Good afternoon, wonderful people, and a very happy almost-THURSDAY. It’s shaping up to be a very gentle newsday today, putting us in the Thanksgiving mood. We wish joyful preparations to all our US friends and family as they gear up for tomorrow’s holiday.

ICYMI- US President Joe Biden pardoned Chocolate and Chip on Monday.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

Are talks between TE and Qatar’s sovereign fund over Vodafone Egypt getting serious? Bloomberg Asharq is reporting that the Qatar Investment Authority has “accelerated talks” with Telecom Egypt over the purchase of a 20% stake in Vodafone Egypt. The Qataris are reportedly offering more than USD 1 bn for the stake. QIA and the national telecoms provider have reportedly been in talks over the transaction since September, while the Saudi and Abu Dhabi sovereign funds have also been eyeing a piece of Vodafone Egypt.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The business press is honing in on Credit Suisse’s less than optimistic 4Q forecast: The lender is expecting losses of USD 1.6 bn for the quarter after its richer clients withdrew up to 10% of their assets in the past few months. CNBC, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times all have coverage. Meanwhile, US lawmakers are getting drawn into the Musk/Twitter drama, the WSJ reports.

HAPPENING NOW-

A good day to head to the museum: The Tourism Ministry has waived entry fees to its museums and archeological sites nationwide for citizens and tourists alike today, to mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, according to a ministry statement. As it happens, you’ll still have to pay to visit the tomb of Tutankhamun itself, as well as those of Seti I, Ramses VI ,and Nefertari in Luxor, and the Pyramids of Giza.

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

• Cairo-born mass transport app Swvl carried out a second wave of layoffs in a bid to stem losses, the company already let go a third of its global workforce this year amid tough economic conditions.
• MENA-focused venture capital firm Modus Capital and our friends at USAID have launched MV Builder II, an Egyptian venture builder targeting startups working to drive digital inclusion among women and underserved populations.
• MPs gave their final approval to a number of legislative amendments focused on regulating telecommunications, compensating contractors for losses on state contracts, and property registration in new cities.

The Enterprise Climate X Forum is fast approaching, and we’re incredibly excited to meet with some of you in Cairo at the Grand Egyptian Museum on Tuesday, 6 December 2022. We get underway with a networking breakfast at 8am CLT.

What’s on the table? CEOs, execs, bankers and development finance folks will mull over a variety of topics, including:

• What’s this green hydrogen mumbo-jumbo you speak of?
• How are leaders building green businesses — from scratch, or as retrofits to decades-old family enterprises?
• How do we pay for it all?
• What do you really think of the green economy?

With that in mind, we’ll be dropping little notices in stories and topics we intend to explore more of at the forum. Study up if you’re coming.

Some of the biggest names in business and finance are on board — are you? If you’re a C-suite exec, business owner, climate professional, DFI staff, investor or banker, please email us at climatexrsvp@enterprisemea.com to signal your interest, letting us know your name, title and where you work. You can learn more on our conference website here.

*** YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND by clicking the link on your registration email. Attendance is by invitation only. You’ll need a special QR code to gain access to the GEM on event day.

???? CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The deadline to apply for the Chicago Booth Executive Program in El Gouna is Sunday, 27 November. The two-week program, which kicks off in March 2023, offers executives from Egyptian public and private sector the skills to help them “become a better leader for your organization and support Egypt’s growth in the years ahead.”

Payment and fintech conference Pafix will be held as part of Cairo ICT 2022 from 27-30 November at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo.

The US and Russia will hold nuclear talks in Cairo next week: Washington and Moscow will discuss resuming mutual nuclear inspections during week-long talks from Tuesday, 29 November through to 6 December, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to CNN.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect the mercury to rise to 24°C during the day tomorrow before falling to 16°C at night, our favorite weather app tells us.