Happy Eid, folks + where to fix your Apple devices in Egypt

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

TODAY: Happy Eid al-Fitr + the IMF’s recommendations for our economy and more from last week

Good morning, friends, and happy (almost) last day of Ramadan. We hope you have a wonderful Eid Fitr with your loved ones and get a chance to relax and kick back as pretty much the whole country is out until Wednesday, 26 April.

This is the last time you’ll see Enterprise in your inbox before next Wednesday, when we all return from a much-needed long Eid break and Sinai Liberation Day.

Not enough holidays for you? We’re getting yet another long weekend very soon after Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly made Thursday, 4 May a holiday for the public and private sector to mark Labor Day, which falls on 1 May.

Enterprise Weekend comes out on the first day of every weekend (which is usually Friday save for long weekends like this) at 9:00am CLT.

LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS-

It was a short work week but the news never slept, with the latest talk on the privatization program, the formation of an investment council, some key energy and M&A news. Not to mention a potential civil war erupting with our neighbor to the south. Let’s get to it.

The IMF wants to see progress on privatization before a loan review…: The lender wants to see progress on privatizing state-owned companies and moving to a flexible exchange rate before it goes ahead with the first review of the country’s USD 3 bn assistance package, Bloomberg reported last week. The review had been expected by 15 March 2023 under the terms of the package.

…as well as a slowdown of national infrastructure projects: IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva urged the government to curb the pace of large-scale infrastructure projects to get through the current challenging macroeconomic environment.

The positives: The lender said it had “fruitful discussions” with the Egyptian authorities in preparation for the first review on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings last week, where the two sides discussed the implementation of the state privatization program and the outlook for the Egyptian economy.

MEANWHILE- President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a presidential decree to set up the Supreme Investment Council, as part of efforts to boost investment and stimulate economic growth. The new council reportedly seeks to eliminate obstacles to new investment and accelerate licensing for new projects, as well as help create an environment that is more conducive to investment. That includes monitoring the progress of state institutions in implementing investment plans, following up on public-private partnerships, and setting mechanisms for settling investment disputes.

ENERGY-

#1- Eni is reportedly preparing to start drilling an exploration well at its Mediterranean North East Hap’y concession in September, local press reported. Belayim Petroleum Company (Petrobel) — Eni’s 50/50 joint venture with the EGPC — will reportedly handle the drilling of the Orion X1 well, which is expected to cost USD 130 mn. The well is 70% owned by Eni and 30% by London-headquartered oil and gas company Energean.

#2- Energy major Chevron is reportedly looking for a drilling vessel to explore for more natural gas off Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel to help fulfill increasing demand for energy in Europe and the region. The company reportedly issued a tender to lease the vessel starting in 2024. The move comes as the company is working to exploit Cyprus’ Aphrodite field with its partners Shell and Israel’s NewMed Energy, with plans to export much of that gas to Egypt for liquefaction. Chevron and Eni also announced a significant discovery in the eastern Mediterranean in January. The gas deposit has been said to hold 3.5 ton cubic feet of natural gas though we’re still waiting on the companies and the Oil Ministry to confirm its size.

M&A WATCH-

#1- Egytrans’ board of directors approvedthe acquisition of trucking firm the National Transport and Overseas Services Company (NOSCO), which would see the company acquire 99.9% of NOSCO’s shares via a share swap and would value NOSCO at around EGP 174.1 mn, according to our math. The acquisition has been in the works since at least October, when Egytrans the two were exploring a share swap arrangement. The company said in March that it expected to close the transaction during the first half of the year.

#2- Meanwhile, in startup land: Nigeria-based car financing platform Autochek is making its first foray into Egypt after acquiring a majority stake in local automotive startup AutoTager — a digital platform that allows people to sell their cars and access financing to buy new ones.

DIPLOMACY-

Springtime for Egyptian-Turkish relations: Egypt and Turkey will soon reappointambassadors and formally reestablish diplomatic ties following a decade of hostilities, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry agreed during Shoukry’s visit to Ankara. The two diplomats also agreed to collaborate on developing and strengthening a unified military force in Libya, as well as developing a timeline for holding elections in the country, easing a key source of tensions between them.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT WEEK-

Could the state’s privatization program pick up steam following the Eid break?Several stories we picked up on this week seem to suggest so:

#1- Jeffries Int’l is expecting an announcement on the program: “We are expecting announcements of state stake sales” after Eid El Fitr, Jefferies International MENA analyst Alia Moubayed told Asharq Business (watch, runtime: 7:56) on Sunday.

#2- United Bank announcement coming? The Madbouly cabinet intends to choose one of two shortlisted offers for a stake in state-owned United Bank “immediately after Eid,” Asharq Business reported last week, citing a source it says has knowledge of the matter.

Speaking of which, the Kuwait Investment Authority is not involved in a potential stake acquisition in United Bank, the authority said in a statement yesterday.

#3- Continental Hotel PPP conditions: The Public Enterprises Ministry will release the conditions of its planned tender for a private partner to refurbish Cairo’s historic Continental Hotel after the Eid break, Hapi Journal quotes Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels head Mervat Hataba as saying last week.

PSA- Daylight savings is coming the Friday of next week: That’s right, folks. Get ready for some semi-jet lagged confusion and tardiness as Friday, 28 April, will be the first day of daylight savings — our first since 2016 — which will see Cairo Local Time (CLT) pushed forward by one hour. The move, which breezed through the House of Representatives earlier this month, was made with an eye towards potentially cutting down our natural gas consumption.

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

YOUR MOST CLICKED LINKS-

We were very happy to see many are requesting invitations to the Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum. (Exports + FDI)
Central Bank of Egypt governor Hassan Abdalla’s statements on macroeconomic pressures facing Egypt and what our economy needs on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. (CNBC)
Our story on the new Supreme Investment Council President Abdel Fattah El Sisi plans to establish. (Enterprise)
The AI-generated photo that snagged a prestigious photography award. (Photo)

AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS-

Violence in Sudan dominated headlines over the past week. Clashes that erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, last week claimed over 200 lives since Saturday. The rival forces had been in a delicate power sharing agreement amid Sudan’s planned transition to civilian rule following mass protests that in 2019 ousted the country’s former leader. While the two sides had agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire on Tuesday, both sides accused each other of violating it within hours of the agreement.

THE LATEST- The first wave of Egyptian soldiers who were caught up in the fighting in Sudan have returned to Cairo safely last night, stateTV announced late yesterday (watch, runtime: 0:41). A separate statementfrom the Armed Forces stressed that Egypt was working with the various sides in Sudan to secure the release of all Egyptian soldiers, who were there as a part of a joint training mission with their Sudanese counterparts. The move comes after the RSF pledged to cooperate with Egypt on their safe return.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Read our explainer on the situation in Sudan here.

Russia also got attention in international headlines after Russian President Vladmir Putin visited Russian-held territories in Ukraine last week, in a round of military visits. The visit comes amidst Ukraine’s preparation for a new counteroffensive to redeem occupied territories.This marks his second trip, following his visit last month to the Crimea region and the city of Mauripol.

Syria also featured widely in the foreign press following ameeting of regional foreign ministers in Jeddah last week to bring the country back into the fold. The meetingended without reaching a consensus on welcoming Syria back into the Arab League. The top diplomats from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and the GCC countries agreed to “intensify consultations” to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis, the Saudi foreign ministry said, but stopped short of announcing they would look to readmit Syria into the league. The topic will likely be tabled at the next Arab League meeting in the KSA in May, according to AP.

☀️ THE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND- We’re in for yet another warm, sunny weekend: The mercury is set to rise to 27°C today and tomorrow, before rising further to 30°C on Saturday. Overnight lows will hover around 11-14°C throughout the weekend.

What you need to do to get your Apple device fixed in Egypt

How to fix your Apple device in Egypt: It stands to reason that many of us (particularly those with the little ones at home) have dropped their phones one time too many or spilled a cup of coffee across their brand new laptop. And with the EGP being where it is and Apple products costing an arm and a leg, replacing your device may not really be feasible. And with the very finite strength of phone and laptop covers, the need for coffee at the workstation, and the brand loyalty of iSheep being what it is (not to mention the surprising strength of those very same little ones), fixing a broken Apple product may be the only recourse.

If only it was that simple: Fixing a broken Apple gadget is not only expensive, but also near impossible — with an emphasis on the “near.” And since many of us here at Enterprise Global HQ are traveling with families over the break while being iSheep and coffee addicts with a propensity to rage fling their phones, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to hack this problem.

Why is fixing your devices even a problem?The difficulty of repairing Apple products in Egypt boils down to several factors such as the availability of certified repair centers, access to genuine Apple parts, and technical expertise. And while Apple-authorized resellers in Egypt are certified to make repairs, the price tags they charge for changing a screen or a battery will hurt your wallet.

Apple-authorized store ≠ repair shop: There are two authorized resellers of Apple stores in Egypt: Tradeline and Switch Plus. Both of these chains have service stores and shopping stores, which means not any store will accept your request to repair your device. Which means you have to find one of only six service stores in the whole country, book an appointment then live without said device for 3-5 business days while they repair it.

That’s right, dear reader, you read that correctly. There are a total of six Tradeline and Switch Plus service stores in all of Egypt. There’s Switch Plus’ Mohandessin, Degla, Smouha, or Downtown Mall branches for repairs, or Tradeline’s Concord Mall, City Stars, or Mall of Arabia service stores.

The more widely available and cheaper option is the plethora of non-authorized Apple repair services.iFix, Salsapeel, and iRepair are among the most trusted among iSheep and sales reps we’ve spoken to.

A house favorite is Salsapeel— a very cloak-and-dagger operation that charges premium-adjacent prices. A number of us at Enterprise have tried their fixes and were very happy with the speed and quality of the repair.

And these come with some added benefits: iFix will come where you are and fix it on the spot with what they claim are genuine Apple parts. It takes a maximum of 20 minutes, according to their pages. Not only do they assert that the parts they use are genuine Apple components and not just high-quality copies, they back it up by offering you generous warranties.iRepair, for instance, provides a 12-month warranty on most of its spare parts, and is one of the least expensive repair services we’ve seen.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS- We called up a few stores to find out what to expect if we needed to fix one of our Apple products. Here’s what we found out.

iPHONES-

The authorized reseller route: A screen change Switch Plus or Tradeline will cost you a minimum of EGP 14.3k and take 3-5 business days, depending on the model of your phone. Changing your phone battery costs less, with a cool EGP 3.7k at Tradeline and EGP 3.9k at Switch Plus.

The cheaper alternative: iFix claims to change iPhone screens for almost half the price listed above, at EGP 8k. Getting your phone a new screen from Salsapeel will cost you EGP 10.5k, or EGP 8k if you’re willing to downgrade from genuine components to a high-copy. iFix charges EGP 1.6k for a battery change — which they say takes 20 minutes — and a six-month warranty. Both iRepair and Salsapeel charge an additional 1k for the same repair, claiming that genuine batteries aren’t available on the market and that theirs is the next best thing.

MACBOOKS-

Macbooks are a little trickier. A representative at Tradeline explained that macbook repairs are priced on a case-by-case basis, which is why you have to visit the store for an assessment first. The same goes for Switch Plus. The price will also depend on the FX rate, according to the sales rep, who explained that because authentic Apple components are shipped from abroad on a custom order basis, how much it’ll cost you is contingent on how much the USD runs for on the day it arrives in Egypt.

Prices at authorized sellers have us wishing they made kevlar Macbook covers:Macbook screen changes will cost you upwards of EGP 30k, or approximately 2.83 kidneys.

What about the unauthorized folks? Macbook screens unfortunately lie outside of iFix’s scope, but Salsapeel will charge 24k to come to your rescue. iRepair once again charges the least of the pack, with a screen change setting you back EGP 14k and it comes with a (you guessed it) six-month warranty.

OTHER APPLE PRODUCTS-

There’s no fixing a broken iPad screen or Apple Watch at the authorized reseller:If the screen or the battery get busted, authorized resellers in Egypt cannot repair them. But they can switch them out if without charge they’re still under warranty. If your warranty has expired, you can get it replaced for just 90% of the price, which comes down to a measly EGP 33.6k for the iPad Pro 11 and EGP 13.6k for a Series 7 Apple Watch.

Naturally, the alternative route is cheaper: Salsapeel and get your iPad screen fixed for EGP 20k. They will also repair your Apple Watch’s screen for EGP 5.5k. iFix, which claims it can repair all broken screens, prices Apple Watch screen replacements at EGP 5k.

Goodbye, kunafa. Hello, kahk el Eid + give the late actor Alan Rickman’s posthumous diaries a read

EID INNOVATIONS-

Kahk season is upon us: The end of Ramadan is usually the beginning of our collective Kahk binge. With that in mind, we dipped into grandma’s recipe to make a whopping 135 biscuits, which should be enough to tie us over until the 6 October holiday.

Ingredients:

1kg (or 8 cups) of all-purpose flour
65g (or half a cup) of powdered sugar, setting extra aside for coating
40g (or one fourth of a cup) toasted sesame seeds (optional)
6g (or one and a half teaspoons) of baking powder
1 teaspoon instant yeast (optional), or one piece of brewer’s yeast
An eighth of a teaspoon of salt
10g (or one tablespoon) of Reehit Kahk (Kahk Essence)
1g vanilla powder (or a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract)
568g (or two and a half cups) of ghee or clarified butter, brought to a boil
160g (or two thirds of a cup) of milk at room temperature

Instructions:

Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 160°C.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, sesame seeds (if using), baking powder, instant yeast (if using), salt, Kahk Essence and vanilla powder until well combined.
Add the ghee and mix until well-blended and the dry ingredients are evenly coated. Continue mixing until the dough turns creamy and paste-like.
Gradually pour in the milk. Continue mixing until the dough comes together. To test if the dough is mixed enough, roll a medium-sized piece of dough between your hands, then gently press on it. If the dough cracks, knead the dough for a few more seconds, then repeat the test. Do not overmix.
Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop out the dough and place on a baking sheet. You should have approximately 135 scoops.
Roll the dough into a smooth ball, making sure there are no cracks.
Arrange the dough balls onto a silicon mat or parchment paper on the baking sheet, leaving knuckle-sized space between each one.
Press lightly on the dough with a Kahk stamper or decorate with authentic Kahk shaping tools (mon’ash). If not, make a cross hatch design using a fork, or simply leave plain.
Bake until blond on top and the bottom takes on a light golden brown color; about 20 minutes.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Using a small sieve, dust the Kahk with a generous amount of powdered sugar.
Serve or store in a container.

If you’re the Kahk bil Agameyya or Kahk bil Malban type, check out these variations by famous Egyptian baker Cleobuttera, where she walks you through preparing and using Kahk fillings.

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Hans Alan Rickman is a riveting telling of the late, great actor’s life in his own words. Covering a period beginning in 1974, when he started his career, all the way to 2016 when he died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 69, this gripping memoir is as intimate as it gets when looking at the life of Alan Rickman. It gives an inside look into his experience with show business — from his thoughts on his fellow castmates to wise musings on the field. Through his writings, we discover that Rickman was not only a talented and beloved actor but also a traveler and friend whose candid writing is both approachable and enjoyable. The book even has a foreword by the actor’s lifetime friend and colleague Emma Thomspon.

REMEMBERING RICKMAN: The actor’s career was rich and long — and part of his legacy is his instantly memorable slow, deep and languid tone, and the villains he played. Among his most famous roles are Professor Snape in the Harry Potter series and Colonel Brandon in the adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. But for many of us here, he is remembered for playing arguably the greatest movie villain of all time: Die Hard’s Hans Gruber.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find your copy of Rickman’s memoirs at any Diwan Bookstore branch near you, or you can order it online here. For the paperless among us, you can download the Kindle version instead.

🍴 HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Want to have a final night of Ramadan deliciousness, but done with set menus? Umami shall oblige. Located in New Cairo’s Garden 8, Umami’s menu during the holy month features five main courses to choose from — including roz maamar with pigeon and akkawi tagine — as well as rice and a flurry of hot and cold mezzes. The menu also tops it off with classic desserts like Om Ali and rice pudding. The restaurant also offers suhoor (and breakfast) spreads of all the Ramadan staples, in addition to a mouthwatering feteer meshaltet. House chef Tarek Ibrahim suggests you order your pigeon with rice early because things take time to taste this good.

💵Per person: EGP 600-750

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes

The Elephant Whisperer explores how animals are like human beings

“The Elephant Whisperers” reminds us that we do not deserve animals: The endearing documentary (a rare recent hit from Netflix) explores the life of a South Indian couple — Bomman and Bellie — who spend three years caring for a baby elephant called Raghu at a wildlife sanctuary in India. In a manner almost reminiscent of an old family home movie, the documentary shows us heartwarming scenes of baby elephants comforting the couple, or with one of the elephants playing football with the children of the community, reminding us that not a whole separates animals and humans. The 41-minute long feature was released last December, and snagged an Oscar in the documentary short film category. The documentary features breathtaking visuals, heartwarming empathy, and of course, gigantic elephant cuteness.

WHERE TO STREAM IT IN EGYPT-Netflix.

Classics, explained with a modern twist

Classical Stuff You Should Know is nothing like the yawn-inducing required classes you took in college. Unlike your stuffy college professor, the hosts of this podcast walk us through some of history’s most foundational writings and events — from Plato’s dialogues to the War of the Roses — with humor and wit.

Even in a history podcast, you can’t escape ChatGPT: In “The Pomposity of ChatGPT”, the hosts leap from the past into the future by considering how, among other things, culture could potentially be “stuck” with the advent of AI. As the creation of new media by bots relies mostly on pre-existing datasets the issue of innovation, and its possible end, is examined. By extending this same concern to writing, the hosts explore how the way we create anything, from emails to academic writing, will be limited by existing data sets and algorithms. One important question, then, is: How do writers find a voice and style amidst these constraints?

WHERE TO GET IT-You can listen to the episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon’s Audible.

THE ENTERPRISE ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

APRIL

20-25 April (Thursday-Tuesday): National holiday in observance of Eid El Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day.

21-26 April (Friday-Wednesday): LaLiga Egypt Football Camp, Xanadu Hotel, Makadi Bay, Hurghada.

25 April (Tuesday): Sinai Liberation Day.

MAY

1 May (Monday): Labor Day.

1 May (Monday): Backstreet Boys at 7pm, ZED East, New Cairo.

4 May (Thursday): National holiday in observance of Labor Day (TBC).

6-20 May (Saturday-Saturday): Film Society Festival for Egyptian Cinema.

12-15 May (Friday-Monday): Egypt Fashion Week.

JUNE

10 June (Saturday): Thanaweya Amma examinations begin.

28 June-2 July (Wednesday-Sunday): Eid El Adha (TBC).

30 June (Friday): June 30 Revolution Day.

JULY

18 July (Tuesday): Islamic New Year.

20 July (Thursday): National holiday in observance of Islamic New Year (TBC).

23 July (Sunday): Revolution Day.

27 July (Thursday): National holiday in observance of Revolution Day.

SEPTEMBER

26 September (Tuesday): Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (TBC).

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

OCTOBER

6 October (Friday): Armed Forces Day.

13 October- 20 October (Friday-Friday): The sixth edition of El Gouna Film Festival (GFF).

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2023: The inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

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