Good afternoon, ladies and gents. We’re just about over the midweek hump — and racing towards the upcoming long weekend.

PSA- Banks will be closed next Sunday, 8 January in observance of Coptic Christmas, the Central Bank of Egypt said in a statement today. Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly had announced the day will be a national holiday yesterday. We expect the EGX to follow suit with its own announcement later today or tomorrow.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

Qatar has its eye on Ramses Hilton: Qatari Al Kuwari Group has submitted an offer to acquire the Ramses Hilton hotel for USD 320 mn, Bloomberg Asharq reports, citing two sources close to the matter. The Arab International Company for Hotels and Tourism, which owns the hotel, is still negotiating with the Qatari group, one of the sources said.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

It’s another relatively mixed afternoon in the international business press. Picking up where we left off this morning, Ukraine’s deadly strike against Russian troops yesterday is still getting front-page play in CNBC and Reuters, while China getting covid-19 vaccines from the EU as Beijing struggles to contain its outbreak is on the front page of the Financial Times.

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** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

• GB Auto approves GB Lease stake sale: GB Auto’s board has approved plans to sell a 45% stake in GB Lease to our friends at Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Chimera Investments for EGP 855 mn.
• The Madbouly government reportedly agreed in December to purchase hedging contracts to guard against volatility in the oil markets.
• Misr Italia Properties has closed its second EGP 986 mn securitized bond issuance, as part of its EGP 2.5 bn securitization program.

ENTERPRISE IS LOOKING FOR SMART, TALENTED PEOPLE of all backgrounds to help us build some very cool new things. Enterprise — the essential daily read on what’s happening in business, finance, economics and policy in Egypt and the wider region — is looking for writers, reporters, and editors to help us build new publications. Today, we run three daily publications, five weekly industry verticals, and a monthly newsletter designed to make our readers feel just a bit smarter.

We have tons more in the pipeline — and we want you to join us. We offer the chance to work in a fast-paced newsroom on a broad range of topics and in a variety of formats. Our goal is simple: To create value for our growing community of readers by telling stories that matter.

We're looking for gifted story-tellers from all walks of life and across all professions, as long as they show a keen interest in learning to write about the stories, topics, businesses, and ideas moving markets. Egyptian and foreign nationals alike are welcome to apply. So are job-switchers: If you’re an equities analyst tired of the rat race, we’re a great place to come work.

NEVER WORKED IN A NEWSROOM BEFORE? We have the Enterprise Business Writing Development Program. Whether you are a recent graduate, an industry vet, or looking to switch careers, the Enterprise Business Writing Development Program will give you the tools you need to tell the most important stories to our audience of C-suite officials, government ministers, diplomats, financiers, investors, and entrepreneurs.

During the program you will learn:

• The key news stories and trends shaping business and the economy in Egypt and the region, across various sectors;
• Business and finance for non-finance people: Whether it's industry jargon, key concepts, or simply how to read a balance sheet;
• How to construct an Enterprise story: From idea formulation down to the structure, style, and tone of writing;
• How to develop sources that will give you the key insights needed to tell a complete story;
• How to communicate these stories with the confidence and language of an insider.

Not an internship program — a career: The four-month program will see full-time, paid participants take part in workshops and lectures from veteran business journalists, while also working on and filing stories that will run in our publications. Those who successfully complete the program will then be offered full-time positions on staff.

Apply directly to jobs@enterprisemea.com and mention “writing development program” in your subject line.

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???? CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The key news triggers as we start a new month:

• December’s Purchasing Managers’ Index for Egypt will land tomorrow.
• Foreign reserves figures for December should be out later this week.
• Inflation figures for December will be released on Tuesday, 10 January.
• The national dialogue will kick off on Saturday, 14 January.
• The government’s fuel pricing committee will meet this month to decide quarterly fuel prices.
• Global movers and shakers will descend on Davos for the World Economic Forum’s annual meetings on 16-20 January.
• The IMF will publish an updated World Economic Outlook towards the end of the month.

The EGX will be trialing an update (pdf) to its trading platform tomorrow and Thursday from 3pm to 4:30pm. The update includes changes to the way stocks’ daily closing price is calculated and approved.

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

☔ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Don’t forget your umbrellas, as there is a chance of showers

tomorrow in Cairo. Expect temperatures to hit 20°C tomorrow during the day before falling to 11°C at night, our favorite weather app tells us.