Saudi Arabia, Switzerland Sign MoU to Bolster Tourism Collaboration

The Saudi Tourism Authority has signed an MoU with Switzerland Tourism. SPA
The Saudi Tourism Authority has signed an MoU with Switzerland Tourism. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Switzerland Sign MoU to Bolster Tourism Collaboration

The Saudi Tourism Authority has signed an MoU with Switzerland Tourism. SPA
The Saudi Tourism Authority has signed an MoU with Switzerland Tourism. SPA

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has signed an MoU with Switzerland Tourism to bolster collaboration in the tourism sector.
CEO and Board Member of the STA Fahd Hamidaddin and Director GCC at Switzerland Tourism Livio Gotz signed this agreement at the Saudi Tourism Authority headquarters.

Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research Guy Parmelin and Swiss Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Yasmine Chatila Zwahlen attended the ceremony.

This MoU, a first-of-its-kind between the two tourism entities, aims to foster the development of the tourism industry, mutual promotion, and enable collaborative tourism projects between Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, setting a new precedent for international tourism cooperation.

A key aspect of this partnership is identifying joint marketing initiatives that highlight the unique attractions of each country. Special attention will be given to specific tourism sectors such as marine activities, culture and heritage, and rural tourism, through combined marketing efforts to attract travelers seeking unique experiences. This strategic promotion aims to highlight both Saudi Arabia and Switzerland as leading destinations for tourism that gratify every tourist, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

Additionally, STA and Switzerland Tourism will work together to utilize the latest technology in the industry to promote a more seamless travel journey for visitors. This will be achieved through amplified cooperation between local tourism agencies and operators, providing opportunities for further partnerships and value between Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, SPA said.



Egypt, Cyprus Sign Gas Export Deals, Boosting Eastern Mediterranean Energy Cooperation

The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome, Italy August 16, 2018. (Reuters)
The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome, Italy August 16, 2018. (Reuters)
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Egypt, Cyprus Sign Gas Export Deals, Boosting Eastern Mediterranean Energy Cooperation

The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome, Italy August 16, 2018. (Reuters)
The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome, Italy August 16, 2018. (Reuters)

Egypt and Cyprus signed agreements on Monday enabling the export of gas from Cyprus's offshore fields to Egypt for liquefaction and re-export to Europe, as both countries seek to bolster the Eastern Mediterranean's role as an energy hub.

The deals signed at the 2025 Egypt Energy Show formalize a long-anticipated plan to link Cypriot reserves to Egypt’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, a move that leverages Egypt’s existing infrastructure to process and ship natural gas to European markets.

Monday's agreements involve gas extracted from one Cypriot site, Cronos Block 6 - now under license to a consortium of Italy's Eni and France's Total - to be processed at Egypt's Zohr facilities before being liquefied at Damietta and exported to Europe.

A second memorandum of understanding outlines a framework of processing gas from Cyprus' offshore Aphrodite field, under license to a Chevron-led consortium, which will also be sent to Egypt for processing.

The east Mediterranean has yielded some major gas discoveries in recent years, while a disruption in energy supplies from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has sharpened Europe's attention on securing supplies elsewhere.

"The essence of these agreements is not limited to promoting the exploitation of deposits, but broadens the prospects for energy cooperation with Egypt, while contributing to regional stability and strengthening our country's geopolitical position in the Eastern Mediterranean," a statement from Cyprus's Presidency said.

Cypriot officials have previously said they expect gas from Block 6 Cronos to possibly come online in 2026 or 2027. Cronos gas in place is estimated at more than 3 trillion cubic feet (tcf).

Aphrodite holds an estimated 3.5 tcf of gas. Israel's NewMed, a member of the consortium, expects gas to come online in 2031, it said in a stock exchange filing on Sunday.

In a Monday filing update, it said the "non-binding" MoU envisaged that Egypt's national gas company, EGAS, would be the sole buyer of the gas produced from Aphrodite, while the partners would be granted an option to purchase specific quantities of the gas sold to EGAS as LNG.

The signing of the Aphrodite deal follows a recent breakthrough between Cyprus and the Chevron-led consortium after months of disagreement over a development plan.

The agreement provides a boost for Egypt, which has struggled with declining domestic gas production and last year returned to being a net importer of natural gas.

Egypt recently signed $3 billion worth of LNG supply deals with Shell and TotalEnergies to cover domestic demand for 2025.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has emphasized the country's need to ramp up production at its own Zohr gas field, where operator Eni has resumed drilling after output dropped to 1.9 billion cubic feet per day in early 2024.