CAIRO – 3 September 2023: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) collaborated to hold the "Business and Investment Forum" on Thursday at the embassy in Beijing, attracting 120 participants representing Chinese companies, financial institutions, banks, and various business communities. In his speech, GAFI Chairman Hossam Heiba highlighted incentives offered to foreign companies, particularly in the sectors of automotive, home appliances, power generation, green hydrogen, and transfer of technology in any field. Heiba equally clarified the merits of operating in private business parks and free zones aimed at encouraging exports by providing tax exemptions. He also shed light on the process of registering new companies online, and the infrastructure investors need in the form of seaports, roads, and railways. The GAFI chairman underscored that Egypt ranked first in Africa in terms of the value of foreign direct investments' inflow in 2022, calling on Chinese companies to expand in the country and seizing the promising opportunities it offers.

CAIRO – 3 September 2023: Egyptian Ambassador to Lisbon Wael al-Nagar met earlier this week Portuguese Minister of Health Manuel Pizzaro to discuss the implementation of cooperation agreed upon during the latter's visit to Cairo in May. Such cooperation is in the sectors of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, digitalization, and start-ups. In that framework, the ambassador stressed Egypt's keenness on partnering up with Portugal to produce drugs, vaccines and medical devices, localizing those industries in the country, as well as in the field of medical research. On his side, the Portuguese minister said he looked forward to receiving his Egyptian counterpart by the end of this year in order to finalize agreements that would consolidate the presence of Portuguese pharmaceutical firms not only in Egypt but also in Africa.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has announced that it has formed work committees from all relevant ministries and national authorities, under its chairmanship, to study the possibility of launching a digital currency. The CBE aims to launch a digital currency as a safe and stable alternative to other types of cryptocurrencies, which pose a set of risks. The CBE also wants to prevent the spread and trading of cryptocurrencies that are not regulated by the CBE. The CBE is also working on launching the “Know Your Customer” project, which will enable customers to create an electronic financial identity and verify their data electronically. Another project that the CBE is working on is the digital savings and lending project, which will enable customers to borrow and save through their mobile phone wallets.

Gabon will reopen the land, sea and air borders from Saturday, the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) of Gabon announced on national television. The CTRI “decides with immediate effect to reopen the land, sea and air borders, from this Saturday, September 2, 2023,” according to the statement read on the television, explaining that this decision aims to promote the continuity of the country and to honor international commitments. All borders of Gabon were closed soon after the coup. Nguema, president of the CTRI, decided on the temporary restoration of the Constitutional Court, the gradual establishment of the institutions of the transition, and the resumption of domestic flights. He also asked the cabinet of ministers to ensure the effective resumption of work immediately, as well as the continuity of the operation of all public services.

More than 100 people were injured in violent clashes between Eritrean protesters and Israeli police in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Israeli emergency services said. The clashes initially broke out in the morning between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government who gathered near a club to protest at an event that was set to be hosted by the Eritrean embassy. The violence quickly escalated, with some protesters turning against Israeli police forces who came to intervene. The Israeli police said in a statement that they had used live fire and stun grenades in an attempt to stop the violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is receiving regular updates on the situation and has instructed the national security minister and the police commissioner “to act to restore public order,” according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.

CNN — Fifty prison guards and seven police officers have been freed after being taken hostage by inmates held in six prisons across Ecuador, authorities said, part of a coordinated protest against security operations being conducted inside the country’s violence-plagued penitentiaries. The SNAI said on Saturday that all hostages had been freed following a “coordinated operation” and that prison was now running normally. The SNAI said in July that it had successfully executed an operation to free 106 prison guards taken hostage by inmates across five different prisons. A detainee uprising in the port city of Guayaquil left 31 people dead, according to the Ecuador Attorney General’s office. Ecuador’s prison system has long been dogged by violence and infighting between gangs powerful enough to overwhelm the guards meant to keep the facilities, many of which are overcrowded, safe.

Egypt’s Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, has issued a decision to amend certain provisions of the executive regulations of the Anti-Money Laundering Law, according to documents viewed by Daily News Egypt. The first amended article includes several definitions, such as the definition of the law itself, which states that it refers to the Anti-Money Laundering Law. Terrorist crimes: Any crime specified in the Anti-Terrorism Law issued by Law No. This includes persons who exercise effective control over the customer, whether the customer is a legal person or a legal arrangement. The National Post Authority is also included in this definition in terms of the financial services it provides.

Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods department store and the father of Dodi Fayed, who died with Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997, died Friday in London. Mohamed Al-Fayed was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1929. He married Samira Khashoggi in 1954 and they had one son, Emad, known as Dodi. Al-Fayed is best known for his ownership of Harrods, which he bought in 1985 and sold to Qatar in 2010 for $2.4bn. In 2013, Al Fayed sold Fulham Football Club to US auto parts billionaire Shahid Khan for a reported $300m.

CAIRO – 2 September 2023: The Egyptian government allocated LE 3.3 million for seasonal workers’ wages in the Fiscal Year 2023/2024, compared to LE 2.83 million in previous year, an analytical statement of the 2023/2024 budget submitted by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Mohamed Maait, to the House of Representatives. The state’s general budget for the new fiscal year 2023/2024 is about LE 4.3 trillion, compared to LE 3.066 trillion in the current year 2022/2023. The government also has allocated LE 71.4 billion in investments in the FY2023/2024 for the development of the governorates of Upper Egypt. The projects include establishing and paving vital roads, road networks, besides completing the construction of the Holy Family Road. Additionally, the government aims to implement several development projects in the governorates of Central Upper Egypt during the fiscal year 2024/23.

CAIRO – 2 September 2023: The World Youth Forum (WYF) has praised the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution welcoming the contributions of the forum, which is held in Sharm El-Sheikh city. “This decision further proofs how the UN recognizes the effort of WYF and similar youth empowering entities,” the WYF said in a Facebook post on Saturday. The UNGA has adopted, by consensus, a resolution on United Nations simulation models and their role in empowering young people, enhancing their connection to the United Nations organization and fostering their familiarity with multilateral work. The resolution welcomed the contributions of youth forums and conferences, especially the World Youth Forum held in Sharm El-Sheikh in its four editions, and its role in empowering young people and providing them with an opportunity to develop their capabilities. Ambassador Osama Abdel Khaleq, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, stated that the adoption of this resolution, and the joining of more than 115 countries to its list of sponsors, reflects the international appreciation enjoyed by the World Youth Forum.

The world’s water shortage crisis grows increasingly worrying, with many people suffering from a lack of clean water for consumption and agriculture. The world’s ground and surface water reserves are also constantly declining – statistics say that in recent years, about 1/4 of the world’s groundwater reserves have been depleted. The world’s water shortage crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century, and requires urgent and sustainable solutions. The areas most affected by the water shortage crisis are those that suffer from recurrent drought, climate change or an increase in water demand brought on by population growth, economic development, or pollution. Sixty percent of the population of the Middle East suffers from severe “water stress.” In South Asia, eighty percent of its population faces deteriorating water quality.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Thursday issued a decision regulating the stay fees for foreigners in Egypt who have applied for a tourist or other kinds of visas at the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality. Under the regulations, foreigners who applied for visas are required to submit a receipt indicating that they have transferred the fees, including those for residency, late fines and costs of issuing the residence card, in dollar currency or its equivalent in other currencies. The premier’s decision, also, stipulates that illegal foreign residents should legalize their stay under a condition of having a host carrying the Egyptian nationality, within three months of enacting the aforementioned decision. The illegal residents are required as well to pay administrative fees of 1,000 US dollars.

CAIRO - 1 September 2023: Busi Mabuza, Chairperson of the Business Council of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), stated at the 15th BRICS summit held in South Africa between August 22-24, that South Africa was among the most enthusiastic supporters of the expansion of BRICS. According to Mabuza, South Africa has particularly encouraged new members since it was the first beneficiary of BRICS expansion. "The move will boost the infrastructure that connects African countries, including the Cairo-Cape Town route that spans many countries, all of which can benefit from this infrastructure," she added. Emphasis on the growth in trade between South Africa and its BRICS partners reflects the importance of regional and international cooperation for boosting the economy. This enhances the importance of diversifying trade and investment partners for South Africa.

CAIRO - 1 September 2023: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa asserted that Egypt welcomes all its guests from various world countries. This came during the minister's meeting with a group of tourists from various world countries during their tour of the Religions Complex on the fringe of inaugurating a number of historical sites in Old Cairo after renovation works. The minister was keen on taking a photo-op with the tourists, wishing them an enjoyable stay in Egypt. It is often considered one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a history dating back thousands of years. Tourism is a significant part of the Egyptian economy, and the government has taken steps to ensure the safety and comfort of tourists.

Enter the langur – or at least, cardboard cutouts of langurs – and men trained to sound like the bigger primates. “Monkeys cannot be displaced, harmed or hit.”Men walk past monkeys on a street in New Delhi on August 30 ahead of the G20 Summit. Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty ImagesUpadhyay added they have also deployed between 30 and 40 men who can mimic the sounds of langurs to trick the rhesus monkeys into thinking they are nearby. The council has also left food for the monkeys in forested areas to encourage them to remain there, he added. Much of central New Delhi will come to a halt for the G20 with a huge operation to keep global leaders moving freely between the hotels and meeting venues.