Egyptian shares ended lower on Sunday as investors fretted about the political ramifications of President Hosni Mubarak's trip to Germany for medical treatment, traders said.
Mubarak, who has been in power for more than two decades, left Cairo on Sunday to have an operation in Germany for a slipped disc, with no official announcement about a deputy to run the country in his absence.
The benchmark Hermes index fell 225.26 points, or 1.8 percent, to be last quoted at 14,254.13 points. The broader CIBC index slipped 1.07 points, or 1.2 percent, to be last quoted at 92.09 points.
"Investors are scared of political uncertainty if Mubarak is unable to carry out his duties... Mubarak's trip to Germany troubled the market," said Dynamic Securities' Yasser Hassanein.
He said he expected the market to pick up if Mubarak headed back to Cairo during the week and was seen to be in good health.
Media Production City, popular with retail investors, also suffered due to continued uncertainty over its intention to list on the stock market in Dubai.
A company spokesman previously said an announcement would be made about the listing by the end of June by Dubai authorities. The spokesman was not immediately available to comment on Sunday.
Media Production City, one of the day's busiest stocks, last traded down 0.93 Egyptian pounds ($0.15), or 5.2 percent, at 16.92 pounds and officially closed at 17.19 pounds.
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