LEGISLATION WATCH- And speaking of the Ride-Hailing Act: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has signed it into law, Youm7 reports. The law, passed by the House of Representatives last month, had initially stirred up controversy over government access to private user data. The bill was then toned down to allow access to the authorities on a case by case basis as opposed to granting them access to real-time user data. The final text of the law was published on the Official Gazette on Sunday.

El Sisi also signed into law amendments to the Industrial Development Authority Act granting the IDA financial and administrative independence from the Trade and Industry Ministry. The changes also make it responsible for allocating land, permits and licenses to industrial ventures. The law was also published in the Official Gazette yesterday, according to Youm7.

El Sisi also signed off on the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Support Act. Under the new law, the Social Housing Fund and the Mortgage Finance Fund will be merged into a single entity to streamline mortgage financing procedures. The law also sets a framework for the pricing of land and state-subsidized housing, as well as the services that residents in those projects have access to.

The President also ratified the Food Cart Act, which governs permits, equipment, location, and food safety standards. It also subjects cart owners to an annual licensing fee.