Arabic News Weekly Edition for Economics, 9/15/2003
Weekly Edition, Economics - Week of September 15, 2003
- Unemployment rises by 0.8 percent in morocco
Morocco's unemployment rate increased in the second half of 2003 to 11.2 percent against 10.4 percent in the same period last year, marking a 0.8 percent, the Statistics Direction announced Friday. Morocco, Economics, 9/20/2003 - Blaze in Moroccan refinery leaves no victims
A blaze broke out here Wednesday evening in a gasoline tank in the Moroccan major oil refinery SAMIR but left no victims. Morocco, Business, 9/20/2003 - ART TV buys Moroccan soccer broadcasting rights
The Arab satellite channel "ART" will be broadcasting matches of the Moroccan selection and first league championship, under a five-year broadcasting rights agreement signed Thursday. Morocco-Regional, Business, 9/20/2003 - New fire in Karkouk pipeline
The commander of the American (US) forces in Iraq Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said yesterday that a fire erupted in an oil pipeline to the north of Baghdad near Beji where an oil refinery exists, not knowing if the explosion was intentional. Iraq, Economics, 9/19/2003 - La Tribune: French savings bank to set up in Morocco
The French Savings Bank (Ecureuil) intends to have presence in Morocco and to take 20 percent of the capital of the Moroccan Bank of External Trade (BMCE) Morocco-France, Business, 9/19/2003 - Libya boycotts an Arab ministerial meeting
Libya boycotted yesterday works of the 72nd session of the social and economic council which was at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo. This was in another step towards implementing a new threat to withdrawal from the AL. Regional-Libya, Economics, 9/18/2003 - Renault CEO meets premier over setting up in Morocco
The Moroccan state and Renault also agreed that Renault will start assembling in SOMACA starting end of 2005 the L90 car, a family and economical car destined for the domestic market and exportation. Morocco-France, Business, 9/18/2003 - CBE governor: Some joint banks to be privatized soon
Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Mahmoud Abul Oyoun said yesterday that some joint banks will be privatized soon and the CBE is currently setting rules to regulate the process. Egypt, Economics, 9/17/2003 - Arab free trade zone tops Arab social economic preparatory meeting
The preparatory meeting for the 72nd session of the Arab League Economic and Social Council called in Egypt Monday for the speeding up of the creation of the Arab free trade zone. Regional, Economics, 9/17/2003 - Abu Zeid: L.E. 1.5 billion to divert 2 Nile courses in October Egypt, Economics, 9/17/2003
- Marrakesh film festival eyes Cannes, Venice level
the festival will this year pay homage to figures of world cinema such as Alain Delon, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone and especially Daniel Toscan du Plantier Morocco, Economics, 9/17/2003 - Saudi- Indonesian agreement to encourage investment Saudi Arabia-Indonesia, Economics, 9/17/2003
- Morocco, US group to set up facility to finance small, medium enterprises
Morocco and the Washington-based International Finance Corporation (IFC) concluded in Rabat Monday an agreement on the setting up of a facility to finance small and medium enterprises in North Africa. Morocco-USA, Economics, 9/17/2003 - Fahmi: Egypt ready to support oil industries in Sudan
Egypt and Sudan began talks for cooperation in exploring, producing and marketing oil, gas and petrochemicals. Egypt-Sudan, Economics, 9/16/2003 - Morocco hosts international oil and gas conference
Morocco is hosting this September 14-17 the international Oil and Gas conference (MIOG 2003) themed "North africa, from Production to Distribution" that will focus on all aspects of petroleum industry. Regional-Morocco, Business, 9/16/2003 - National Council for Wages sets minimum levels
In the first meeting held by the National Council for Wages (NCW) Uthman M. Uthman minister of planning and head of NCW affirmed that the council tries hard to achieve fair balance in the relation between the different work parties if their interests came to conflict. Egypt, Economics, 9/16/2003 - Chris Patten to visit Syria from 15 to 17 September 2003
The EU commissioner for foreign political affairs, Chris Patten, will pay an official visit to Syria from 15 to 16 September 2003. The main objective of the visit is to reinforce EU-Syria relations and speed up negotiations on an EU-Syria Association Agreement. Syria-European Union, Economics, 9/15/2003 - FTA negotiations with Morocco expected to be over by end of 2003, Zoellick
Moroccan-US negotiations over the Free Trade Agreement are expected to be over before the end of 2003, said the US Trade Representative (USTR), Robert Zoellick, in a fact sheet issued on the occasion of the World Trade Organization talks in Cancun, Mexico. Morocco-USA, Economics, 9/15/2003 - WTO draft declaration not enough for developing countries, Moroccan minister
The draft declaration of the 5th World Trade Organization ministerial conference contains several improvements but it does not fully take into account developing countries' concerns, said minister of foreign trade, Mustapha Mechahouri, who leads the Moroccan delegation to the conference. Regional-Morocco, Economics, 9/15/2003