CAIRO - 16 October 2024: Egyptian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al-Mashat said that tourism, communications and construction showed "resilience and positive growth" in the past fiscal year. She also noted the increased interest of large companies in the new and renewable energy sector. She continued in a press conference that the GDP growth rate recorded 2.4 percent during the last quarter of 2023/2024. She further explained that geopolitical tensions have affected the activity of ships passing through the Suez Canal, and that the manufacturing industries achieved positive growth in the last quarter of the year for the first time since the beginning of the fiscal year 2022/2023.

The expected path of basic return rates depends on expected inflation rates rather than prevailing ones. For his part, Mohamed Abdel Aal, a well-known banking expert, believes that MPC will keep interest rates as they are for another session. “In my opinion, there are only two new assumptions that some can base their predictions on in predicting the possibility of a reduction in the interest rate. Some argue that this reduction is a preemptive signal of MPC’s plan to reduce interest rates on EGP. The fourth factor is the inflation rates recorded now which are still very far from their set targets.

The ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has claimed another innocent life, with the death of a woman named Asbera Mohamednur in a brutal attack by the Ethiopian military. The witnesses described the incident as part of a broader pattern of violence targeting ethnic Amharas, with numerous reports of attacks, massacres, and ethnic cleansing. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has reported killings, bodily injury, property loss, and displacement of civilians in the Amhara Region. In response to the escalating violence, human rights advocates have called for accountability. In October, human rights group Amnesty International accused Ethiopia’s army of conducting “mass arbitrary detentions” in the Amhara region.

Egypt is canceling it pre-entry visa requirements for Canadian citizens effective Dec. 1, 2024, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry revealed in a statement. Since October 2023, Canadians without Egyptian origins traveling to the destination have been required to secure a visa from an Egyptian embassy or consulate abroad before travel. The pre-entry visa requirement was cumbersome, with Canadians needing to pay a $150 (CAD) fee and submit an application either in-person at an embassy or by mail. As of December, Canadians will again be able to obtain a visa upon arrival at Egyptian airports. The decision follows a recent meeting between Badr Abdelatty, minister of foreign affairs, immigration, and Egyptian expatriates affairs, and Mélanie Joly, Canadian foreign minister.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs announced on Monday that it has canceled pre-visas currently applied to Canadian citizens traveling to Egypt, with the availability of obtaining a visa upon arrival at Egyptian ports of entry. These procedures are scheduled to be implemented starting from December 1 for all Canadian citizens arriving in Egypt starting from then. This decision comes to follow up on what was recently agreed upon during the meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs Badr Abdel-Aati, and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Egypt and Canada will celebrate the seventieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between them this year. The decision to cancel the pre-entry visas applied to Canadian citizens comes from the joint desire to develop all aspects of cooperation and work towards further facilitation by all available means for the citizens of the two countries, including Egyptian-Canadian citizens.

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The Grand Egyptian Museum Authority is excited to announce trial operations of its Main Galleries, starting from October 16th, 2024, offering visitors an exclusive preview of twelve meticulously curated exhibition halls. This trial phase is part of the museum's ongoing efforts to ensure a seamless visitor experience ahead of its highly anticipated official opening. The Grand Egyptian Museum’s (GEM) Main Galleries take guests on an extraordinary journey through millennia of history, spanning from prehistoric times (700,000 BC) to the Roman era (circa 394 AD). The collection in the Main Galleries can be appreciated both as individual masterpieces and as part of a broader historical narrative, offering an unparalleled exploration of Egypt’s rich heritage. It is important to note that the Tutankhamun Galleries will remain completely closed until the museum’s official opening.

The United Nations Human Rights Office on Monday issued a statement condemning the Israeli strikes that have continued for more than a week in northern Gaza Strip, warning that tens of thousands of civilians are trapped without food or supplies. In a statement published by Reuters, it added “In light of the escalation of hostilities across the Middle East, the Israeli army appears to be completely isolating northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip and carrying out combat operations with complete disregard for the lives and security of Palestinian civilians.”The office said that it has received reports that Israeli forces has erected sand barriers at a major road junction, effectively closing off northern Gaza and even shooting at those trying to flee.

With the region facing complex political and security issues, Egypt's efforts to boost regional cooperation have become crucial for maintaining peace and stability. He further noted Egypt's role in exposing the broader geopolitical agenda of the Israel-U.S.-Western alliance through public press conferences with European leaders from France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain. Hazem El-Gendy, a member of the Egyptian Senate and the Supreme Committee of the Wafd Party, highlighted Egypt’s relentless efforts under El-Sisi leadership to strengthen ties with African countries. El-Gendy also praised the trilateral summit between Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea, which emphasized Egypt's commitment to its African role. Khattab highlighted Egypt's unwavering stance on Palestinian reconciliation and the importance of unifying Palestinian visions to preserve the Palestinian state.

CAIRO – 15 October 2024: President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi received Tuesday at Cairo International Airport Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohamed Bin Salman, and then an official reception was held at Al Itihadiyah Palace where the talks are taking place. The main focus of the visit is bolstering economic ties as the Crown Prince had announced in September that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) would inject $5 billion in Egypt. The size of Saudi investments in the country has already amounted to $30 billion, and there are plans to expand them through various projects, including electricity linkage. According to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), Saudi Arabia's long-term deposits recorded $5.3 billion on December 31, 2023.

Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, witnessed the signing of a shareholders’ agreement for partnership in a joint company, headquartered in Greece, between the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and the Greek Copelouzos Group, with the aim of trading, transporting, supplying and regasifying gas in Eastern European countries and Greece. During the meeting, both parties also agreed to implement several projects, including the supply and marketing of natural gas in Eastern European countries. The Chairperson of the Greek group stressed his appreciation for the important role that Egypt plays in the region and the great potential it possesses. He expressed the Greek group’s desire to benefit from the potential of the Egyptian petroleum sector, especially the Damietta and Idku gas liquefaction plants. He also expressed his optimism about deepening the partnership with the Egyptian petroleum sector and the new Egyptian government in more future projects.

CAIRO – 14 October 2024: Several senior officials at the railway authority have been suspended from duties after the locomotive-sleeper train collision in Upper Egypt, announced Minister of Transport and Industry Kamel Al-Wazir in a statement. Tragedy struck as one person was killed and 21 individuals were injured when a locomotive collided with the rear of a sleeper train en route from Aswan to Cairo, causing two train carriages to fall into the Ibrahimiya Canal in Upper Egypt. Minister of Transport and Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development Kamel El-Wazir instructed his deputy for railways and the ENR chief to proceed to the accident site to establish a specialized committee for investigating the technical causes of the incident. Wazir had said that all the responsible will be held accountable.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has reiterated Egypt’s military strength, declaring that the armed forces are fully capable of defending the country. During a speech at the Armed Forces’ educational symposium on Monday, marking the anniversary of the October War victories, Al-Sisi said, “Our country is, by God’s grace, doing well. The military’s capabilities are sufficient to defend our country, not to do anything against anyone.”He went on to address the importance of maintaining a comprehensive national strength, encompassing military, economic, cultural, and social aspects. The armed forces and police must remain at the highest readiness and capability to protect the country,” he stated. “Finally, allow me to express my deepest gratitude to Egypt’s heroes, the martyrs of the armed forces in the October War and all wars.

A mini documentary was streamed to showcase the details of the victory of the 6th of October 1973 War at the ceremony held to celebrate the 51st anniversary. Later, the Egyptian president, defense minister, senior officials and all attendees of the ceremony stood up to show respect and greet seven veterans who participated in the 6th of October 1973 War. Afterwards, President Sisi honored a number of 6th of October 1973 War veterans. President Sisi stressed during his speech that the 6th of October 1973 epitomizes the success created by good preparedness in the form of leveraging technology and planning. In another context, President Sisi commended the Egyptian people’s resilience in the face of challenges imposed by global crises and development requirements.

Egyptian short drama A PROMISE TO THE SEA — directed by Hend Sohail — walked home with its first award, Best Fiction Film, at the recently concluded Linz International Short Film Festival, which took place from October 9th to the 12th in Austria. The festival’s jury — made up of Wiltrud Katharina Hackl, Nozhat Badi, and Katharina Farnleitner — commented on the film’s win saying, “This film unfolds quietly and unobtrusively, much like its protagonist, who leads us on an intimate, emotional journey. The film’s director Sohail revealed what she had hoped to achieve with A PROMISE TO THE SEA, saying, “Through this film, I want to tell the story of an extraordinary relationship between a son and his mother. Hend Sohail is an Egyptian director and editor who studied editing at the High Cinema Institute, where she assisted a number of notable directors on several short films and commercials. A PROMISE TO THE SEA is her directorial debut.