Happy almost-THURSDAY, friends. It’s not the weekend yet, but this Wednesday afternoon is calm enough to start the slide into the end of the workweek.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

We have the dates for the long-awaited economic conference: The Madbouly government’s economic conference is scheduled for 23-25 ​​October, during which the business community and economic experts will be able to discuss Egypt’s economic situation with the government, according to a cabinet statement. Cabinet will release a detailed agenda and launch a website to receive proposals and opinions from the public next week, according to the statement. No details were provided on the planned location of the conference.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

Still topping the front pages in the international business press: The GBP’s continued decline, despite emergency measures from the Bank of England to try and cool markets by offering to buy up government debt. The bank warned of a “material risk to UK financial stability” following chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax cuts and borrowing plan, while raising prospects of a further “tightening of financing conditions and a reduction of the flow of credit to the real economy.” The GBP fell 1.5% against the USD following the news, and is now trading at USD 1.055. (Financial Times | Reuters | CNBC | The Guardian)

MEANWHILE- Sabotage suspicions deepen with the Nord Stream leak: Two seismic shakings resembling blasts were recorded on Monday, the same day gas leaks from the Russian-owned pipelines were discovered in Swedish and Danish waters, Reuters reports, citing data from Denmark's Geological Survey. Swedish prosecutors say they are reviewing material from a police investigation into the damage to decide on further actions, the newswire reports.

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

• IMF program by the end of this month? EGP to 24? A mood of “cautious optimism”? These are some of the suggestions in a new report from Goldman Sachs, which recently sent a team to Egypt to talk to figures from the private- and public-sectors.
• El Sisi wants import woes fixed within two months: Import challenges facing manufacturers will be solved within two months, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said yesterday.
• Wataniya, Safi to hit the EGX by year-end: The Sovereign Fund of Egypt plans to take military-owned filling station Wataniya and bottled water company Safi public on the EGX before the end of 2022.

???? CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Kuwaiti investors are visiting next week: A delegation of Kuwaiti investors headed by the President of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Jassim Al Saqer, is landing in Egypt on Saturday, Egypt's ambassador to Kuwait Osama Shaltout told reporters yesterday, Masrawy reported. The delegation will include 48 investors interested in investing in several sectors of the Egyptian economy including real estate and telecoms.

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

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Temperatures in Cairo will hit 38°C tomorrow during the day before falling to 24°C at night, our favorite weather app tells us.