Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila Ports Pause Activity Due to Weather

Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila ports were closed on Wednesday due to poor weather conditions. (Reuters file photo)
Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila ports were closed on Wednesday due to poor weather conditions. (Reuters file photo)
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Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila Ports Pause Activity Due to Weather

Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila ports were closed on Wednesday due to poor weather conditions. (Reuters file photo)
Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila ports were closed on Wednesday due to poor weather conditions. (Reuters file photo)

Egypt's Alexandria and Dekheila ports, which both lie along the Mediterranean, were closed on Wednesday due to poor weather conditions, the Alexandria Port Authority said in a statement.

The ports are among the biggest in Egypt and each can handle a maximum of 1 million 20ft-equivalent units (TEUs).

High winds and a dust storm were blamed for the stranding on Tuesday morning of a 400-meter-long container ship that ran aground in Egypt's Suez Canal, blocking vessels from passing through.

Four Egyptian Red Sea ports had been shut on Tuesday, also due to weather conditions, and all except the Ain Sokhna port have now re-opened said the Red Sea Ports Authority and the Suez Canal Economic Zone Authority in separate statements.



Saudi Tourism Ministry Announces 99% Growth in Tourism Hospitality Licenses

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo
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Saudi Tourism Ministry Announces 99% Growth in Tourism Hospitality Licenses

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo

The Ministry of Tourism announced that the number of tourism hospitality facilities licensed to operate across Saudi Arabia has increased to more than 3,950 by the end of the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, recording a growth rate of 99% compared to the same period last year.

The ministry said that the number of licensed rooms reached over 443,000 by the end of Q3 of 2024. This represents a growth rate of 107% compared to the same period of Q3 2023, where the number of rooms was more than 214,000. The number of licensed hospitality facilities in Q3 2023 was about 2,000.

The significant growth in the number of tourism hospitality licenses is the result of the efforts exerted by the Ministry to empower operators and investors in the hospitality sector to obtain licenses. This includes providing facilities with operating fees reduced by up to 22%.

In addition, the Ministry has contributed to a decision exempting hospitality facilities from municipal fees as part of the Ministry's keenness to ensure the upgrading of services provided by hospitality facilities to international and domestic tourists.

During its "Our Guests Are Our Priority" campaign, the Tourism Ministry invited all beneficiaries of hospitality facility services to submit their inquiries and comments about the services provided to them by contacting the unified tourism center at 930.