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Egypt’s Tourism Minister: We’ve Agreed on Future Initiatives with Saudi Arabia

A glimpse of the visit by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and his accompanying delegation to the UNWTO office in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A glimpse of the visit by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and his accompanying delegation to the UNWTO office in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt’s Tourism Minister: We’ve Agreed on Future Initiatives with Saudi Arabia

A glimpse of the visit by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and his accompanying delegation to the UNWTO office in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A glimpse of the visit by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and his accompanying delegation to the UNWTO office in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy told Asharq Al-Awsat that he and Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb have agreed to collaborate on several tourism initiatives.

These include joint marketing efforts, shared tourism programs, environmental protection measures, and promoting specific types of tourism in the Red Sea.

Fathy recently visited Riyadh, where he met with Al-Khateeb and engaged with Saudi business leaders. They discussed ways to promote tourism between their countries and increase visitor exchanges.

During his visit to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) regional office in Riyadh, Fathy stated that the office’s presence in Saudi Arabia enhances the organization’s work in the region and improves communication with other countries.

He confirmed that they plan to develop and implement the agreed initiatives in the near future.

Fathy highlighted that the Middle East is a key player in global tourism and deserves a dedicated office to support all countries in the region. This effort aims to boost collaboration and promote the Middle East as a top destination for travelers.

Tourism, National Economy: A Path to Sustainable Growth

Samer Al-Kharashi, Director of the UNWTO regional office for the Middle East, stated that the office supports 13 countries in the region, with Egypt being a key member.

He highlighted that the recent visit by Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, who serves as Vice President of the regional committee, creates opportunities for collaboration.

This partnership aims to boost tourism’s role in the national economy, create jobs, and promote sustainable practices that protect the environment.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Kharashi emphasized the potential for cooperation with Egypt, which has a rich tourism history and many ancient sites. He noted that the regional office has the expertise to assist member countries.

Al-Kharashi expressed optimism about the discussions, which covered various opportunities for joint projects that would benefit both Egypt and the wider region.

Strengthening Bilateral Relations

Fathy’s visit to the UNWTO regional office aims to enhance bilateral relations, as Cairo actively seeks to develop its tourism sector through international collaboration.

During their meeting, Fathy and Al-Kharashi addressed key issues facing Egypt’s tourism sector, including challenges and growth opportunities. They explored future cooperation, particularly in tourism training, improving services, and increasing investments.

Egypt ranks first in Africa, fifth in the Middle East, and 63rd globally on the Travel and Tourism Development Index.

The UNWTO regional office in Riyadh is the first of its kind outside the organization’s headquarters, dedicated to supporting member states in the Middle East.

The office focuses on promoting tourism education, improving infrastructure, and fostering sustainable tourism while preserving the region’s cultural and environmental heritage.

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Russia’s LNG Exports up 8.6% in January to April, Data Shows

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
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Russia’s LNG Exports up 8.6% in January to April, Data Shows

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)

Russia's ‌exports of liquefied natural gas rose 8.6% in January to April to 11.4 million metric tons from the same period last year due to supplies from the Arctic LNG 2 project, which reached 1 million tons in the first four months of the year, preliminary LSEG data ‌showed on Tuesday.

US ‌sanctions against Moscow over ‌the ⁠Ukraine conflict have restrained ⁠Russian LNG exports, particularly from the Arctic LNG 2 plant, where operations have been hindered owing to difficulty securing buyers.

In April alone, total Russian exports of LNG rose ⁠13.2% from a year ago to ‌2.92 million ‌tons.

Data also showed that Russian LNG ‌exports to Europe in January to April ‌jumped 20.8% year-on-year to 6.4 million tons. In April, they rose to around 1.6 million tons from 1.2 million tons ‌a year earlier.

In January, EU countries gave their final ⁠approval ⁠to ban Russian gas imports by late-2027.

Total exports from Novatek's Yamal LNG plant in the January to April period fell by 1.5% year-on-year to 6.5 million tons.

Asia-oriented Sakhalin-2, controlled by Gazprom, exported 3.7 million tons in the first four months of the year, up from 3.6 million tons during the same period last year.

Business

G7 Trade Ministers Set to Meet but Not Discuss Latest US Tariff Threat

Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
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G7 Trade Ministers Set to Meet but Not Discuss Latest US Tariff Threat

Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File

G7 trade ministers are set to meet in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss issues such as critical minerals and small packages but will not directly address the latest US threat to impose additional tariffs on European vehicles.

The second meeting of trade ministers under the French G7 presidency is taking place as the global economy has been upended by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil normally flows, said AFP.

Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday, according to the office of France's junior trade minister Nicolas Forissier.

Meanwhile President Donald Trump's threat last Friday that he will hike US tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union will likely be addressed separately.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to meet with EU Trade Commission Maros Sefcovic in the French capital.

They also have a meeting scheduled with Forissier and French Economy Minister Roland Lescure.

The US and EU struck a deal last summer to cap US tariffs on EU autos and parts at 15 percent, which is lower than the 25-percent duty that Trump imposed on many other trading partners.

In late March, EU lawmakers gave their green light to the bloc's tariff deal with Trump, but with conditions. It must still be approved by member countries.

"Our position for the moment is not to overreact," said Forissier's office.

"We will discuss it among Europeans when the time comes, but in any case not within the framework of the G7," it added.

"This agreement is useful and we must continue to implement it."

- Four priorities -

On Wednesday the trade ministers of the G7 nations (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States) are expected to discuss the four priorities set by the group's French presidency.

The first is find a collective and effective response to industrial overcapacity that undermines free trade.

Even if the discussion doesn't formally target China, the country's subsidizing of certain sectors has created trade tensions for years.

A second priority is economic security, in particular securing and diversifying supplies of critical minerals that are indispensable in producing strategic products such as computer chips, electric vehicle batteries and super magnets.

France favors creating a system of groups of producing, processing and consuming nations that share a commitment to implementing good practices.

- Small parcels, big problem -

The ministers will also touch on the failure in March of the latest round of World Trade Organization negotiations, with the body's role as a trade referee having been paralyzed by the United States for years.

"The goal is for this organization to be better suited to current challenges," Forissier's office said.

The ministers will also discuss cross-border sales via e-commerce sites which have generated huge volumes of small parcels that escaped customs duties and posed unfair competition to local retailers.

The US last year suspended the tariff exemption on small parcels valued at less than $800 and the EU will this summer put in place a flat-rate customs duty on packages valued at under 150 euros.

The summit of G7 heads of state and government is scheduled for June 15 to 17 in the eastern town Evian along the shore of Lake Geneva.

Business

Egypt Aims for Self-Sufficiency in Wheat for Subsidized Bread in 2028, Minister Says

People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Egypt Aims for Self-Sufficiency in Wheat for Subsidized Bread in 2028, Minister Says

People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)

Egypt, often the world's biggest wheat importer, aims to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat for its heavily subsidized bread in 2028, Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk told Reuters on Tuesday.

Egypt needs 8.6 ‌million metric ‌tons of wheat for ‌its subsidized ⁠bread scheme, according ⁠to the draft budget for the full year of 2026/27, but the minister declined to give an estimate for how much wheat the government needs to achieve its self-sufficiency target.

The date Farouk gave is ⁠one year later than originally intended, ‌as the country ‌had hoped it would achieve the target by ‌2027, the head of Future of ‌Egypt Agency for Sustainable Development, the government's exclusive grain importer, had said during a conference in May 2025.

The Egyptian government offers competitive prices ‌to local farmers to cultivate wheat.

This season, which began mid-April, the government ⁠intends to ⁠buy 5 million tons of local wheat, Farouk said.

Procurement has so far exceeded that of last year but is lagging behind the 2024 harvest.

As of Tuesday, the government had bought 1.39 million tons, up by 17% from 1.19 million tons in the same period last year, but down by 13% from 1.6 million tons in 2024, according to official data seen by Reuters.