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Fitch: Egypt among Top MENA Countries to See Pre-COVID Growth Rates in 2021

Vendors work at a vegetable market amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Cairo. (File/Reuters)
Vendors work at a vegetable market amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Cairo. (File/Reuters)
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Fitch: Egypt among Top MENA Countries to See Pre-COVID Growth Rates in 2021

Vendors work at a vegetable market amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Cairo. (File/Reuters)
Vendors work at a vegetable market amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Cairo. (File/Reuters)

Egypt is one of three MENA economies that will see GDP growth return to pre-covid levels in 2021, Fitch Solutions analysts said on Tuesday.

“The Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) monetary easing of 400 bps last year, as well as expanded fiscal spending and well-executed stimulus policies, helped to cushion the economic blow of the pandemic,” MENA country risk analyst Selim Elbadri said.

Egypt’s GDP is expected to grow at a 2.9% clip in FY2020-2021, marking a slight downwards revision of the 3% Fitch predicted in January due to the vaccine rollout.

The recovery of the tourism sector, the expansion in natural gas production, and Suez Canal revenues, as well as the monetary easing policies of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) are expected to drive the country’s economic growth, according to Badri.

Also, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that the Egyptian economy's growth rate during the current year will be 2.5 percent compared with 3.6 percent in 2020.

In its April report, the IMF raised its global growth forecast to 6 percent in 2021. However, it expected it to shrink to 4.4 percent in 2020.

“As the recovery strengthens in 2021, global trade is projected to accelerate to 8.4 percent, mainly because of the rebound in merchandise volumes. Cross-border services trade (tourism, transportation) is expected to remain subdued until the pandemic is brought under control everywhere.” the report said.

“The pandemic continues to exact a large toll on sub-Saharan Africa. Following the largest contraction ever for the region (–1.9 percent in 2020), growth is expected to rebound to 3.4 percent in 2021, significantly lower than the trend anticipated before the pandemic,” IMF added in its report.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.