Arabic News Weekly Edition for Economics, 4/2/2001
Weekly Edition, Economics - Week of April 2, 2001
- Iraq and Morocco sign package of agreements
Iraq and Morocco signed on Tuesday a package of agreements covering cooperation in the economic, trade, cultural, media and scientific realms. Iraq-Morocco, Economics, 4/4/2001 - The Egyptian- Jordanian higher committee
The Egyptian- Jordanian higher committee chaired by the two states prime minister Atif Obeid and his Jordanian counterpart Ali Abu al-Ragheb holds meetings of its 17th session in the last week of this month in Amman in order to discuss means of strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields. Egypt-Jordan, Economics, 4/4/2001 - Strengthening relations between Qatar, Bahrain
Well-informed sources said that a delegation including several businessmen from Qatar will head for Bahrain on Friday to hold talks with their Bahraini counterparts in the first step of its kind to strengthen the accelerated positive relations between the two states after closing the file of the border disputes at the International court of Justice in the Hague on March 16. Qatar-Bahrain, Economics, 4/4/2001 - King Mohammed dedicates electronic components assembly plant
Morocco's King Mohammed VI dedicated on Tuesday afternoon a ST Microelectronics' new assembly and test plant at Bouskoura, near Casablanca. Morocco, Business, 4/4/2001 - Spanish group associated in tourism project in Morocco Morocco-Spain, Business, 4/4/2001
- Five major IT companies to set up home in Egypt
Five major American companies working in the field of information technology will set up premises in the Egyptian Smart Village, it was announced on Tuesday Egyptian Communications and IT Minister Ahmed Nazif said the five companies include Microsoft, Compaq, and Oracle, reflecting increasing interest in IT and communications in Egypt. Egypt-USA, Business, 4/4/2001 - US, Egypt agree on measures to strengthen Economic Cooperation
United States Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick and Youssef Boutros Ghali, Egypt's Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, agreed on Tuesday on measures the US and Egyptian governments will take to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation. Egypt-USA, Economics, 4/4/2001 - The waters of Tigris and the Euphrates
The British weekly " the Middle East" said in its recent issue that Turkey's minimizing of the water flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to each of Syria and Lebanon is considered the main reason behind the tension between Turkey and its Arab neighbors. Regional-Turkey, Economics, 4/4/2001 - Egypt launches e-government initiative with Microsoft
Commenting on the initiative, Nazif said: "The objective of this e-government initiative is to provide simpler and faster methods to fulfill standard citizens' requests from various government services' bodies. It also provides the framework to support intra-government collaboration for more timely and accurate information needed to facilitate decision-making. Egypt, Business, 4/4/2001 - British investments in Egypt hit $ 4.4 billion
British investments in Egypt have reached $ 4.4 billion within the past five years, British Deputy-Ambassador in Cairo Mike Gifford told a group of businessmen Monday in Port Said governorate. Egypt-UK, Economics, 4/4/2001 - Mubarak, US officials probe economic relations
"President Mubarak discussed at two meetings with the US Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce on Monday economic relations between Egypt and the United States," said Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Youssef Boutros Ghali. Egypt-USA, Economics, 4/4/2001 - US Chamber of Commerce announces first US-Egypt business partnership
The United States Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday announced the first US-Egypt business partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt to advance import/export opportunities. Egypt-USA, Business, 4/4/2001 - UAE exempts Palestinian goods from customs duties United Arab Emirates-Palestine, Economics, 4/3/2001
- Unemployment in the Arab states increase to 15% Regional, Economics, 4/3/2001
- Iraq, Morocco probe cooperation in oil
Iraq and Morocco probed in Baghdad on Monday means to develop bilateral cooperation in oil. Iraq-Morocco, Economics, 4/3/2001 - James D. Wolfensohn on the challenges of globalization; the role of the World Bank
Current levels of foreign aid, at some 0.24 percent of annual GDP, fall far short of the 0.7 percent target developed countries promised to meet. The difference between these figures is worth a hundred billion dollars a year. For millions of poor people, this is the difference between life and death. And it is surely an amount, which if correctly used, could make the achievement of global objectives possible. Regional, Economics, 4/3/2001 - Gas agreement between Qatar and India
An official source said on Sunday in Doha that Qatar signed two contracts relating to building a production unity for natural gas, in order to export it to India. Qatar-India, Business, 4/3/2001 - Stockholm hosts informal meetings of donor countries for Palestine
An informal meeting of donor countries to Palestine will be held this April 11 in Stockholm to collect a monthly amount of 90 million Euros in loans or donations to the Palestinian authority. Palestine, Economics, 4/3/2001 - Saudi fund contributes to low-cost housing projects in Morocco
The Saudi Development Fund has extended Morocco a 45 million Saudi Rials loan (about 125 Million Dirhams or 11.36 million dollars) destined to co-finance low-cost housing projects. Morocco-Saudi Arabia, Economics, 4/3/2001 - Turkish businessmen to invest in Syria Syria-Turkey, Economics, 4/3/2001
- International telecoms exhibition opens in Casablanca
An international telecoms exhibition opened this Tuesday in Casablanca displaying latest innovations in information systems and networks. Morocco-Regional, Business, 4/3/2001 - Arab ports federation meets in Morocco next fall
The Tripoli session also adopted a memorandum of understanding on states' monitoring of ships in harbors and convened to extend the term of the federation secretary general, Ahmed Sayyed Hamida. Regional, Economics, 4/3/2001 - Canadian agency assists Moroccan rural women associations
The Canadian Agency For International Development has handed out equipment to seven associations in the region of the southern Atlantic city of Agadir dealing with the promotion of women in the rural world. Morocco-Canada, Economics, 4/3/2001 - Moroccan companies in Tripoli's international fair
Several Moroccan companies are taking part in the 30th international fair of Tripoli, Libya, this April 2-12. Libya-Morocco, Economics, 4/3/2001 - Iraq to import pharmaceutical products, surgical instruments from Pakistan
Iraqi Health Minister, Omeed Medhat Mubarak, said Iraq is willing to import medicines and health appliances from Pakistan that can also provide assistance in health professionals training. Iraq-Pakistan, Economics, 4/2/2001 - Saudi tour operators visit Morocco
A group of Saudi tour operators visited at the end of last month several Moroccan cities to explore means to upgrade Moroccan-Saudi cooperation in tourism. Morocco-Saudi Arabia, Economics, 4/2/2001 - Privatization of state-owned banks not important
Officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said they considered the privatization of the Egyptian state-owned banks not important as the country's banking system depends largely on these banks' power and competition, on the contrary the privatization may yield adverse outcomes if the government gives up these significant tool in controlling the monetary policy. Egypt, Economics, 4/2/2001 - Knock-door mission performs intensives activities in USA
The economic knock-door mission delegation intensified its activities in the United States at the end of its meetings ahead of President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Washington next Tuesday. Egypt-USA, Economics, 4/2/2001 - Investment agreements between Oman and Austria
Oman and Austria on Sunday in Muscat signed an agreement provides for encouraging and protecting investment as guarantees to investors in the two countries. This was during the visit of the Austrian President Thomas Klestil to Oman. Oman-Austria, Economics, 4/2/2001 - The Turkish- Iraqi oil pipeline
The Iraqi oil ministry secretary Taha Hamoud Yassin has announced that the current official talks between Iraq and Turkey concerning erecting of a natural gas pipeline from Iraq to Turkey has reached advanced stages to sign a joint agreement between the two countries to this effect. Iraq-Turkey, Economics, 4/2/2001 - German aids to Yemen
The German minister for cooperation Hyde Mary has announced that Germany has offered a sum of 30 million Euros ( approximately $ 20 million) to Yemen this year for fighting poverty. Yemen-Germany, Economics, 4/2/2001 - Arab electricity ministers meet in Cairo wednesday
Arab electricity ministers will be meeting in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the completion of a project to link power grids among the Arab states and Europe. Regional, Economics, 4/2/2001