Egypt In-Focus — Financing agreement with IMF likely soon; Cairo buys 240K tons of Russian wheat 

A Moody’s report released on Wednesday expected a gradual devaluation of the Egyptian pound in order to curb inflation in the North African country.
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Updated 24 August 2022
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Egypt In-Focus — Financing agreement with IMF likely soon; Cairo buys 240K tons of Russian wheat 

CAIRO: The Egyptian government is in the final stages of signing a new financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund, Al-Arabiya reported citing Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

His statement came hours after a Moody’s report, which expected a gradual devaluation of the Egyptian pound in order to curb inflation in the North African country.

Wheat procurement 

Egypt’s state grains buyer has directly purchased 240,000 tons of Russian wheat, the Supply Ministry said in a statement to Reuters. With this purchase, the country continued with its recent practice of buying without issuing international tenders.

The General Authority for Supply Commodities bought six 40,000 tons on a cost and freight basis, with payment via 180-day letters of credit, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

The ministry did not disclose the price or the supplier but traders said they thought it was sold by a trading company called GTCS at a price of $368 per ton. 

Acquisition 

Egypt’s private equity firm Ezdehar Management has acquired a 60 percent stake in retail supermarket chain Zahran Market through its Mid-Cap Fund II, according to a statement.

Ezdehar didn’t disclose the value of the transaction,

The acquisition will contribute to Zahran Market expansion plans to increase its footprint across the country. 

“We are excited to be joining forces with Ezdehar to continue our vision in growing the Zahran Market brand across Egypt,” Karim Zahran, CEO of Zahran Market, said. 

“This partnership comes as an affirmation of the confidence in the company’s performance in the past period, along with our shared vision of the company’s growth prospects,” he added. 


UAE debt market to surpass $350bn in 2026: Fitch Ratings 

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UAE debt market to surpass $350bn in 2026: Fitch Ratings 

RIYADH: The UAE’s debt capital market is set to surpass $350 billion in 2026 and exceed $400 billion in the following years, supported by strong sukuk issuance, funding diversification and regulatory reforms, an analysis showed. 

In a new report, Fitch Ratings said that outstanding debt in the UAE climbed past $325 billion at the end of 2025, marking a 9.3 percent increase from a year earlier. 

The steady momentum in the Gulf Cooperation Council sukuk market highlights the region’s expanding debt markets, driven by domestic and international investors seeking diversification and stable returns. 

Earlier this month, Fitch said in a separate report that Saudi Arabia’s debt capital market is projected to reach $600 billion outstanding in 2026, positioning the Kingdom as the largest US dollar debt and sukuk issuer among emerging markets. 

Bashar Al-Natoor, Fitch’s global head of Islamic finance, said: “UAE’s DCM saw record high sukuk issuance in 2025, the highest-ever annual issuance. Dollar sukuk issuance rose to about 50 percent of dollar issuance, also the highest on record and up from 21.4 percent in 2024.”  

He added: “Over 85 percent of Fitch-rated sukuk in the UAE are investment-grade, with 100 percent of issuers on Stable Outlooks and no defaults. The market saw many debut sukuk issuers.” 

The country is expected to remain among the largest debt issuers in emerging markets and a leading global sukuk hub, underpinned by its Islamic finance ecosystem. 

Among emerging markets excluding China, the UAE ranked as the fifth-largest US dollar debt issuer in 2025, accounting for 7 percent of issuance. 

Dollar sukuk issuance in the UAE surged by more than 130 percent in 2025, while dollar bond issuance declined by 36 percent, Fitch said. 

The UAE ranked as the world’s second-largest dollar sukuk issuer and the third-largest issuer of environmental, social and governance-linked sukuk in 2025. 

“The UAE saw the emergence of digitally native notes, along with retail and fractional sukuk, which could improve settlement efficiencies and diversify the investor base,” added Fitch. 

The report cautioned, however, that the UAE’s debt capital market remains sensitive to oil price movements, interest rate volatility, and geopolitical risks.