Egypt Seeks 20 LNG Cargoes for Winter

FILE PHOTO: Egyptians walk in front of the central bank in central Cairo, Egypt, June 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Egyptians walk in front of the central bank in central Cairo, Egypt, June 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
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Egypt Seeks 20 LNG Cargoes for Winter

FILE PHOTO: Egyptians walk in front of the central bank in central Cairo, Egypt, June 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Egyptians walk in front of the central bank in central Cairo, Egypt, June 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Egypt is seeking winter cargoes of liquefied natural gas for the first time in years, highlighting a deepening energy shortage, Bloomberg reported.

State-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. issued one of its biggest tenders, asking for 17 shipments for its floating import terminal at Ain Sukhna and three more cargoes to be delivered into neighboring Aqaba, Jordan, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Egypt is seeking the deliveries from October to December, the people said.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone signed contracts worth $1.067 billion linked to several projects to manufacture chemical and food products and renewable energy components at the China-Africa summit, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Friday.

In other economic news, Egypt's central bank as expected left its overnight interest rates on hold, saying inflation pressures had subsided but that economic growth had softened.

The lending rate remained at 28.25%, while the deposit rate stood at 27.25%, the bank said in a statement.

It was the third time that it left rates unchanged since a 600 basis point (bps) hike on March 6, when it signed a $8 billion financial support agreement with the International Monetary Fund.



Saudi Arabia, Oman Sign MoU on Cooperation in Economic Planning

Saudi Arabia, Oman Sign MoU on Cooperation in Economic Planning
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Saudi Arabia, Oman Sign MoU on Cooperation in Economic Planning

Saudi Arabia, Oman Sign MoU on Cooperation in Economic Planning

The Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and Oman's Ministry of Economy signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focusing on cooperation in medium- and long-term economic planning, economic studies and modeling, economic policies and plans, and green and circular economies.
The MoU aims to implement cooperation through the exchange of information, expertise, studies, and visits between experts and specialists, as well as the organization of conferences, seminars, and workshops. The agreement will remain in effect for five years.
Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim and Omani Minister of Economy Dr. Saeed bin Mohammed Al-Saqri signed the MoU, which stipulates enhancing cooperation in economy and planning based on mutual interests and in accordance with the regulations and laws in both countries.
Signing the MoU is part of efforts to enhance cooperation among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and boost bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Oman.