Arabic News Weekly Edition for Economics, 5/3/1999
Weekly Edition, Economics - Week of May 3, 1999
- Egypt: Standards and enforcement essential for the quality of tourism industry
Egyptian Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagi stressed intensification of procedures monitoring quality control in Egyptian hotels to guarantee the quality of the services presented to tourists. Egypt, Business, 5/7/1999 - Egyptian ministerial group created to control negative balance of trade
The Egyptian Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzoury, decided to form a ministerial group to improve on the deficit found in Egypt's trade balance with a number of countries. Egypt, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Economic conference for Egyptian National Party to begin tomorrow
The committee for economic and financial affairs at the trusteeship of the Egyptian ruling National Party is to hold its seventh conference, starting tomorrow and lasting for two days, entitled "Challenges confronting Egyptian exports." Egypt, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Arab loan to Algeria worth $130 million Algeria, Economics, 5/7/1999
- Algeria - economy Algeria, Economics, 5/7/1999
- Bahrain - India investment Bahrain-India, Economics, 5/7/1999
- Morocco's experience in collective conventions is still weak, prime minister says
The council, which meets for the first time since 1959, seeks to encourage partnership and contractual policy between socioeconomic partners, promote economic efficiency and workers' social status. The council, set up in 1957, also endeavors to achieve the stability of professional relations through the development of labor law texts. Morocco, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Moroccan government undertakes to fulfill social commitments
The Moroccan government undertook to materialize social commitments contained in a declaration concluded in 1996 with trade unions and employers. Morocco, Economics, 5/7/1999 - France helps Morocco develop with loans worth 2.4 billion francs
The French agency for development announced that the total of the agency's loans specified for basic development in Morocco, amounted to 2.4 billion francs during last year. Morocco-France, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Arab civil aviation organization adopts air transports liberalization program
The Arab Organization for Civil Aviation adopted an executive program for the gradual liberalization of Arab air transports. Regional, Economics, 5/7/1999 - EIB financing in Morocco not to be affected by fisheries issue
The European Investment Bank's projected financing in Morocco will not be affected by the future of Morocco-EU fisheries relations, said visiting vice-president of the EIB, Arianne Obolesnky in Rabat Thursday. Morocco-European Union, Economics, 5/7/1999 - 20 countries to participate in Dubai Medicom conference for communications
The activities of Medicom conference for communications are to start on Tuesday. The two-day conference will be held in Dubai with the participation of 300 officials from 20 countries from the mail, telephone and Internet sectors and the companies working in this field whether inside or outside the Arab states. Regional, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Delegation of Egyptian businessmen to make a European tour
A delegation of Egyptian businessmen is going to start tomorrow morning a European tour, which will include Germany, Holland and Italy. They will discuss the opportunities for investment with businessmen in these countries, as well as how to activate trade and industrial cooperation. Egypt, Business, 5/7/1999 - Three offers refused to buy Egyptian paper company
The holding company for Egyptian chemical industries refused three offers to buy the Ferta company for paper. An official source in the company said the offers were refused because the presented prices are less than the financial evaluation of the holding company. Egypt, Business, 5/7/1999 - Specialized fund for investment in the Middle East, Africa
The measures for establishing the first specialized fund for investment in Middle East and Africa are to begin on May 15. Egypt-Regional, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Current account deficit expected to remain below 1 percent of GDP
The current account deficit is expected to remain in 1999 and 2000 below 1% of the gross domestic product (GDP), the Moroccan economy and finance department said. Morocco, Economics, 5/7/1999 - World Bank lends Morocco US $106 million for telecom and fisheries projects
The World Bank extended on Thursday Morocco two loans worth US $106 million destined to finance telecom and fisheries development projects. Morocco-World Bank, Economics, 5/7/1999 - Cairo: Establishing an international exhibition for furniture industry in May 2000
Cairo will host from May 17 - 21, 2000 the first international exhibition for the furniture and decor industry under the title "Index Cairo 2000," which is specially directed at promising markets in the field of interior and decor for the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, especially Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia. Regional-Egypt, Business, 5/7/1999 - Mediterranean travel fair next year Regional, Economics, 5/7/1999
- 7.7 percent increase in OPEC revenues likely this year, US says
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said that based on an April reference case it expects OPEC oil export revenues to increase by 7.7% in 1999 to $107.6 billion. Regional, Economics, 5/6/1999 - Morocco to develop fisheries sector into a strategic leg of the economy
Moroccan fisheries minister Habib El Malki affirmed that Morocco is endeavoring to make of the fishing sector a tool to enhance sustained development through the launching of a large scale program to build more ports, modernize the country's fleet and upgrade the professionals' skills. Morocco, Economics, 5/6/1999 - French company drills for petroleum in Egypt Egypt, Business, 5/6/1999
- Starting the free trade agreements between Egypt and Morocco
Egypt's ambassador in Rabat, Ahmed Amin Fath Allah, said the Moroccan Foreign Ministry informed him officially that they have finalized legal matters concerning the Egyptian free trade zone agreement between Egypt and Morocco, and that these agreements entered the frame of implementation. Egypt-Morocco, Economics, 5/6/1999 - 3rd economic-investment show in Paris for Moroccan expatriates Morocco-France, Economics, 5/6/1999
- Morocco's 4th Sea Fair
Sea professionals from Morocco, Europe and Japan are taking part in the 4th sea fair which opened Wednesday under the theme:"Marketing sea products." Morocco, Economics, 5/6/1999 - UAE, Qatar send donations to Kosovo
Two Qatari planes and one from the United Arab Emirates headed for Tirana on Tuesday carrying humanitarian aid to Kosovo's refugees. United Arab Emirates-Qatar-Yugoslavia, Economics, 5/6/1999 - First Tunisian private sector power link established
The French Alestom engineering group won a contract to establish an electric station with a strength of 471 million megawatts near the Tunisian capital in the first private project for generating electricity in Tunis. Tunisia-France, Economics, 5/6/1999 - Selling 60 governmental companies in Egypt Egypt, Business, 5/6/1999
- US company studies establishing factory for treating gas in Lebanon
The American M.W. Kellogg Company won a contract to conduct the technical studies regarding a factory for treating gas which forms a main part of a project to providing Lebanon with its needs of gas to generate electric energy. Lebanon, Business, 5/6/1999 - Four Egyptian textile companies merge into two
The Egyptian textile sector witnessed the day before yesterday a merger among four Egyptian companies that formed two new companies with assets of nearly one billion pounds. Egypt, Business, 5/6/1999 - Syrian exports-imports during March, Tartous port sees activity rise
During March, some 121 ships arrived in Syria's Lattakia port, carrying 384,904 tonnes, including 229,939 in imports and 54,965 in exports. Syria, Economics, 5/6/1999 - Second Cairo marketing festival to start on July 20
It was decided that Cairo marketing festival will start on July 20 and last for a month. Egypt, Economics, 5/6/1999 - UAE pleased with oil price increase
United Arab Emirates Oil Minister Obeid Bin Self al-Nasiri has expressed his satisfaction with the increase in oil prices. United Arab Emirates, Economics, 5/6/1999 - Egypt plans Russian industrial exhibition
The organization for Egyptian international markets and exhibitions is making special arrangements regarding a Russian industrial exhibition that will be held in Cairo during November. Egypt-Russia, Economics, 5/6/1999 - Expo France 99 concludes in Cairo
Expo France '99 exhibition concluded yesterday in Cairo after lasting for one week with the participation of 260 French companies, 100 Egyptian companies and 30 companies from Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, Spain and Italy. Egypt-France, Economics, 5/6/1999 - Swedish company wins telephone contract in Oman Oman-International, Business, 5/6/1999
- Registration of six new companies in Egyptian stock market Egypt, Business, 5/5/1999
- Ministers of finance in Gulf states to convene on Saturday in Riyadh
Ministers of finance and national economy in countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council will convene at the GCC general trusteeship in Riyadh on Saturday the meetings of the 50th session of the financial and economical cooperation committee affiliated to the council. Gulf, Economics, 5/5/1999 - European bank grants Morocco 23-million euro loan Morocco, Economics, 5/5/1999
- Egypt, New Zealand officials discuss WTO election, trade
Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Nagi El-Fotairi received New Zealand's ambassador in Cairo, David Payton. Egypt-New Zealand, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Middle East states offer aids to Kosovans
The Middle East countries are witnessing intensive moves to collect donations and dispatching tonnes of humanitarian aid and flying hospitals to Kosovo refugees since the very beginning of the NATO raids on Yugoslavia. Regional-Yugoslavia, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Moroccan-canadian partnership council pledges support to Moroccan leading projects
The Moroccan-Canadian partnership council held in Montreal this May 3-5 pledged support to the subway and the garbage dump projects in Casablanca and to the promotion of citrus fruits and early vegetables exports to Canada. Morocco-Canada, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Lebanon's imports from Indonesia's up while exports lag far behind
The agency said Indonesia's non-oil exports to Lebanon increased in 1998 to $68.95 million compared to $47.56 million dollars in 1997. Lebanon, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Saudi - gas prices Saudi Arabia, Economics, 5/5/1999
- Jordan - Libya economy Jordan-Libya, Economics, 5/5/1999
- Mobinil's shares break the 50 pound barrier Egypt, Business, 5/5/1999
- Second regional seminar on policy reforms in water resources management
Participants will focus on the exchange of knowledge and information on successful practices in the countries of the region and identify lessons for national water management policy/strategy within a broad socio-economic perspective. Regional, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Arab experts assess in Beirut economic and social development since 1975
Experts from the Middle East are meeting here to assess economic and social development reached in the region during the last 25 years. Regional, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Sahara and sub-Sahara countries face water shortage
Water resources in the African Saharas and sub-saharan countries have considerably decreased since 1980, says a recent study of the observatory of the Sahara and the Sahel. Regional, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Moroccan-Thai economic cooperation discussed in Rabat
Means to enhance economic cooperation and trade exchanges between Morocco and Thailand were discussed at a meeting in Rabat on Monday between Moroccan secretary of state in charge of handicraft, Hassan Maaouni, and Morocco's honorary consul in Thailand, Chira Ratanarat. Morocco-Thailand, Economics, 5/5/1999 - Syria, Jordan to start construction of al-Wahda dam
A round of final talks were held on Monday in Damascus between the Syrian delegation led by Irrigation Minister Abdul Rahman Madani and the Jordanian side led by Minister of Water and Irrigation Kamel Hadadin. Syria-Jordan, Economics, 5/4/1999 - Two Boeing planes for Moroccan airline Morocco, Business, 5/4/1999
- UAE Habthour to begin activities in Egypt
The United Arab Emirates' El-Habthoor group decided to start its activity in Egypt for the first time, where the representative of the company in Egypt, Ahmed Abd El-Latif, said in Egypt that the El-Habthoor group has bought 54% of the shares of El-Ahram company for tourist and estate investment. Egypt-United Arab Emirates, Business, 5/4/1999 - $2.7 billion expected in Lebanese investments in Egypt in three years
Badran Kamal, head of the Egyptian - Lebanese Business Association, expected an increase in Lebanese direct investment in Egypt to $2.7 billion during the coming three years in comparison to $880 million currently. Egypt-Lebanon, Economics, 5/4/1999 - Cairo: $300 million Indian project for fertilizer production
Indian companies are discussing establishing fertilizer factory in the Suez Canal with investments of $300 million. Egypt-India, Business, 5/4/1999 - Dubai: A conference on Gulf - European partnership
The industrial and commercial chamber of Dubai is to host the second conference for the Gulf - European partnership on November 29, organized by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states' chamber and the European Commission in cooperation with the Gulf Organization for Gulf Consultations. Gulf-European Union, Business, 5/4/1999 - Positive indicators for Algerian economy due to higher oil prices
The average price of Algerian petroleum increased to $17 per barrel due to the resurgence prevailing in petroleum prices on the international market. This price surpasses the expectations in the financial budgets this year, which expect $15 per barrel for 1999. Algeria, Economics, 5/4/1999 - Conference on cooperatives to upgrade development laws
Rabat is hosting a conference on cooperatives and their role in securing a sustained development in Arab states. Regional, Economics, 5/4/1999 - American wheat to Jordan Jordan-USA, Economics, 5/3/1999
- Russian - Iraqi committee for economic cooperation to meet in Baghdad soon
Both Iraq and Russia have agreed upon activating work between them on petroleum projects in Iraq and to convene a meeting of the joint economic cooperation committee between the two countries in Baghdad soon, Iraqi Minister of Petroleum Amer Rashid said at the conclusion of his visit to Moscow. Iraq-Russia, Economics, 5/3/1999 - Arab Civil Aviation Organization discuss standardization and liberalization
The organization says the special session was convened in view of the urgency of the issues on its agenda, mainly a program to liberalize civil aviation and a draft agreement on the standardization of standards of carriers' responsibility and the adoption of an Arab code of automatic booking. Regional, Economics, 5/3/1999 - U.S wants to break European monopoly in Maghreb, U.S official says
Stuart Eizenstat, the U.S. Secretary of State for Economic Affairs who engineered last year an initiative to establish a U.S-Maghreb partnership said his country wants to break the European monopoly in the Maghreb. Maghreb-USA, Economics, 5/3/1999