The Engineering Export Council of Egypt announced that the exports of engineering industries increased by 25.4% in January 2024, reaching $348m, compared to $277.7m in January 2023. Meanwhile, the exports of electrical and electronic industries increased by 3.2%, and the exports of means of transportation surged by 252.8%. The council also reported that the most important markets for engineering exports in January 2024 were in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as other markets such as the USA. She also said that exports to Germany increased to $10m in January 2024, compared to $9m in January 2023, an increase of 13%. She also said that exports to Libya increased to $12m in January 2024, compared to $4m in January 2023, an increase of 243%.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Friday’s evening heads to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, said Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid. The spokesman added that Shoukry and Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Saturday will co-chair the Egyptian-Qatari joint higher committee’s meeting in Doha. The Egyptian and Qatari foreign ministers will highlight their countries’ efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. On Sunday, Shoukry will fly to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where he will take part in a political consultative meeting between Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The two sides will probe ways of strengthening joint coordination and cooperation in the political and economic spheres.

Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa (Egyptian Fatwa House) announced on Sunday the date of sighting the crescent of Ramadan 1445 Hijri, coinciding with the approaching advent of the holy month. The Egyptian Fatwa House published on its official Facebook page that the Ramadan crescent moon sighting will be on Sunday, March 10. However, it said that the crescent for Ramadan 1445 can be seen with the bare eye relatively easily from all regions of the Islamic world on Monday, March 11. Ramadan crescent 2024The IAC said that Islamic countries began the month of Shaban on February 11, so most countries will observe the crescent of Ramadan on March 10, and the central conjunction will occur that day at exactly nine am GMT. “The moon will set after sunset in almost all regions of the Islamic world, and accordingly, many countries are expected to begin the month of Ramadan on Monday, March 11,” it explained.

Amr Talaat, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, inaugurated the annual forum of the “QudwaTech” initiative for women’s empowerment, titled “The Future of Women’s Empowerment in the Age of Digital Transformation”. The forum was organised by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in March, coinciding with the local and international celebrations of Women’s Day. The Minister of Communications stated that the success of the communications and information technology sector depends on its ability to adapt modern technology to achieve a societal, economic, and developmental impact in various sectors of society. He also pointed out that the “QudwaTech” initiative, launched by the Ministry of Communications, aims to enable Egyptian women to use modern technological means to develop their projects and reach target markets. He noted that the percentage of women’s participation in the communications and information technology sector is 45%.

A new World Bank Group report reveals that the global gender gap for women in the workplace is much wider than previously thought. Women have less than two-thirds the legal rights of men when it comes to safety from violence and access to childcare services. These are two new indicators that the report added to measure how laws affect women’s opportunities. It also compares the legal reforms and the actual outcomes for women in 190 economies. In 2023, governments made progress in three areas of legal equal-opportunity reforms—pay, parental rights, and workplace protections.

The fifth higher committee of Egypt and Qatar wrapped up its session on Saturday 02/03/2024 in the Qatari capital of Doha. The joint session was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. During the inauguration of the meetings, Shoukry conveyed the greetings of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The Qatari premier and foreign minister welcomed the committee meetings and its aspired role to enhance bilateral cooperation. At the end of the committee session, ministers of both sides signed a number of memorandums of understanding in different domains.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that Israeli forces killed 90 civilians and wounded 177 more in nine massacres across the Strip in the last 24 hours. It said that some of the victims were still trapped under the rubble or on the roads and that Israeli forces were blocking the access of ambulance and civil defence teams to rescue them. The government media office in Gaza also warned on Sunday of the deepening famine in the Strip and denounced the airdrops of aid as ineffective. It blamed the US administration, the international community, and the Israeli occupation for the humanitarian crisis. “The famine is severely affecting the governorates of the Gaza Strip, where 2,400,000 people are facing acute food shortages.

CAIRO – 3 March 2024: Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Qabbaj stated Sunday in a conference that women composed 62 percent of diplomats as well as 22 percent and 14 percent of members in the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively. Further, women represent 20 percent of ministers, 42.8 percent of investigators at the Administrative Prosecution, and 44 percent of members of the National Council for Human Rights in addition to 66 female judges. For the first time, there are currently women holding the positions of deputy governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, chief of an economic court, and national security advisor to the president of the republic.

Sunday 3 March 2024 01:00 AMThe International Health Tourism Conference kicked off on Saturday under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, with the slogan “The echo of the past is renewed today.” The two-day conference is taking place in the New Administrative Capital. Al-Sobki added that Egypt has a great position in health tourism, both in its hospital and therapeutic aspects, in the ranking of indicators at the international level. He stressed that Egypt is a major hub for receiving visitors from Arab and African countries and the world and an ideal destination for health tourism. He pointed out that the Health Care Authority owns green, internationally accredited health facilities in the most important tourist and coastal governorates, such as Port Said, Luxor, Ismailia, South Sinai, Aswan, and Suez. He pointed out that health tourism is a vital strategic sector for improving the growth of the economy in Egypt.

CAIRO – 3 March 2024: Egyptian Ambassador to Harare met with Vice-President of Zimbabwe Constantino Chiwenga to discuss the activation of the MoUs signed between the two countries in affordable housing, and among Egypt's New Administrative Capital and Zim Cybercity in Zimbabwe's Mount Hampden. The vice-president also thanked Egypt for providing a shipment of cholera vaccine in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which is any agency affiliated to the African Union. In November, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi received President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa at Al-Ittihadiya Palace. The two leaders agreed on the necessity to boost cooperation in the areas of agriculture and agricultural industrialization projects, and to leverage livestock and fisheries resources, with the aim of maximizing the added value and ensuring food security for both countries. The two Presidents also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the various infrastructure sectors which shall provide joint development opportunities.

CAIRO – 3 March 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry criticized Ethiopia's intransigence and neglect to the principle of good neighboring, which has pushed Egypt to suspend negotiations aimed at reaching a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Shokry's made the statements Sunday in the second Egypt-GCC Consultative Meeting held in Riyadh as he updated his counterparts on the dispute pertinent to the dam. Minister Shokry also tackled the critical crisis the region is enduring due to the Gaza War. He warned of the disastrous consequences of the intended Israeli ground operation in Palestinian Rafah on regional security. The discussions also included threats to navigation in the Red Sea, and the conflicts in Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Somalia.

Financing Portfolio QualityThe bank’s net return margin increased to 11.3% from 7% in 2022, and the percentage of non-performing loans decreased to 6.9% in the fiscal year 2023. As a result, customer deposits increased by 13.2%, reaching EGP 101.3bn in the fiscal year 2023, compared to EGP 89.485bn in 2022. He pointed out that the total loans to deposits ratio increased to 44.9% in 2023, compared to 42.6% in the previous year. Ghanem also revealed that the number of subscribers to the Internet and mobile banking applications increased by 72% in 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. The percentage of users of the Internet and mobile banking applications also increased by 108% in 2023, compared to 2022.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced that the banking sector allocated nearly EGP 2bn to support social and developmental projects in 2023, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. The projects aimed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and align with Egypt’s Vision 2030. The banking sector also spent EGP 274.3m on community welfare, EGP 21.3m on rural and slum development, EGP 57.4m on supporting people with disabilities, and EGP 27.3m on women empowerment. Additionally, the Egyptian banks supported entrepreneurship and SMEs with EGP 22.8m, environmental projects with EGP 29.5m, and sports, arts, and culture with EGP 30.8m, among other community initiatives. The CBE reaffirmed that the banking sector will continue to support national initiatives that aim to help the most vulnerable segments and improve society.

Mass destruction caused by Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip in Israel's genocide war on the strip as it killed more than 30,000 people- photo from Palestinian journalist. CAIRO – 2 March 2024: Cairo will host – on Sunday- negotiations to reach a humanitarian truce between the Palestinian Hamas movement and Israel in Gaza, a high-ranking Egyptian source told Al Qahera News on Saturday. The source also confirmed that Egypt continues airdropping humanitarian aid and food onto the Gaza Strip for more than 2 million Palestinians suffering from systematic starvation by Israeli occupation forces. He added, on condition of anonymity, that Hamas will hand Egypt over the response to the Paris proposal regarding the ceasefire agreement. Egypt has been actively working towards achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the disastrous consequences of the Israeli attacks.

Kyiv CNN —A three-year-old old boy was among the four people killed in an overnight Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Odesa, officials said, the latest civilian victims of a relentless Russian bombing campaign. The boy, who officials said was named Timofii, was discovered under rubble on a ground floor after the strike, Odesa City Municipality said on Telegram. He called for more air defense systems as he stressed the need to further strengthen the country’s air defense capacities. At least four have been declared killed after the drone strike hit a residential building in Odesa. Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP/Getty Images“More air defense systems, more missiles for air defense is what saves lives,” he said.