Al-Qasabi: Over 70% of Saudi Investor Problems in Egypt Have Been Resolved

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly meets with Saudi Commerce Minister Majed Al-Qasabi and his accompanying delegation. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly meets with Saudi Commerce Minister Majed Al-Qasabi and his accompanying delegation. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Qasabi: Over 70% of Saudi Investor Problems in Egypt Have Been Resolved

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly meets with Saudi Commerce Minister Majed Al-Qasabi and his accompanying delegation. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly meets with Saudi Commerce Minister Majed Al-Qasabi and his accompanying delegation. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Qasabi said more than 70 percent of the problems facing Saudi investors in Egypt have been solved.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly received a Saudi delegation led by the Saudi Minister and included Chairman of the Saudi-Egyptian Business Council Bandar al-Amiri, several Saudi businessmen, Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir, CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Hossam Heiba, and Ambassador Osama al-Nugali.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance economic and trade partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Saudi Minister and his accompanying delegation, stressing the strength of the bilateral relations between Egypt and the Kingdom.

Madbouly indicated that cooperation between them will continue to serve common issues.

He stressed that Egypt continues to improve the investment climate, removing obstacles, and resolving investor issues.

For his part, Qasabi explained that the Egyptian government is trying to solve the remaining issues.

He confirmed that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have issued directives to continue cooperation with Egypt and increase Saudi investments in its markets.

The accompanying delegation included 91 Saudi businessmen, said Qasabi, noting that they held meetings with Egyptian officials, and as a result, they developed three paths for cooperation.

The first path includes investment in the industrial sector with the aim of integration.

The chambers of commerce of the two countries and the Businessmen Association agreed to identify opportunities and determine priorities, said Qasabi, adding that they would develop a clear roadmap to promote the opportunities.

The second track discusses integration to implement projects by Egyptian and Saudi ministries through integration between their governments.

The final addressed institutional work between Saudi Arabia and Egypt to define the roles of business and chambers of commerce and the tasks assigned to them.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
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Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.