Weekly Rundown of Top 10 Trending News

Updated 12/26/2025 9:00:00 AM

Arab Finance: The fourth week of December ended with key developments in the economic sector, topped by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) agreement for Egypt’s fifth and sixth reviews under the EEF program.

Here is a list of the most important news during the week:

1-IMF reaches staff-level agreement on Egypt’s 5th, 6th reviews under EFF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Egypt on the fifth and sixth reviews under the Extended Fund Facility (EEF) and the first review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

2-El-Sisi issues decree forming CBE board for 1-year term

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has issued presidential decree No. 733 of 2025, forming the board of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) for a one-year term, effective November 27th, as published by the Official Gazette.

3-FRA-regulated financing tops EGP 1T for 1st time

Financing granted by entities regulated by the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) exceeded EGP 1 trillion for the first time, reaching EGP 1.1 trillion during the period from January to October 2025, according to a statement issued by the authority on December 24th.

4-Madbouly says no new burdens on citizens until IMF program ends

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said there will be no new burdens on Egyptian citizens until the end of the country’s economic reform program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stressing that the remaining targets under the program do not include measures that would affect households.

5-Remittances from Egyptians abroad rise 42.8% YoY in 10 months

Remittances from Egyptians working abroad recorded a sharp increase during the first 10 months of 2025, rising 42.8% year on year (YoY) to about $33.9 billion, according to a statement issued by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).

6-Egypt signs agreement to operate historic Continental Hotel under TAJ brand in Cairo

Egypt has signed an agreement to manage and operate the historic Continental Hotel in downtown Cairo under the global Indian brand TAJ Hotels.

7-Egypt signs $1.15B industrial projects in SCZONE

Egypt signed contracts to establish three new industrial projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), with a total investment of $1.15 billion.

8-EBRD extends $20M green finance facility to ALEXBANK

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a $20 million financing package to ALEXBANK, part of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group within its International Banks Division, to support green investments in Egypt.

9-Abu Qir Fertilizers obtains EgyptERA’s nod for solar power project

The Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency (EgyptERA) granted Abu Qir Fertilizers and Chemicals Industries Company an operational license for its solar power project.

10-valU forges partnership with Infinity to secure access for home EV chargers

valU has partnered with Infinity, Africa’s largest renewable energy company and the leading electric vehicle (EV) charging provider, to expand access to home EV chargers and charging solutions.