’s The Family Circle, and ending with Self Love tonights. Each day will feature live performances, immersive activities and endless delicious food. Get your tickets here.

In another of Mahmoud Saad’s live interviews, Ashraf Abdelbaki will be featured on stage this Saturday. Accompanying entertainment will be provided by Mai Farouk. Before you grab a ticket, keep in mind that this is a no-phone, filmed experience, meaning that you should expect to hand your phone over at the gate and be seen by friends and family on their TV screens at home.

HAPPENING NEXT WEEKEND-

Double Dribble Leagues has got all basketball enthusiasts covered. Running until next Friday, 23 February, the weekly mixed league hosted at the Maadi Sporting and Yacht Club is for anyone who wants to live out their baller dreams or stay fit while having fun.

How to keep your bones healthy as you age

No matter who you are, your bone tissue will change throughout your life. As you get older, the need to strengthen and maintain your bones becomes more and more prevalent because they naturally deteriorate, which is why we’ve compiled a guide on how to keep your bones healthy for all ages.

But first, what do healthy bones look like? Healthy bones should be dense and strong in order to support your body as it moves around, according to Healthdirect. At the same time, they should be flexible and able to renew using calcium, collagen, and bone marrow.

Why should you care? Bones are vital for movement and protecting your organs. When aging naturally makes them weaker, you are more fragile and prone to injuries, whether small or large. You can even develop osteoporosis, a chronic disease that makes your bones susceptible to breakage, and you might not even know it until you find yourself constantly injured.

Some poor bone health signs to look out for: You might notice your bone health deteriorating if your posture begins to slope, or if your back starts to hurt for no apparent reason. The most obvious sign will be an increase in the rate of injuries you experience.

To avoid these pains, and maintain your bone health as you age, follow these steps:

#1- A healthy diet: Since your bones rely on calcium, collagen, and bone marrow, your diet plays a significant role in maintaining their health. Each day, you should have at least three servings of food containing high amounts of calcium such as dairy products and firm tofu. Your weight also plays a role.

Going off that note, vitamin D is also important. Even if you’re upping your calcium intake, your body needs vitamin D to absorb it all. A good way to get this without supplements is oily fish like salmon, trout, or tuna, as well as mushrooms and eggs. Vegetables in general will do a good job at also improving bone density. And, of course, sunlight plays a role. If you’re still low on vitamin D, it’s time to look into supplements.

#2- Exercise: Strength training can strengthen both your bones and muscles. Examples of this would be weightlifting, pilates, or resistance training. Things like walking, hiking, running, etc., can all be useful ways of staying active to stay healthy.

#3- Maintain a healthy weight: If you are either over or underweight, the fragility of your bones is affected. When you’re underweight, you’re more at risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia. Having low body weight leads to similarly low bone density, especially in postmenopausal women, according to Healthline. If you are overweight, you increase the level of stress on your bones, making your body more prone to fractures.

At the same time, weight fluctuations play a role. If you lose and regain weight quickly, or lose a lot of weight too fast, you affect your bones because density might not be regained.

#5- Stop smoking: Smoking could reduce bone mass and increase your risk of fractures, among the long list of health detriments it causes. Alcohol can have similar effects so reducing or cutting out both of those from your lifestyle will improve your bone health along with our other tips above.

NOTE- Genetics play a big role in your bone mass, but supplementing that with lifestyle changes is ideal and necessary to improve or maintain your bone health.

The lone princess of Graceland. Plus: Enjoy what you do and let productivity “take care of itself”. A light meal on the waterfront

📽 AT THE MOVIES-

The glitz and the glam take a backseat in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, which doesn’t sugarcoat Elvis’ treatment of his former wife. Instead, the movie focuses on the development of their relationship starting when she was just a Junior in high school.

A portrait of isolation: You don’t get to see much of Elvis performing because Priscilla was rarely there to experience it with him and the movie makes it a point to highlight her solitude throughout their relationship using Priscilla’s memoir Elvis and Me with a modern perspective that now understands the offputting dynamics at play.

Pay attention to the makeup and wardrobe. Priscilla’s changing aesthetic symbolized her early naivete to her slowly coming into her own, which was made clear by Elvis’ demands over what she wore and looked like. The scene where he takes her shopping was particularly indicative of how he molded Priscilla to his liking.

The acting was impeccable. Cailee Spaeny who plays Priscilla was convincing as both a schoolgirl and as a mother. She maintained a sort of fragility that was prevalent throughout the movie and still there even when she stood up for herself. The way she took on the character really showed just how Priscilla fell for Elvis to the extent of shaping her whole life around him as he expected her to do.

Jacob Elordi also shined in his role. Playing Elvis, it was refreshing to see him presented without overdoing the typical accent and mannerisms. In a way, his demeanor seemed natural and we’d go as far as saying it came across better than Austin Butler’s Elvis. There wasn’t much of a presence of the supporting cast, but Elvis’s grandmother Dodger (Lynne Griffin) stole our hearts.

The lack of a presence of supporting characters makes you wonder just why no one ever interfered with the relationship. It was clear that Priscilla was mistreated while Elvis ran off and did as he pleased, and yet no one seemed to object to his behavior. That seems like a deliberate choice by Coppola to deliver the message of just how improper them being together was.

WHERE TO WATCH- Sun City,Plaza CineComfort, Arkan, Zawya and soon to be playing in Sea Cinema Arabella, CFC, and Scene.

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

This book argues that productivity isn’t about discipline — it’s actually about joy. In his first published book, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You, Youtuber and entrepreneur Ali Abdaal tries to make you feel good about what you do and let productivity “take care of itself”.

Productivity doesn’t have to be a chore: Using decades worth of psychology research, he determines that you can perform better only when you know how to turn a frustrating task into an enjoyable one. He claims that by incorporating this mindset and taking steps to implement it into your daily routine, you can make this mental switch.

How does one make the change you ask? It comes in threes. There are three “energisers” that boost happy productivity, three “blockers” that are getting in the way of that, and three “sustainers” that keep you going without falling off track. Abdaal will break each of these down using stories from successful people who live with this kind of structure.

In the era of hustle culture, this book is refreshing. It isn’t full of groundbreaking information, but it acts as a kind of cliff notes version of all the best feel-good and productivity practices. If you’re already well-versed on productivity psychology, this one might seem redundant to you but for anyone starting their journey it’s a great introduction.

WHERE TO FIND IT- Amazon.

🍴 HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Il Nilo delivers on elegance and taste. Located in Garden City, this Italian restaurant gives you an authentic experience all while staying true to its name, offering a stunning view from its waterfront location on the Nile. You’ll find all the usual suspects on the menu along with an assortment of fun drinks.

You can get the experience at any time of day. Breakfast is served from 9am to 2pm, giving you the option of sandwiches or a full Italian breakfast. The rest of the menu provides soups, pizza, pasta, coffee, cocktails, smoothies, juices, and dessert. We personally enjoyed the chicken mushroom soup, and the margarita pizza hit the spot. The pasta was delicious too, but we’d go back for the pizza.

Other than great food, you’ll get great service, and a fun environment. The prices can get a little high, but it will give you a warm ambience and a nice place to catch up with friends. Later in the night, the music picks up too.

We notice people are there more for a light meal than a big one. The majority of the customers were enjoying a drink and sharing a pizza rather than digging in, since the atmosphere is their biggest selling point. However, the food is still delicious but made to be more of a social experience.

💵 Per person: EGP 400-700

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: Yes

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes

Prince of Persia embraces its roots with a timeless return

The Persian Empire is on the brink of collapse, and it’s up to Sargon, a young member from The Immortals warrior clan of the Achaemenid Empire, to rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan from the cursed Mount Qaf. Betrayal, time warps, undead soldiers, and divine power… The perfect ingredients for a fun, engaging game, which Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is.

Despite the continuous annual releases of Prince of Persia games in the early 2000s, it’s been 13 years since the last new title. And instead of continuing its run of 3D platforms, Ubisoft has decided to turn the sands of time and go back to its 1989 roots.

This side-scroller is a 2.5D action adventure. Yup, 2.5D. If you’re not familiar with the term, this refers to when the gameplay is restricted to 2D graphics with little access to a 3D space. This makes geographic visualization a lot smoother and adds dimension to the digital environment. Prince of Persia doesn’t use this technique needlessly, which makes for beautiful level designs and paves the way for amazing animation that may or may not be a flex to promote Ubisoft Montpellier’s anime aspirations.

This isn’t the only time-honored tradition you’ll find in the game. The Lost Crown follows the Metroidvania layout — despite being a side-scroller, the map is non-linear to encourage exploration. There are multiple routes, secret pathways, and constant platform challenges that’ll keep you on your toes.

⌛ Hours of gameplay: 20-25 for 100% completion.

💵 Price: USD 49.99 for the Base Edition, USD 59.99 for the Deluxe Edition. Unpaid demos available.

👾 Platforms:Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox, and Epic Games for PC.

Another podcast that answers all the world's unnecessary questions

You should listen to Stuff You Should Know. If you’re looking to boost your general knowledge on random topics in a yet interesting and digestible way, then this podcast is for you.

Each episode focuses on explaining or debunking a particular theme, place, topic, or item. So if you’re wondering How Snails Work? Or If Reality is Real? They have it. The podcast is composed of two hosts Josh and Chuck who seemingly treat the podcast as their catch up session with the additional research and theories—which makes it an easy listen as if you have friends over for lunch.

It’s so PG that even your child can listen with you. They have topics ranging from science to history, which can be a beneficial listen outside of the classroom, but minus the teaching aspect. We suggest screening the podcast before joint listening since there are occasional slip ups of *language* and unsuitable or disputed facts, but nothing too concerning.

The caveat: They’re not professionals or experts in the field, but just ordinary people benefiting from the democratization of information through the internet. So, don’t take every fact you hear as truth and do your own little background search.

WHERE TO LISTEN:Stuff You Should Know is available on Spotify, iHeart, Youtube, and Apple Podcasts.

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

FEBRUARY

16 February (Friday): Amr Hassan concert at El Sawy.

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

16 February (Friday): Run for Gaza with TriFactory.

16 February (Friday): ROKN x ROOM concert at ROOM Garden City.

16 February (Friday): Game night at ROOM New Cairo.

16-17 February (Friday-Saturday): Football Access Summit at Zed Park.

17 February (Saturday): Ashraf Abdelbaki interviewed live by Mahmoud Saad.

17 February (Saturday): Gudran tour and workshop with Qahrawya.

17 February (Saturday): Saad El Oud concert at Theatro Arkan.

18 February (Sunday): Time Plus Tragedy comedy show by Rawabet Art Space.

19 February (Monday): Russell Peters standup show at Sports City Stadium.

21 February (Wednesday): Celebrating 100 Years of the Legendary Um Kalthoum at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

21-22 February (Wednesday-Thursday): Omar KhairatHafliti concert at the Cairo Opera House.

-23 February (Friday): Double Dribble Leagues weekly mixed basketball league.

24 February (Saturday): Fatma, Marcia and Rachel tour with Qahrawya.

24 February (Saturday): Gheer La2eq comedy show at Theatro Arkan.

MARCH

1 March (Friday): Cairo Half Marathon by Cairo Runners.

1 March (Friday): Tough Mudder Egypt by TriFactory.

2 March (Saturday): CSI Cairo by CluedUpp.

9 March (Saturday): Wadi Degla clean up event at Wadi Degla Protectorate.

11-12 March (Monday-Tuesday): Creative Industry Summit.

11 March (Monday): The Oscars

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 (TBC).

JULY

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

23 July (Tuesday): Revolution Day (TBC).

SEPTEMBER

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

OCTOBER

6 October (Sunday): Armed Forces Day.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2023: The inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

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

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