Egypt, UAE to Bolster Cooperation in Alternative Energy

Egyptian and Emirati officials during a meeting to discuss cooperation in car manufacturing (Egyptian government)
Egyptian and Emirati officials during a meeting to discuss cooperation in car manufacturing (Egyptian government)
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Egypt, UAE to Bolster Cooperation in Alternative Energy

Egyptian and Emirati officials during a meeting to discuss cooperation in car manufacturing (Egyptian government)
Egyptian and Emirati officials during a meeting to discuss cooperation in car manufacturing (Egyptian government)

Officials from the UAE and Egypt discussed joint manufacturing of cars that operate on alternative energy and dual power, one week after the visit of the UAE’s delegation to Cairo and the meeting between UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli.

Egypt's Minister of State for Military Production Mohamed Ahmed Morsi discussed on Sunday with board chairman of UAE's M Glory Holding company Majida al Azazi and a number of company officials boosting bilateral cooperation.

The two sides tackled the progress rate of joint cooperation projects between the ministry and the UAE company as regards to manufacturing of bi-fuel pickup cars, Morsi said.

He added that a factory named the Egyptian Emirates Company for the Automotive Industry (under the acronym ‘EM’) will be set up to manufacture cars that operate on both natural gas and gasoline.

Actual production will start in the second half of 2023, he added.

He added that cooperation with the UAE company comes as part of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to expand in the use of natural gas as a fuel for cars to boost state's strategy for sustainable development.

For her part, Azazi said the partnership with Egypt seeks to secure needs of local and African markets in the bi-fuel pickup cars domain.

She lauded the role played by the Military Production Ministry in stimulating investments in Egypt.



Saudi Minister of Finance Approves 2025 Annual Borrowing Plan

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Minister of Finance Approves 2025 Annual Borrowing Plan

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Abdullah Al-Jadaan approved on Sunday the Annual Borrowing Plan for the fiscal year 2025, following its endorsement by the Board of Directors of the National Debt Management Center.

The plan highlights key developments in public debt for 2024, initiatives related to local debt markets, and the funding plan and its guiding principles for 2025, in addition to the 2025 issuances’ calendar for the Local Saudi Sukuk Issuance Program in Saudi Riyal.

According to the plan, the projected funding needs for 2025 are estimated at approximately SAR139 billion. The amount is intended to cover the anticipated budget deficit of SAR101 billion for the fiscal year 2025, as outlined in the Ministry of Finance’s Official Budget Statement, and the principals’ repayment of the debts maturing in the current year, 2025, amounting to approximately SAR38 billion.

To boost the sustainability of the Kingdom's access to various debt markets and broaden the investor base, Saudi Arabia aims in 2025 to continue diversifying local and international financing channels to efficiently meet funding needs.

This will be achieved through the issuance of sovereign debt instruments at fair pricing, guided by well-defined and robust risk management frameworks.

Additionally, the Kingdom plans to benefit from market opportunities by executing private transactions that can promote economic growth, such as export credit agency financing, infrastructure development project financing, capital expenditure (CAPEX) financing, and exploring tapping into new markets and currencies based on market conditions.