Arabic News Weekly Edition for Economics, 1/21/2002
Weekly Edition, Economics - Week of January 21, 2002
- Harods suspends imports of Israeli items produced in Arab settlements
The center of strengthening Arab - British Understanding CABU announced in London on Wednesday that the famous " Harods shops owned by the Egyptian businessman Muhammad al-Fayed in London responded to its request in suspending the imports of the Israeli goods produced in the Israeli settlements in the occupied Arab territories. Regional-Israel, Economics, 1/24/2002 - USA resolved to support Morocco's economic reforms
The United States are resolved to support ongoing reforms and economic liberalization in Morocco in order to enlarge prosperity horizons of Morocco, said in Rabat Wednesday visiting US trade representative, Robert Z. Zoellick. Morocco-USA, Economics, 1/24/2002 - Oil investment projects between Yemen, Russia
The Yemeni government has approved the two agreements, one pertains to investment of oil in al-Mahra area to the south of Yemen and taking part in the production with a Russian company. Yemen-Russia, Economics, 1/24/2002 - King Mohammed meets head of US oil group
Morocco's King Mohammed VI met Thursday at the Royal Office in Rabat Luke Corbett, President and Director-General of the US oil group Kerr-McGee. Morocco-USA, Business, 1/24/2002 - Gafi approves 6 new free zones
Mohamed Ghamrawi, Chairman of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Wednesday approved six new investment projects in the free zones with investments totaling 830 million. Egypt, Economics, 1/24/2002 - CBE lauds early payments, rebuts criticism
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) yesterday said that Egypt was fully committed to repaying its foreign debts as scheduled. Egypt, Economics, 1/24/2002 - Arab customs directors consider Arab free trade zone
Heads of Arab customs administrations who wound up a meeting in cairo Tuesday looked into issues related to the Arab Free Trade Zone and customs duties decrease. Regional, Economics, 1/23/2002 - Moroccan fm meets US trade representative
Morocco's minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, met in Rabat Tuesday with US Trade representative Robert Zoellick, currently on a visit to Morocco. Morocco-USA, Economics, 1/23/2002 - Tourism recession in Israel Israel, Economics, 1/23/2002
- Qatar to reduce crude oil shipments
Qatar has informed its clients in southern Korea that it will reduce its shipments of crude oil through the land and the sea in next February at 6% of the contracted upon amounts. Qatar, Economics, 1/23/2002 - Saudi Arabian aid to Afghanistan
The Saudi minister of finance and the economy Ibrahim Bin Abdul Aziz al-Assaf has stressed that Saudi Arabia will continue its pioneering role in supporting Afghanistan economically and politically under the Interim Afghani administration. Saudi Arabia-Afghanistan, Economics, 1/23/2002 - Ebeid reviews efforts exerted to attract more tourists
Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Ebeid yesterday presided over a meeting of the Higher Tourism Council. Egypt, Economics, 1/23/2002 - Ministerial commission approves 5 investment projects worth $ 64 mln
An inter-ministerial commission in charge of studying investment projects approved on Monday five projects worth 737 million DH (US$ 64.08 Mln) expected to generate 2,200 jobs. Morocco, Economics, 1/23/2002 - USD 12 billion, annual Arab food deficit
The secretary general of the federation of the Arab chambers of commerce and industry in the United Arab Emirates Abdullah Sultan Abdullah al-Ameen said that the Arab states, including the Arab Gulf state suffer a growing food discrepancy of a total cost of USD 13 billion annually during the few past years. Regional, Economics, 1/22/2002 - Arab customs director meet in Cairo
Heads and directors of customs departments in the Arab states will discuss during their meeting which started on Monday at the headquarters of the Arab League issues relating to following up the implementation of the greater Arab free trade area measures and the stand of the Arab states towards the actual implementation of this area. Regional, Economics, 1/22/2002 - European union grants egypt 20 million euros Egypt-European Union, Economics, 1/22/2002
- OIC for maintaining solidarity to unify Muslim ranks
Balqaziz called on member states at the OIC to strengthen their trade and economic cooperation and to found the Common Islamic market. Regional, Economics, 1/22/2002 - EIB to increase its investments in Egypt
The European Investment Bank (EIB) communications official Helen Kavvadia said that the EIB has provided Egypt with 186 million euros in the fields of electricity, production, wastewater management and development of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). Egypt-European Union, Economics, 1/22/2002 - Shell new investments in Egypt risen by $ 1.7 billion
"The Dutch-British Shell companiy will increase its investments in implementing number of new projects in Egypt whose production at present exceeds 600 million cubic feet of natural gas and 45,000 barrels of oil per day,obtained from Badr El-Din and A1-Obayed fields in the western desert," said Andrew Vaughn, Shell Representative in Egypt. Egypt-Holland, Business, 1/22/2002 - Egypt hosts donor countries conference on february 5
The Minister added that Egypt hoped the donor countries to approve providing $ 2.5 billion to address the deficit of trade balance and finance the urgent projects. Egypt, Economics, 1/22/2002 - EU-Morocco working group on the information society
The EU-Morocco Working Group on the Information Society will hold its first meeting on 22 January in Brussels. Morocco-European Union, Economics, 1/22/2002 - Regional statistical cooperation with the European Union
The Steering Committee brings together representatives of the EU's Statistical Office (Eurostat), and of Statistical Offices in the 27 Euro-Mediterranean Partners and in European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Regional-European Union, Economics, 1/22/2002 - Kuwait pledges $ 30 million for reconstruction of Afghanistan
Kuwait has pledged through the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) US$ 30 million as a contribution to the budget needed for Afghanistan's Reconstruction, economic development, security and stability. Kuwait-Afghanistan, Economics, 1/22/2002 - Arabs are in need of 4 million job opportunities every year
The director general of the Arab Labor Organization Ibrahim Qweider said that the Arab states have to ensure between 3 to 4 million job opportunities per year until the year 2010. Regional, Economics, 1/21/2002 - Iraq to sign free trade agreements with three Arab states in the first quarter of 2002
Iraq's vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan has announced that his country will sign agreements to found free trade areas with three Arab states in the first half of this year. Iraq-Regional, Economics, 1/21/2002 - King Mohammed launches construction works of a dam in northern Morocco
Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Monday launched construction works of a dam to supply water to the northern town of Tetouan. Morocco, Economics, 1/21/2002 - Saudi- Brazil trade exchange
The Saudi minister of commerce Osama al-Faqih has discussed with the ruler of Saint Catherine state in Brazil Isperdyayo Ameen Helou Fellio means of boosting trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Brazil. Saudi Arabia-Brazil, Economics, 1/21/2002 - GCC- EU meeting in February
The GCC- European cooperation committee which is composed of experts of experts from the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC and the European Union will hold a meeting by the beginning of February to discuss economic relations between the two sides. Gulf-European Union, Economics, 1/21/2002 - Ministerial Economic group reviews performance of national economy
The ministerial economic group also considered strengthening Egyptian economy in the coming stage in order to make optimum use of available potentials in the industrial and agricultural field in order to increase capacity, provide more job opportunities and push forward the wheel of economy in general. Egypt, Economics, 1/21/2002 - L.E 1.8 billion allocated to lend consumers
CBE agreed yesterday to allocate L.E 1.8 billion at an annual 4 percent interest rate to Egyptian banks that will offer this sum as loans to the public at an interest rate of no more than 6 per cent per annum to be used for buying Egyptian products. Egypt, Economics, 1/21/2002 - Construction of second lane of road surrounding Tetouan
Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Monday launched construction works of a second lane of the road ring in the northern city of Tetouan. Morocco, Economics, 1/21/2002