GEM to open in November 💎

• Mark your calendars 💎

• Egypt condemns Israel's Gaza reoccupation plans 🚫

• Egypt, Israel agree on $35 billion gas deal 🤝

• Egypt-made Thndr gives users ADX access 💰

GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM | TOURISM
GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM TO OFFICIALLY OPEN ON 1 NOVEMBER

After decades in the making, and a few recent delays due to ongoing regional tensions, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi formally approved the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) for 1 November.

The event, previously scheduled to open in July, will be positioned as a major cultural milestone for Egypt, with high-level international attendance and ceremonial programs planned.

November’s weather is far better for an inauguration than sweltering through a July in Giza — where the museum is located, minutes away from the Pyramids.

A long journey: First envisioned in 1992 and located just two kilometers from the Giza Pyramids, the GEM has faced years of delays due to political instability, economic challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally slated to open in 2020, construction is now fully complete after more than two decades of work, with partial public access since 2023.

Why it matters: Officials say the museum will serve as a global tourism icon, showcasing the richness of Egypt’s civilization across all eras. Final preparations are now underway to ensure the GEM and its surroundings are ready for an opening that reflects its scale, ambition, and national pride.

ISRAEL’S WAR ON GAZA | MIDDLE EAST
EGYPT CONDEMNS ISRAEL’S PLAN TO REOCCUPY GAZA STRIP

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to advance a plan to fully reoccupy the Gaza Strip, describing it as an attempt to entrench the occupation, dismantle Palestinian statehood prospects, and “liquidate the Palestinian cause” in blatant violation of international law.

Why it matters: Cairo warned that Israel’s continued policies of starvation, systematic killing, and genocide against Palestinians would only fuel further conflict, deepen hatred, and spread extremism in an already volatile region. The statement said the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels under Israel’s ongoing aggression.

Egypt’s position: Egypt called on the international community — including the UN Security Council — to take urgent action to halt Israel’s “arrogance of power” and preserve the prospects for peace. It reaffirmed that lasting security and stability can only come through the establishment of a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

NATURAL GAS | IMPORT DEAL
EGYPTIAN POUND CONTINUES TO RECOVER AGAINST THE DOLLAR

Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field has signed a landmark USD 35 billion (EGP 1.73 trillion) gas export agreement with Blue Ocean Energy — the company responsible for supplying gas from Leviathan to Egypt — in what is being described as the largest export deal in Israel’s history.

Gas deliveries to Egypt will continue until 2040 — or until the full contracted volume is met — under a new agreement that replaces a 2019 deal set to expire in the early 2030s. The updated contract will roll out in two phases.

Phase one: Scheduled to begin in 2026, the first phase will supply 20 billion cubic meters annually after major infrastructure upgrades, including a third pipeline from Leviathan to its platform and expanded capacity in the EMG pipeline.

Phase two: The second phase continues the Leviathan expansion project and will include a new transmission pipeline via Nitzana, which will add 110 billion cubic meters in varying yearly volumes. In total, Egypt will receive around 130 billion cubic meters of gas over the deal’s life.

Why it matters: The deal cements Egypt’s role as a key export hub for Eastern Mediterranean gas and supports the country’s LNG re-export ambitions. For Israel, it secures long-term demand, incentivizes major production capacity upgrades of about 30 percent, and advances its largest-ever energy investment decision.

THNDR | INVESTMENT | ADX
ABU DHABI EXCHANGE WELCOMES EGYPT’S THNDR AS FIRST REMOTE RETAIL MEMBER

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has onboarded Thndr, the Egyptian-founded digital investment platform, as its first-ever remote retail trading member.

The move means Thndr’s 4+ million users can now buy and sell UAE-listed stocks and ETFs without physically being in the UAE — a milestone for both the platform and the region’s retail investors.

The details: Founded in 2020 and licensed by Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority, Thndr operates across the UAE, Egypt, and the US, offering investments in stocks, gold, mutual funds, and savings products.

In 2024, it processed USD 13 billion (EGP 627 billion) in trading value and executed 12 million trades. Its UAE base at Hub71 — Abu Dhabi’s tech and startup hub — has positioned the company at the center of a growing innovation ecosystem.

The ADX, with a market cap of AED 3.1 trillion (USD 844 billion), is the MENA region’s second-largest exchange and has outperformed the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the past decade.

Why it matters: The partnership reflects a new era of cross-border retail investing in the GCC, connecting Thndr’s user base to one of the region’s strongest-performing markets and offering exposure through Tabadul, ADX’s mutual market access platform. For Thndr’s Egyptian founders, it’s also a symbolic bridge between Egypt and the UAE — one that blends historical ties with future-focused investment opportunities.