Basma is an Egyptian actress who started her career with several films and series and gained a loyal fan base. Daily News Egypt interviewed Basma to find out more about the film. How did you feel about being part of the sequel of the film that was a huge hit in 2005? Some people say that sequels do not usually achieve the same success as the original films. Do you worry about the box office and competition in cinema, and do you consider it a proof of success and stardom?
Egypt’s population has increased by 25 million people in the past 10 years, despite efforts by the government to curb population growth, the country’s planning minister said Tuesday. “There is a close relationship between the size of the population and the average income of the country,” El Said said. “The larger the population, the lower the average income.”She called on Egyptians to work together to address the challenges posed by rapid population growth. Regarding the impact of population increase on resources, El-Said explained that a growing population devours the fruits of development and average incomes. The greater the population, the greater the demand for food, thus increasing the gap between the demand and supply of food.
The minister's statement came during the opening session of the first edition of the Global Congress for Population, Health, and Development hosted in the New Administrative Capital on September 5-8. Comparing Egypt with Iran, which implemented a population project, and Turkey, the population in each would be increasing, between 2040 and 2050, by 17 million, one million, and three million, respectively, Minister Abdel Ghaffar pointed out. "What’s more important than the population size, is its characteristics. The minister underlined that every pound the government spends on family planning saves LE151.7. On her side, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Said stated that Egypt spent LE18 billion in 2023 to maintain classroom crowdedness at 48 students instead of investing in education quality.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated the first edition of the Global Congress on Population, Health, and Development 2023 on Tuesday, under the theme “Healthy Population for Sustainable Development.” The five-day event aims to address the challenges and opportunities of population growth in Egypt and the world. During the opening ceremony, Al-Sisi received a copy of the National Strategy for Population and Development 2023-2030, which outlines the vision and goals of the Egyptian government to achieve a balance between population and development. He also launched a road map to deal with the population issue by enhancing population characteristics and improving the quality of life. Al-Sisi stressed that population growth is one of the most serious issues facing Egypt, as it affects the provision of services and the utilization of resources. He also pointed out that some countries have succeeded in controlling and regulating their population growth, while others have failed.
CAIRO - 5 September 2023: The Largest study of its kind led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has found that having more positive body image is strongly associated with better psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction. The research involved 56,968 participants in 65 nations. A consortium of scientists asked participants in 65 nations to complete the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), which contains 10 items, including ‘I respect my body’ and ‘I appreciate the different and unique characteristics of my body’. Urban vs RuralThe study showed that people living in urban areas may feel stronger pressure to conform to body ideals promoted by Western society, and it is also notable that people from countries considered culturally different to the United States appeared to have broadly greater body appreciation. While on the others side, people in rural areas may benefit from being in nature, which past research has also shown to be linked with positive body image.
The two ministers will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Japan, following the agreement between President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and the Japanese Prime Minister to elevate their relations to a strategic partnership level. The visit of the Japanese Foreign Minister to Cairo is part of the regular communication and consultation on issues of mutual interest, as well as regional and international affairs. The visit coincides with the third round of the Arab-Japanese political dialogue, as well as the trilateral consultations between Egypt, Japan, and Jordan. Takada Katsunobu, the deputy head of the Japanese embassy in Cairo, said that the visit is a follow-up to the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to Cairo last April and his visit to the Gulf countries last July. He added that there are changing diplomatic dynamics in the region that are pushing Japan to strengthen its engagement in the region.
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has introduced several new facilities for illiterate and elderly customers (65 years and older) to access banking services and products. The move is part of CBE’s plan to remove the obstacles and challenges faced by banking sector customers. CBE instructed banks to update their databases to include the elderly category, as well as the illiterate customers when their data is updated. CBE also allowed customers to seek the help of an assistant within a bank’s branch, to help them fill out forms and applications. CBE also permitted banks to conduct home visits for the elderly to provide banking services, with the need to establish controls and procedures for these visits.
El-Gazzar said that Egypt is keen to share its successful urban experience with Iraq and to transfer its expertise to the Iraqi people. He noted that many Egyptian companies are already working on urban development projects in Iraq and that the Ministry of Housing is following up on their progress. Al-Dulaimi expressed his appreciation for Egypt's support and said that Iraq is interested in benefiting from Egypt's urban expertise. He also stressed the importance of involving Egyptian companies in the development projects in Iraq and informed El-Gazzar of the existing projects and challenges. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation and facilitate the participation of Egyptian companies in building urban development and infrastructure projects that meet the needs of the Iraqi people.
Global Investments Holding Ltd, a company owned by Emirati businessmen Mohamed Alabbar and Abu Bakr Alhussaini, has acquired 30% of Eastern Company, Egypt’s largest cigarette maker, for $625m. According to the Dubai Financial Center, Global Investments Holding Ltd. is jointly owned by Alhussaini, a young Emirati businessman, and UK Egypt Investments Holding Limited, which is majority-owned by Alhussaini and minority-owned by Alabbar, the head of Emaar Properties, a leading real estate developer. The acquisition agreement was signed at the Cabinet headquarters on Monday, by Emad Eldeen Mostafa, Executive Managing Director of the Chemical Industries Holding Company, and Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, a representative of Global Investments Holding Ltd.Sources told Daily News Egypt that $150m of the deal will be used to purchase the necessary tobacco materials for manufacturing, and could be converted into shares after the approval of the company’s general assembly. Minister of Public Enterprises Sector Mahmoud Esmat said that the deal cost $625m, which is equivalent to EGP 19.4bn. He added that it reflects the government’s determination to expand the ownership base and encourage direct private investment in various sectors.
Mohamed Maait, Egypt’s Minister of Finance, participated as guest of honour in South Sudan’s 1st National Economic Conference in Juba on Monday. Maait was invited to the main platform with South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar and South Sudanese Minister of Finance Bak Barnaba Chol, in recognition of Egypt’s leading position and support for stability and development efforts in South Sudan. The four-day event, which takes place in Juba from Sept. 4-7, 2023, is themed “Towards a Diversified Inclusive, Sustainable Economic Growth.”The conference was attended by a number of ministers and representatives of international economic institutions. Maait affirmed Egypt’s keenness to provide all support to South Sudan to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development, given Egypt’s successful development experience that contributes to meeting the needs of citizens, improving the level of services provided to them, and turning challenges into promising development opportunities. South Sudan’s Finance Minister expressed his country’s appreciation for Egypt’s leading role in supporting South Sudan, which is reflected in deepening cooperation in various sectors and consistent with the depth of relations between the two countries.
Minister of State for Emigration and Egyptians Abroad Affairs Soha Gendy accompanied Sunday the Egyptian children who live abroad for a tour of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). During the tour, the minister accompanied several children of the Egyptian expatriates for a tour of the NMEC, in the presence of Vice President of the Museum Authority for Archaeological Affairs Maysara Abdullah, who provided an explanation to the visitors. The visit came as part of an Egyptian initiative dubbed Etkallem Arabi (Speak Arabic). Launched in 2020, Etkallem Arabi is a presidential initiative that aims to strengthen Arab-Egyptian identity among second and third-generation Egyptians living abroad. The initiative strives to improve the children’s Arabic language skills while introducing them to Egyptian heritage, customs, traditions, and values.
Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass will go on a series of promotional tours internationally, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced. Organized by the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Promotion, this aims to take advantage of Hawass’s world-renowned fame and encourage tourism to Egypt. Speaking on these tours, Hawass called them an excellent opportunity to promote cultural tourism in Egypt. An ambassador for tourismIn 2021, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili appointed Hawass as an ambassador for world tourism – becoming the first Egyptian appointed to this position. He shared the prize with a Greek singer, an Italian writer, an Italian journalist, a Czech journalist and a French film director.
CAIRO - 4 September 2023: Egypt is set to launch its National Population Strategy and the General Health Strategy on Tuesday during the World Conference on Population and Development that will be hosted in the country. The National Population Strategy and the General Health Strategy in Egypt will be launched during the conference activities, stressing the ability of the Ministry of Health and Population to take actual steps to implement the two strategies on the ground, in light of the political leadership’s interest in the health system in Egypt and the population issue. The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population is organizing the World Conference on Population and Development, starting Tuesday, until next Friday, under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, for 8,000 visitors. Abdel Ghaffar said that the National Population Strategy and the General Health Strategy in Egypt will be launched during the conference activities, stressing the ability of the Ministry of Health and Population to take actual steps to implement the two strategies on the ground, in light of the political leadership’s interest in the health system in Egypt and the population issue. Abdul Ghaffar continued: The conference agenda includes scientific programmes, dialogues and sessions, as the conference includes 65 dialogue sessions in which 270 Egyptian and foreign speakers will participate.
CAIRO - 4 September 2023: Egyptian Lawmakers praised the hosting of the World Conference on Population in Egypt on Tuesday as a great opportunity to show to the world Egypt's success in health field. Representative Amr Hendi, a member of the House of Representatives, said that hosting the World Conference on Population, Health and Development, which will be held Tuesday, under the auspices and presence of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, comes within the framework of the Egyptian state’s interest in population development. He further added that the conference will present the latest technologies in the fields of population, health and development, and discuss ways of overcoming any obstacles facing the achievement of justice among people. For his part, Dr. Mohamed Selim, a member of the House of Representatives and a member of the Parliament’s General Committee, considered Egypt’s hosting of the World Conference on Population, Health and Development "a great opportunity for the whole world to see through the delegations participating in the conference the extent of Egypt’s progress in the field of health." The conference agenda includes scientific programmes, dialogues and sessions, as the conference includes 65 dialogue sessions with the participation of 270 Egyptian and foreign speakers.
Madinet Masr, one of Egypt’s leading urban community developers, has unveiled its latest innovative concept, Touba, a transformative solution that redefines and facilitates the process of owning and investing in real estate. Touba introduces a flexible payment plan that spans up to 10 years and is tailored to cater to various customer segments. Touba was launched to revolutionize the real estate sector in Egypt and introduce innovative flexible payment plans that accommodate the various needs of our customers based on their capabilities without the burden of fixed date commitments and bank cheques. Meanwhile, we aim to contribute to the growth of the sector through creating innovative solutions that encourage property investments and purchasing.”Madinet Masr aims to innovate and create diversified solutions for the real estate market, addressing customers’ needs and overcoming the obstacles of investment and real estate. Simultaneously, it is encouraging the provision of innovative solutions and advanced ideas, to revolutionize the concept of purchasing and investing in the Egyptian real estate market that is witnessing remarkable growth.
