Green bonds ran the show last night: Vice Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk phoned in to Masaa DMC and (watch, runtime: 10:59) Yahduth Fi Misr (watch, runtime: 4:35) to discuss the country’s maiden green bond issuance, which took place on Tuesday. Kouchouk said the offering sends a signal to local and international investors that Egypt is committed to financing sustainable and environmentally-friendly projects. Kouchouk stressed that 100 investors participated in the offering, including 17 who have not invested before in the Middle East. The USD 3.3 bn in bids received has allowed the ministry to allocate these funds to the most serious and long-term investors. The country’s USD 1.9 bn portfolio of green projects includes renewable energy, waste management, sanitation, clean transportation projects as well as new cities and other projects designed to reduce pollution and emissions, he said. Al Hayah Al Youm's Mohamed Sherdy phoned Iman Abdel Azim, the director of international bonds at the Finance Ministry, to talk about the issuance (watch, runtime: 10:19).

El Sisi participates in UN biodiversity summit: Masaa DMC’s Ramy Radwan highlighted President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s participation in the biodiversity summit at the United Nations General Assembly. El Sisi said that Egypt is keen to support the efforts of the African continent in preserving biological diversity and stopping the degradation of nature. He added that Egypt launched a comprehensive initiative to integrate biodiversity into various specific sectors. (watch, runtime: 1: 34). Al Hayah Al Youm's Mohamed Sherdy (watch, runtime: 3:59) and Yahduth Fi Misr’s Sherif Amer (watch, runtime: 3:30) also covered the story. You can catch part of this speech here (watch, runtime: 2:50).

Gov’t support for tourism: Amer spoke with Tourism Minister Khaled El Enany, who praised the government’s decision to extend covid-19 support measures for tourism companies to the end of the year (more on this in this morning’s Speed Round, below). El Enany said the Red Sea has seen some 600k tourists since flights resumed on 1 July, and looked forward to Upper Egypt opening up to foreign visitors (watch, runtime: 11:23).

The Russkis are coming, vaccine in hand: Sherdy (watch, runtime: 4:22) and Ala Mas’ouleety’s Ahmed Moussa (watch, runtime: 12:34) also discussed Russia’s decision to distribute 25 mn doses of its Sputnik-V covid-19 vaccine in Egypt through Pharco. More on this in this morning’s What We’re Tracking Today, above.

Health insurance across Egypt: Moussa spoke with Assistant to the Health Minister, Ahmed Al Sobky, who discussed the implementation of the health insurance system and its cost in Port said (EGP 8 bn), Ismailia (EGP 12 bn), and Luxor (EGP 10 bn), where some 800k citizens have joined the system, out of of a total 2.8 mn citizens registered nationwide so far (watch, runtime: 10:34).