Egypt, Qatar to Develop New Strategy for Investment Cooperation

Chairman of the Egyptian Investment Authority Hossam Heiba meets with Tariq Al-Ansari, Qatar's ambassador to Cairo. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Chairman of the Egyptian Investment Authority Hossam Heiba meets with Tariq Al-Ansari, Qatar's ambassador to Cairo. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt, Qatar to Develop New Strategy for Investment Cooperation

Chairman of the Egyptian Investment Authority Hossam Heiba meets with Tariq Al-Ansari, Qatar's ambassador to Cairo. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Chairman of the Egyptian Investment Authority Hossam Heiba meets with Tariq Al-Ansari, Qatar's ambassador to Cairo. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt and Qatar discussed developing a new strategy and work mechanism to increase economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.

CEO of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Hossam Heiba met with Qatari Ambassador Tariq Ali al-Ansari in Cairo to explore avenues for increasing economic cooperation.

After the meeting, GAFI issued a statement, a copy of which was received by Asharq Al-Awsat, saying they focused on establishing cooperation mechanisms that would facilitate seamless economic integration.

The mechanisms may involve implementing mutually beneficial projects in Egypt or the infusion of joint investments into emerging markets, particularly the African market, especially after activating the African Free Trade Area Agreement and Egypt's accession to the BRICS Plus group.

Heiba asserted the importance of continuous communication with Qatari companies investing in Egypt, stressing the need to engage with them, encouraging them to inject new investments and overcome any challenges they may encounter.

Additionally, efforts were made to connect with major Qatari companies interested in investing in Egypt, presenting them with attractive opportunities in various sectors such as real estate, entrepreneurship, logistics, and distribution centers.

During the meeting, Heiba reviewed investment developments in Egypt and the new investment guarantees and incentives provided to investors.

The official also explained the facilities provided to investors, including facilitating land ownership, expanding the issuance of the golden license, and enhancing governance, transparency, and competitive neutrality in the Egyptian market.

He highlighted the integrated and competitive package of incentives and facilities for each economic sector, which contributed to achieving a qualitative shift in the rate of establishing companies.

The Qatari ambassador praised Egypt's economic reforms and measures, expressing the confidence of Qatari investors in the Egyptian economy.

Ansari announced plans for the coordination between representatives of the Egyptian government to hold the Qatar-Egypt Investment Forum regularly after its success in 2023.

Cairo hosted the Qatar-Egypt Investment Forum last November, during which Egyptian and Qatari companies signed several agreements and memorandums of understanding in real estate, food industries, and cars.



Oil Prices Rise on Optimism Over Solid US Fuel Demand

FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo
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Oil Prices Rise on Optimism Over Solid US Fuel Demand

FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo

Oil prices edged up on Thursday, extending the previous day's rally, driven by optimism over US fuel demand following an unexpected drop in crude and gasoline inventories, while reports that OPEC+ may delay a planned output increase offered support.
Brent crude futures gained 11 cents, or 0.15%, to $72.66 a barrel by 0805 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 13 cents, or 0.19%, to $68.74 per barrel.
Both contracts rose more than 2% on Wednesday, after falling more than 6% earlier in the week on the reduced risk of a wider Middle East conflict. US gasoline stockpiles fell unexpectedly in the week ending Oct. 25 to a two-year low on strengthened demand, the Energy Information Administration said, while crude inventories also posted a surprise drawdown as imports slipped. Nine analysts polled by Reuters had expected an increase in gasoline and crude inventories.
"The surprise decline in US gasoline stockpiles provided a buying opportunity as demand appeared stronger than anticipated," said Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at Fujitomi Securities.
"Expectations of a potential delay in the OPEC+ production increase were also supportive... If they do delay, WTI could recover to the $70 level," he said. Reuters reported OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, could delay a planned oil production increase in December by a month or more because of concern over soft oil demand and rising supply. The group is scheduled to raise output by 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December. It had already delayed the increase from October because of falling prices.
A decision to postpone the increase could come as early as next week, two OPEC+ sources told Reuters.
OPEC+ is scheduled to meet on Dec. 1 to decide its next policy steps.
Manufacturing activity in China, the world's biggest oil importer, expanded in October for the first time in six months, suggesting that stimulus measures are having an effect. Markets are awaiting the results of the US presidential election on Nov. 5 as well as further details of China's economic stimulus. Reuters reported that China could approve the issuance of over 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) in debt over the next few years on the last day of its Nov. 4-8 parliamentary meeting. In the Middle East, Lebanon's prime minister expressed hope on Wednesday that a ceasefire deal with Israel would be announced within days as Israel's public broadcaster published what it said was a draft agreement providing for an initial 60-day truce. The push for a ceasefire for Lebanon is taking place alongside a similar diplomatic drive to end hostilities in Gaza.
But the market impact is likely to be muted.
"Most of the Middle East geopolitical risk was stripped out of the oil price after Israel's response to Iran over the weekend," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said.
Iran said that Israeli strikes on Saturday, in retaliation for Iran's Oct. 1 attack on Israel, caused only limited damage.