Egypt Signs 12 Deals for Gas, Oil Exploration in Mediterranean, Red Sea

A gas field in Egypt. (Reuters)
A gas field in Egypt. (Reuters)
TT

Egypt Signs 12 Deals for Gas, Oil Exploration in Mediterranean, Red Sea

A gas field in Egypt. (Reuters)
A gas field in Egypt. (Reuters)

Egypt has signed nine new agreements, valued at more than $1 billion, with six local and international companies for exploration of oil and natural gas, announced Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

The ministry said in a press statement that the companies will drill 17 wells in the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea and regional water of the Red Sea.

The nine deals were concluded with Exxon Mobil Corporation, Chevron Corporation, South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company, and Total along with its partners: Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), Shell, and Tharwa.

Egypt's Minister of Petroleum Tarek al-Molla announced that the nine deals are part of 12 new agreements that the ministry has concluded since March 2020 for drilling 23 wells, nine of them offshore the Mediterranean and three in the Red Sea.

The remaining agreements will be completed during the coming period.

Molla explained that the ministry’s new strategy to promote investment opportunities helped attract new international investments in oil and gas exploration and conclude new partnerships with giant and major companies in the global petroleum industry.



Saudi Arabia Sees 656% Surge in Leisure Tourism in 2024

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
TT

Saudi Arabia Sees 656% Surge in Leisure Tourism in 2024

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism said its sector, particularly the leisure and holiday segments, witnessed substantial growth, due in no small part to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 directives.
In a statement marking World Tourism Day, observed every year on September 27, the ministry said that the Kingdom welcomed 17.5 million international tourists between January and July 2024, a 10% increase over the same period in 2023 and a 73% increase compared to the 2019 figures, SPA reported.
Most striking is the 656% increase in the number of tourists arriving specifically for entertainment and holiday purpose. The ministry said that 4.2 million tourists arrived for these purposes in the first seven months of 2024, a 25% increase over the previous year and an enormous leap over pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
These impressive results highlight the success of the Kingdom's long-term tourism strategy, under Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Saudi Arabia into a global tourism destination. The Kingdom had set the goal of 100 million tourists by 2030, but achieved this milestone in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule.
Saudi Arabia was acknowledged as the fastest-growing G20 country in the latest UN World Tourism Barometer report. According to September report, Saudi Arabia leads both in the growth of international tourist numbers and in tourism revenues.
These figures underscore the Kingdom's strategic focus on developing a sustainable tourism sector, improving infrastructure, and promoting Saudi Arabia as a premier global destination.
The ministry's achievements reflect the effectiveness of these efforts and position the Kingdom as a key player in the field of global tourism.