Egypt

Military agency Mostakbal Misr hires ex-Cargill exec to restore credibility on cereals

A highly experienced figure has recently been recruited to oversee wheat and vegetable oil imports at the state agency, a move aimed at reassuring Cairo's long-standing suppliers, who were unsettled by the air force's foray into strategic food procurement more than a year ago.

The New Guard
Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Egypt

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

Ivory CoastAmadou Diawara, putting cyber security at the service of states

Guinea-BissauFatumata Jau, number one partner of international donors

EgyptMostafa Talaat, a gold prospector with big dreams

Cairo and Athens press on with underwater electricity project

The Egyptian government has announced the signing of an agreement between the network operators of Egypt and Greece and a Greek company.

Sissi's delicate balancing act since the fall of El Fasher

Confronted with the threat of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo's forces, Cairo is seeking to provide more support to the regular army, which has now been mobilised to defend the city of El Obeid. But for the Egyptian military, direct involvement in the conflict is a red line.

Wheat importers take the heat from Kyiv

In a letter to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ukrainian ambassador in Cairo has identified the importers susceptible of being put on Kyiv's recent black list.

On the point of selling its Egyptian assets, the junior Energean looks to Angola

The junior oil company is working to sell some of its mature licences in order to focus on other more profitable areas. Angola is one of its new potential targets.

Businessman Mohamed El Garhy fronts Egypt's bid for Sudanese gold

Backed by the General Intelligence Service, the El Garhy Steel Group owner has teamed up with Sudanese partners to invest in gold and iron mines, as Cairo moves to bolster central bank reserves.

Cairo receives new Iranian emissary

The Iranian deputy foreign minister came to follow up on the Islamic republic's head of diplomacy, Abbas Araghchi's visit.

Damascus dispatches intelligence chief to Cairo

The head of the Syrian intelligence services travelled to the Egyptian capital in early September with 11 senior officials from the defence, interior and foreign affairs departments.

French wheat, snubbed by Algiers, breaks through Egyptian market

French trader Soufflet and Singaporean company Olam are set to deliver around 200,000 tonnes of wheat to Egypt. This represents an attractive new market for French grain following Algeria's decision to freeze imports of this commodity.

Two candidates wrangle for African support in UNESCO leadership run

With the election of the future head of the UN institution looming on the horizon, the race for support has gathered momentum, but not without a few hiccups.

First Egyptian wheat trader sanctioned by Kiev

Adamz Grain is accused of having bought wheat harvested in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia (in the east of the country).

Sovereign Fund of Egypt boss among women under the spotlight in Paris

The Paris Institut du Monde Arabe is giving pride of place to several prominent women from the Arab world on 14 October. Among them, Noha Khalil, who heads the Sovereign Fund of Egypt.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi secures power behind the veil of a multiparty system

Businessman Ibrahim al-Arjani controls a new party committed to the cause of the president, in coordination with the head of state's son Mahmoud al-Sisi.

First delivery of French wheat for Egyptian military

European traders Soufflet and Louis Dreyfus are about to dispatch 180,000 tonnes of wheat from French ports, a symbolic victory for the Mostakbal Misr agency, which is struggling to impose its credibility.