CAIRO - 20 December 2023: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated, on Wednesday Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi on his re-election for a new presidential term. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi secured another presidency term for additional six years after winning the 2024 Presidential Elections with 39.702.541 votes or 89.6% of total valid votes, according to the National Elections Authority. Candidate Farid Zahran won third place in the 2024 presidential elections with a total number of 1,776,952 votes, or 4% of total valid votes. Ahmed Bandari, Director of the Executive Body of Egypt’s NEA said in his speech that 2024 Egypt's elections was a 'great example' of elections that showed political and constitutional awareness,He added that the world witnessed unprecedented voting rates in Egypt's 2024 presidential elections. The 2024 presidential election is the fifth multi-party presidential elections that the country has witnessed in its modern history.

CAIRO - 20 December 2023: Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, has arrived in Cairo for critical discussions with Egyptian officials concerning the ongoing situation in Gaza. Announced by Hamas on Wednesday, this visit is primarily aimed at negotiating a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and discussing a potential prisoner exchange with Israel. The talks are centered around vital issues such as establishing a ceasefire in Gaza, exchanging prisoners with Israel, and addressing broader regional concerns. This ceasefire would be in exchange for the release of 40 detainees currently held by Hamas. The conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, has resulted in significant casualties and destruction.

The United States, with all its departments and agencies, will soon enter the year of the presidential elections. However, all opinion polls indicate that he is ahead by a large margin over current President Joe Biden. Biden may be the only American president who has footage and pictures that reveal the extent of the decline of his mental state. The American administration hoped that the annual military aid of 3.8 billion US dollars that the United States provides to Israel would influence Netanyahu’s decisions. Internal criticism in America is growing, as many believe that US President Joe Biden is “dragging” America into several international conflicts.

IT Dynamics, the leading IT provider of enterprise network solutions, security, collaboration, and data center technologies, has announced that it has achieved a 60% market share in Cisco Meraki solutions in Egypt. This is part of its strategic expansion into the Gulf region, which demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation and growth. Samer Mostafa, Sales Director at IT Dynamics, reports impressive results as the year ends: As we approach the end of the year, the IT Dynamics Group has not only reached but tripled our figures from last year, securing over 60% of the Cisco Meraki market share. IT Dynamics made significant investments during tough times, seeing each crisis as a chance for growth and keeping a strong belief in Egypt’s economic potential. Mohamed Mostafa, CEO of IT Dynamics, said: “Starting this momentous journey into the Gulf region is proof of IT Dynamics’ unwavering commitment to innovation and growth.

Egypt expressed its heartfelt condolences to the friendly Chinese nation and people in a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, following the devastating earthquake that struck the northwestern province of Gansu, resulting in a large number of casualties. Egypt declared its full solidarity with the People’s Republic of China in coping with the disastrous effects of this tragic incident and extended its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for all the injured. Local officials said that the quake, which occurred near midnight, killed at least 105 people and injured 400 in Gansu province. State television station CCTV reported that 13 more people were killed and 100 injured in Haidong city in the neighboring Qinghai province. The official Xinhua news agency said that the quake caused extensive material damage, including house collapses, and forced many residents to flee into the streets.

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt)President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has expressed his appreciation for the political performance of the candidates who ran in the 2024 presidential elections in a way that enriches pluralism and diversity in the Egyptian political and democratic scene. Presidential Spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy said that in the meeting, President Al-Sisi welcomed the candidates, and the heads of the political parties presented their views on how to enhance national development efforts in the next phase. President Al-Sisi, for his part, appreciated the ideas put forward; stressing that dialogue between the various political groups in society is an essential component of the development of society and a fundamental feature of the New Republic. They also expressed their sincere wishes for President Al-Sisi to achieve the interests of the country, which is the ultimate goal of all national political factions, especially at this critical time when the region is facing serious challenges. Al-Sisi stressed the importance of protecting the people of the Strip from the tragic humanitarian situation they are suffering from.

CAIRO - 19 December 2023: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received a phone call Tuesday from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who congratulated him on his election victory, said Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy. He also wished President Sisi continued success in achieving the aspirations and hopes of the Egyptian nation, added the spokesman. For his part, President Sisi affirmed his keenness on promoting bilateral relations at various levels, as well as exchanging viewpoints toward numerous African issues. Candidate Farid Zahran won third place in the 2024 presidential elections with a total number of 1,776,952 votes, or 4% of total valid votes. The 2024 presidential election is the fifth multi-party presidential elections that the country has witnessed in its modern history.

It also pointed out that the Israeli occupation forces turned Al Awda Hospital into a military base and detained 240 people inside without water, food, or medicine. The occupation army surrounded the hospital and arrested several doctors, nurses, and the wounded, according to Naeem. In the same context, the Israeli army confirmed that 29 soldiers were injured in the Gaza battles during the past 24 hours, amid clashes between occupation soldiers and Palestinian resistance factions in various areas of the Gaza Strip. In addition, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that more than 2,800 Israeli soldiers have been receiving treatment in the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense since the beginning of the war on Gaza. The head of the rehabilitation department in the Israeli Ministry of Defence said that 18% of the injured Israeli soldiers suffer from psychological symptoms.

CAIRO – 19 December 2023: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received Tuesday the three other candidates who were running in the 2024 Presidential Election against him, commending their political performance during the electoral process and their enrichment of diversity on the Egyptian democratic scene. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi secured another presidency term for additional six years after winning the 2024 Presidential Elections with 39.702.541 votes or 89.6% of total valid votes, according to the National Elections Authority. Candidate Farid Zahran won third place in the 2024 presidential elections with a total number of 1,776,952 votes, or 4% of total valid votes. Candidate Abdul-Sanad Yamama got the fourth place with a total number of votes of 822,606 votes, or 1.9% of total valid votes, according to the National Elections Authority. The number of valid votes in the elections reached 44,288,361, while the number of invalid votes is 489,307.

CAIRO - 19 December 2023: A study by the Egyptian Center for Thought and Strategic Studies confirmed that the voting rates in the presidential election, announced by authorities, indicate that participation and voting rates this year exceeded those in previous constitutional elections. The study added that the participation rate in the current elections "exceeded all expectations," reaching 45-50 percent, according to the counting records were submitted to the National Elections AuthorityThe study stated that among the reasons that led to the current state of momentum are the pluralism of the current elections and the ability of different political parties to participate effectively in the electoral scene:The elections included 3 candidates with different party backgrounds, and other parties supported the candidacy of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who does not belong to a political party and decided to run in the elections in his independent capacity. As for the candidate Abdel-Sanad Yamama, he enjoyed the support of the popular base of the Wafd Party, which is considered the oldest political party in Egypt, and his electoral campaign worked to mobilize and vote in his favor. Candidate Farid Zahran was able to present himself as a representative of the opposition parties, as he heads the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and a number of opposition parties supported him in his campaign and supported his electoral program. The study indicated that the largest share of the crowd was the share of the parties supporting the political leadership, the most prominent of which were the Nation's Future Party and the Homeland Defenders Party, which continued to hold mass meetings throughout the period of preparation for the electoral race.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced that banks operating in the Egyptian market achieved net profits of approximately EGP 212.582bn in the first 9 months of 2023 (9M 2023). According to the CBE’s report released on Monday, banks’ net revenue reached EGP 411.905bn at the end of September 2023, while net activity revenue amounted to EGP 486.126bn. These leading banks include the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), Commercial International Bank (CIB), Banque du Caire, QNB Al Ahly, Credit Agricole – Egypt, Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt, and Housing and Development Bank. The report further reveals that the net revenue of the top ten banks during Q3 2023 reached EGP 315.620bn, with net activity revenue at EGP 369.144bn and total expenses at EGP 209.661bn. Similarly, the five largest banks reported net revenue of EGP 265.926bn and net activity revenue of EGP 308.590bn at the end of September, while their total expenses amounted to EGP 178.898bn.

Russia has wrapped up its mission to evacuate its citizens from the conflict-stricken Gaza Strip, with the final group of 73 people, including 45 children, now awaiting departure from Cairo, Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov said on Monday. “All requests for evacuation have been fulfilled,” Kurenkov declared during a conference call. Kurenkov elaborated on the team’s efforts, highlighting their role in assisting evacuees upon arrival at the Rafah border crossing and facilitating their onward journey to Moscow. “Our personnel provided comprehensive support throughout the process, including medical and psychological care,” he added. Beyond ensuring the safety of Russian citizens, the ministry also delivered a total of 350 tons of humanitarian aid to residents of the Gaza Strip, demonstrating Russia’s commitment to alleviating the plight of civilians caught in the ongoing conflict.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and 30 international and local companies in the field of communications and information technology have signed several memoranda of understanding. The MoUs are part of the “Digital Generations of Egypt” initiatives launched by the ministry. The “Digital Generations of Egypt” initiatives are implemented with several major international universities and local and international companies in the field of communications and information technology. Moreover, the initiatives integrate skills, aiming to refine not only technical skills but also personal skills required by the job market. The signing ceremony was attended by Ghada Labib, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Institutional Development, Ahmed Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency, and Ahmed Khatib, Director of the National Institute of Communications.

The inaugural “Housearch Investment Index” has propelled Gulf nations to the forefront of global residential property investment for 2024. Dubai, within the United Arab Emirates, has long been a magnet for international property investors, renowned for its luxurious offerings, investor-friendly business environment, and near-zero tax regime. Beyond Dubai, the Index highlights Oman and Qatar’s growing traction, drawing global investors seeking reliable and stable cash flows. Mark Wilson, Adviser to CEO and Head of Research at Housearch, stated: “Oman and Qatar’s strong showing in our 2024 Index signifies a growing investor confidence in the Gulf region as a whole. Its 2024 findings reflect a shifting landscape in global real estate investment, with the Gulf countries emerging as key players.

City, who won their first Champions League title this year, are yet to win the Club World Cup, a trophy Guardiola won twice with Barcelona and once with Bayern Munich. The last 10 editions of the Club World Cup have been won by European sides and City will be firm favourites when they take on Asian Champions League holders Urawa at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Tuesday. However, Guardiola urged caution, pointing to the strength of Japanese football, with Japan's national team, the 'Samurai Blue', having recorded wins over Spain and Germany in last year's World Cup. "When you play the Club World Cup there is no tiredness. "Almost all of us never won - and as a club we never won - and we want to do it.