UAE, Egypt Sign Reinsurance Agreement to Bolster Trade and Economic Cooperation

UAE, Egypt Sign Reinsurance Agreement to Bolster Trade and Economic Cooperation
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UAE, Egypt Sign Reinsurance Agreement to Bolster Trade and Economic Cooperation

UAE, Egypt Sign Reinsurance Agreement to Bolster Trade and Economic Cooperation

Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE Federal export credit agency (ECA), and its Egyptian counterpart Export Credit Guarantee of Egypt (EGE) have signed a reciprocal reinsurance agreement to support Emirati and Egyptian projects in their respective countries as well as their collaborative initiatives around the world.

The agreement between the two state-owned firms will strengthen trade and economic cooperation as well as boost exports.

The broad range of trade credit insurance amongst these two entities will help anticipate and mitigate risks they might encounter due to various political, commercial, and non-commercial reasons.

It follows the alliance formed between ECI and EGE at the end of 2019, which propelled non-oil trade to surge despite the challenging economic cycle triggered by pandemic fallout.

Massimo Falcioni, CEO of ECI, commented on the strategic collaboration between his organization and EGE: "The Emirates have maintained a strong, historical bilateral relationship with Egypt since its establishment, and their non-oil trade relations have also remained strong."

“Deepening our existing partnership, this reinsurance agreement will give rise to unparalleled trading opportunities for local businesses to improve their regional and global competitiveness."

In the meantime, Managing Director and General Manager of EGE Mohamed Azzam stated: "The UAE has always been our leading trading partner in the region, with significant mutual business cooperation prevailing among the citizenry of both nations for a long time."

The UAE's Ministry of Economy reports that non-oil trade between the UAE and Egypt amounted to AED 25.8 billion in 2020, a 14.34 percent increase over AED 22.1 billion in 2019, demonstrating a solid and enduring strategic relationship between the two countries.



US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
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US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

US job growth accelerated in September and the unemployment slipped to 4.1%, further reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to maintain large interest rate cuts at its remaining two meetings this year.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 254,000 jobs last month after rising by an upwardly revised 159,000 in August, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising by 140,000 positions after advancing by a previously reported 142,000 in August.
The initial payrolls count for August has typically been revised higher over the past decade. Estimates for September's job gains ranged from 70,000 to 220,000.
The US labor market slowdown is being driven by tepid hiring against the backdrop of increased labor supply stemming mostly from a rise in immigration. Layoffs have remained low, which is underpinning the economy through solid consumer spending.
Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% after gaining 0.5% in August. Wages increased 4% year-on-year after climbing 3.9% in August.
The US unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in August. It has jumped from 3.4% in April 2023, in part boosted by the 16-24 age cohort and rise in temporary layoffs during the annual automobile plant shutdowns in July.
The US Federal Reserve's policy setting committee kicked off its policy easing cycle with an unusually large half-percentage-point rate cut last month and Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized growing concerns over the health of the labor market.
While the labor market has taken a step back, annual benchmark revisions to national accounts data last week showed the economy in a much better shape than previously estimated, with upgrades to growth, income, savings and corporate profits.
This improved economic backdrop was acknowledged by Powell this week when he pushed back against investors' expectations for another half-percentage-point rate cut in November, saying “this is not a committee that feels like it is in a hurry to cut rates quickly.”
The Fed hiked rates by 525 basis points in 2022 and 2023, and delivered its first rate cut since 2020 last month. Its policy rate is currently set in the 4.75%-5.00% band.
Early on Friday, financial markets saw a roughly 71.5% chance of a quarter-point rate reduction in November, CME's FedWatch tool showed. The odds of a 50 basis points cut were around 28.5%.