Spotlight

Egypt’s Inflation Drops, IMF Cuts a Check, and Fuel Subsidies Face the Clock

Well, that escalated—or rather, de-escalated—quickly.

Egypt’s annual inflation rate took a nosedive to 12.5% in February, down from 23.2% in January, marking its lowest level in three years.

🔎 What’s behind the drop? CAPMAS credits slower food price increases, especially for veggies, tea, and cocoa. Analysts also point to a base effect—since inflation hit a brutal 38% peak in September 2023, today’s numbers look like a sharp cooldown.

⛽️ Fuel subsidies on the chopping block - The IMF’s Dr. Mohamed Maait confirmed that Egypt will fully lift fuel subsidies by December 2025. While this is meant to streamline energy pricing and trim budget deficits, it also raises concerns for low-income households that rely on those subsidies to keep fuel affordable.

💰️ IMF opens the vault - The fund just approved a $1.2 billion loan tranche as part of its $8 billion extended support program, signaling confidence in Egypt’s economic reforms. With inflation in check and interest rates stable since March 2024, the country seems to be steering towards fiscal stability—but the road ahead isn’t exactly pothole-free.

👉 Dive deeper here.

💰️ The Deal Sheet

Your weekly roundup of the biggest IPOs, startup funding rounds, and finance deals—who’s raising, how much, and what they’re planning next.

IPOs

➡️ Micropolis, a robotics company specializing in autonomous mobile robots, raised funds through an NYSE IPO and will use them for R&D, scaling production, and enhancing AI-driven automation in logistics and urban services. 👉️ Dive deeper here.

Startup & VC Funding

➡️ Aya, an e-commerce platform focused on modest fashion, secured funding from Khwarizmi Ventures and other investors to expand its product range, refine trend prediction, and empower local manufacturers. 👉️ Dive deeper here.

➡️ Ajras, a proptech startup providing “Rent Now, Pay Later” solutions, secured backing from Veda Holding to enhance its platform, streamline transactions, and scale its financing solutions for commercial and industrial rentals. 👉️ Dive deeper here.

🌎 Global Eye

World news that affects us!

🤖 AI Without a Leash - China has unveiled Manus, an AI agent that operates fully independently, executing complex tasks without human input.

🧠 Thinking for Itself - Unlike chatbots that require prompts, Manus proactively analyzes, plans, and acts—whether it’s researching apartments or building websites from scratch.

⚡️ Game Changer or Threat? - With the ability to manage multi-step workflows and delegate to specialized AI agents, Manus signals a leap toward autonomous AI—but also raises concerns over job displacement and accountability.

👉️ See how it works here.

🌶️ Startup Sizzle 🌶️ is a series of bite-sized interviews hosted by our very own Salma El Maghraby with the region's most promising founders, bringing you the inside scoop on the next big thing!

In this week’s Startup Sizzle, we chat with Amer Baroudi, CEO of nsave, on how their fintech solution boosts financial inclusion in the developing world, helping people protect and grow their savings.

👉 Watch the episode here.

The Net Zero Myth: Carbon Markets Explained

🏄️ Surfing the Web

The best things we stumbled upon on the internet this week.

🇶🇦 The Qatar Perspective - Tucker Carlson sits down with Qatar’s Prime Minister to discuss cultural imperialism, global hypocrisy, and what critics of the country get wrong. 👉️ Watch here.

🚗 Egypt’s Auto Market Hits a Roadblock - Egypt’s car market is slamming into policy roadblocks, with new government restrictions sidelining independent importers and giving major dealerships full control again. A decision to release thousands of cars stuck in customers came with conditions so tight they haven’t moved an inch. With soaring prices, fewer choices, and growing frustration, the industry is looking more like the pre-2006 monopoly days. 👉️ Dive deeper here.

🚢 China’s Big Play for African Ports - Chinese firms are now involved in over a quarter of Africa’s ports, building, financing, and operating key trade hubs across the continent. While this investment boosts infrastructure, it also raises big questions about sovereignty, security, and military influence. Some ports could be repurposed for Chinese naval expansion, mirroring China’s Djibouti base. As China strengthens its foothold, Africa faces a balancing act—economic growth vs. geopolitical risks. 👉️ Dive deeper here.

🍎 Apple’s AI Rollercoaster - One moment, Apple is hyping up its AI-powered Siri, the next, it’s walking back key features. A recent Stratechery deep dive explores why Apple’s AI strategy feels both promising and problematic—with delays, security risks, and a platform play that could reshape its future. 👉️ Dive deeper here.

🤝 About this newsletter

We are writing this newsletter to break down the biggest stories shaping business, startups, and the future of the Arab world. Whether it’s market moves, funding rounds, policy shifts, or the next unicorn in the making—we connect the dots so you don’t have to.

More than just news, we bring you insights on how trends, entrepreneurs, and investors are shaping the region’s future. Expect this in your inbox every week—quick, sharp, and packed with what you need to know.

If you have any feedback, ideas, or topics we should cover, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can hit reply to this email or find us on LinkedIn. We actually read our messages.

The WAYA Team