Egyptian actress Yasmina al-Abd captivated audiences at the Dior fashion show during Paris Fashion Week, drawing admiring glances with her elegant look. Abd’s attendance at Dior show marks another step in her growing presence on the global stage, both in fashion and art, as her diverse roles have garnered a wide audience. The Paris Haute Couture Week is considered one of the most important global events in the fashion world, featuring shows by the world’s leading fashion houses, including Dior. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

4th MENA Golf Tour event launches in Madinaty as part of Egypt Golf Series

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty condemned “horrific atrocities and violations” in Sudan’s El Fasher and Kordofan on Tuesday, while calling for an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire and the establishment of unhindered humanitarian access. During a meeting in Cairo with Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mohieddin Salem, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s rejection of any attempts to partition Sudan or infringe upon its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Addressing regional coordination on the Nile water file, the two ministers explicitly rejected unilateral measures that could harm the interests of downstream nations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf stated that the talks highlighted the need for integrated regional and international efforts, specifically the work of the international Quartet Mechanism for Sudan. Abdelatty stated that Egypt stands in full solidarity with the Sudanese people in the face of current challenges.

Egypt’s Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met executives from Siemens Healthineers Egypt on Tuesday to discuss proposals to establish specialised oncology and radiotherapy centres and expand cooperation on upgrading diagnostic and treatment services, the health ministry said. Abdel Ghaffar emphasised the importance of public–private partnerships in strengthening Egypt’s healthcare system, particularly in cancer care and medical imaging. He highlighted the need to focus on remote areas and Upper Egypt to ensure equitable access to advanced medical services and reduce the burden on patients. Siemens Healthineers presented plans to support oncology centres in Upper Egypt and at the Nasser Institute with advanced radiotherapy technologies, including the Halcyon system, which enables faster, high-precision treatment and could help increase capacity and reduce waiting times, according to the ministry. Senior health ministry officials and Siemens Healthineers executives attended the meeting, the statement added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Egypt on Wednesday for talks covering bilateral cooperation and regional developments, including the Palestinian issue, Türkiye’s ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Şen said. Şen said Erdogan will begin the trip with a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Following the Riyadh visit, Erdogan will head to Cairo at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. Talks in Egypt are expected to cover key items on the bilateral agenda and include an exchange of views on regional and international developments, with a particular focus on the Palestinian issue. He added that Turkish investments in Egypt are expected to expand, especially in textiles, tourism and ready-made garments.

Octane, a digital payments platform focused on streamlining vehicle-related expenses in Egypt, has launched O-Tolls in collaboration with the National Company for Roads Building and Development, the company said. With the new service, Octane becomes the first company in Egypt to digitise toll gate and truck-weighing payments for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles nationwide, using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Through O-Tolls, companies can execute secure, instant digital payments while gaining real-time visibility into toll-related transactions. Amr Gamal, co-founder and chief executive of Octane, said the launch reinforces the company’s position as Egypt’s largest integrated digital payments network for fleets. With the launch of O-Tolls, the ecosystem now offers an end-to-end digital payment solution covering all major cost components of fleet operations, including tolls.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Tuesday witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Egypt and Sweden aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in the health and medical fields. The MoU was signed between Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population and Sweden’s Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, signed on behalf of Egypt, while Elisabet Lann, Sweden’s Minister for Healthcare, signed on behalf of Sweden. The MoU aims to support the development of health systems and improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services provided to citizens. Abdel Ghaffar said the signing of the MoU marks an important step towards deepening health cooperation between Egypt and Sweden.

Egypt - The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) has arranged a syndicated financing facility worth EGP 1.42bn for Al Qamzi Developments to finance part of the investment costs for the first and second phases of the SEAZEN project on Egypt’s North Coast. Under the arrangement, NBE is acting as facility agent, lead arranger, documentation bank, and bookrunner, with a participation of EGP 920m. Soha El-Turky said the financing underscores NBE’s confidence in Al Qamzi’s financial strength, operational expertise, and the feasibility of the SEAZEN project, which she described as a distinctive addition to North Coast developments. He added that the company is currently achieving high execution rates at the SEAZEN project, positioning it as one of the most prominent developments on the North Coast. The SEAZEN project spans 204 feddans at kilometre 170 in the Dabaa area on the North Coast, with total investments estimated at around EGP 23bn.

Awad made the remarks during a coordination meeting with national research centres involved in climate risk assessments under the NAP project, held alongside an introductory workshop for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The objective, she added, is to embed climate adaptation into national planning frameworks and development policies. For her part, UNDP Resident Representative Chitose Noguchi said the meeting reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the scientific basis guiding Egypt’s climate adaptation strategies. UNDP officials said completing sectoral climate risk assessments by May is critical to finalising the National Adaptation Plan and securing the necessary official approvals before the end of the year. Participants agreed that close coordination between government ministries and research institutions will be essential to ensuring Egypt’s adaptation plan becomes a practical implementation roadmap and a model for other developing countries facing similar climate challenges.

Egyptian retail chains will launch dedicated “Ahlan Ramadan” sections across all branches next week, following a government agreement with food producers to freeze or lower commodity prices, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk said on Tuesday. Farouk confirmed that the primary “Ahlan Ramadan” exhibitions in Cairo and Giza are also scheduled to open next week. Farouk emphasised the importance of coordination with provincial governors to ensure that these outlets are established promptly and operate efficiently. Other participants included Alaa Ezz, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, and provincial chamber heads Mohamed El-Fayoumi, Akram El-Shafei, and Karam Kurdi. The continued operation of the “Ahlan Ramadan” exhibitions will be determined by demand levels in each province as part of the government’s broader strategy to manage f

Egypt currently attracts an average of $12bn in foreign direct investment (FDI) annually and has the capacity to double this figure through ongoing structural reforms, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib said. The minister stated that recent decisions have led to a “tangible improvement” in net foreign assets and foreign exchange reserves, which have reached unprecedented levels. On fiscal policy, El-Khatib noted a fundamental shift in coordination with the Ministry of Finance to simplify the tax system. The government has prioritised foreign trade by reducing customs clearance times from 16 days to approximately five days, with a further target of two days. Egypt has also removed a significant number of non-tariff barriers that had accumulated over years, according to the minister.

Egypt’s ready-made garments exports to Europe have recorded a sharp increase of 180% over the past five years, reflecting the sector’s growing integration into global supply chains, according to the Apparel Export Council of Egypt (AECE). According to the Council, the forum focused on familiarising Egyptian companies with the international standards required by major global brands. Forum activities included detailed presentations by representatives of international brands on compliance requirements and partnership models, alongside direct networking sessions between sustainability and compliance teams from global brands and Egyptian manufacturers. He stressed the Council’s continued commitment to supporting exporters to ensure the sector remains prepared for rapid changes in global sourcing patterns and able to capitalise on future growth opportunities. She also revealed that Egypt’s ready-made garments exports grew by 180% to Europe and 63% to the United States over the past five years.

Banque du Caire has signed a new EGP 400m financing agreement with the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Egypt through the bank’s nationwide branch network. The agreement aligns with Banque du Caire’s strategy to promote financial inclusion and expand financing directed to the SME sector. He added that supporting the SME sector remains a top priority for Banque du Caire, pursued through an integrated framework of financial and non-financial solutions developed over years of accumulated experience. Rahmy, for his part, praised the ongoing cooperation between MSMEDA and Banque du Caire in supporting various types of enterprises, noting that the two sides have previously signed financing agreements exceeding EGP 5bn. These include 28 contracts for small enterprise financing worth EGP 507m, in addition to 20 microfinance contracts totalling EGP 4.5bn.

Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, said Egypt is seeking deeper economic integration with Türkiye that would enable joint manufacturing and exporting to global markets, highlighting the complementary nature of both countries’ economic capabilities. The finance minister pointed to the strong improvement in Egypt’s economic performance, noting that private sector investment rose by 73% last year and continues to show robust momentum. He added that first-quarter indicators for the current financial year reflect continued economic improvement, with the private sector leading growth. He noted that the event aims to promote industrial zones in Alamein, Gargoub, and Borg El Arab as attractive destinations for increased Turkish investment. El-Wakil added that efforts are underway to deepen regional economic partnerships and give the private sector a greater role in supporting sustainable development.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting in the New Administrative Capital to review procedures for developing the drinking water and wastewater sector. Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsany stated that the measures aim to maximise the use of utility assets and increase financial resources for water companies across the republic. El-Homsany identified several geographically prime sites owned by the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) and its subsidiaries that are being considered for private sector partnerships. These developments would include tourist hotels and accommodation facilities, administrative and commercial units, as well as industrial and agricultural activities. This development package further includes an expansion of solar energy installations at water and treatment plants.