Egypt Exports Record Historic Leap Owing to Production Projects Support

Egyptian exports made a historic leap thanks to supporting production and export projects. (Reuters)
Egyptian exports made a historic leap thanks to supporting production and export projects. (Reuters)
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Egypt Exports Record Historic Leap Owing to Production Projects Support

Egyptian exports made a historic leap thanks to supporting production and export projects. (Reuters)
Egyptian exports made a historic leap thanks to supporting production and export projects. (Reuters)

The strategic steps taken by Egypt to develop its exports have manifested great success in raising the competitiveness of its products in global markets, a report by the cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) indicated.

Egypt has maximized the benefit from bodies and entities concerned with production and export, bolstered cooperation with international companies, took advantage of the agreements signed with various countries and regional and global economic blocs, and adopted several measures to support the export sector, the center explained.

All these steps have supported Cairo’s steady steps and efforts towards diversifying and increasing its exports, as well as its ability to confront the repercussions of the pandemic.

Egypt’s foreign trade increased by 18.2 percent to $34.4 billion during the fiscal year (FY) 2020/21, compared to $29.1 billion in 2019/20, the report noted.

The trade deficit dropped 6.7 percent to $41.6 billion in FY 2020/21, compared to $44.6 billion in FY 2019/20.

The report pointed to a “significant leap” in the value of Egyptian exports during the first seven months, increasing by 35.5 percent to $22.5 billion, compared to $16.6 billion in the same period in 2020.

It named the top five countries that imported Egyptian products during FY 2020/21. At the top came Saudi Arabia by $2.2 billion, the UAE by $2.07 billion, the US by $2.02 billion, Turkey by $1.94 billion and India by $1.89 billion.

Saudi Arabia accounted for 6.4 percent of the total Egyptian exports, the UAE by 6 percent, the US by 5.9 percent, Turkey by 5.6 percent and India by 5.5 percent.

Egypt’s exports of aluminum powder and foil came in first place, followed by woven cotton, dried vegetables, roots and tubers, vegetables, sand and knitted fabrics.



Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Sudan’s paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.

The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.

A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna airbase in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.

When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country's capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Within weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.

The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.