US Welcomes Resumption of Flights Between Egypt, Libya

An EgyptAir plane lands at Mitiga Airport on Wednesday. (Mitiga Airport)
An EgyptAir plane lands at Mitiga Airport on Wednesday. (Mitiga Airport)
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US Welcomes Resumption of Flights Between Egypt, Libya

An EgyptAir plane lands at Mitiga Airport on Wednesday. (Mitiga Airport)
An EgyptAir plane lands at Mitiga Airport on Wednesday. (Mitiga Airport)

The US welcomed the resumption of direct flights between Tripoli and Cairo, which followed similar agreements with other regional capitals.

“The United States welcomes the resumption of direct passenger flights between Tripoli and Egypt following similar agreements with other regional capitals,” the US embassy in Libya tweeted.

“We encourage and support all efforts toward facilitating safe travel and Libya’s reintegration into the regional economy.”

An EgyptAir plane landed at the Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, after a seven-year suspension.

Director General of Mitiga airport Lotfi Tabib told local media that EgyptAir will operate three flights per week between the facility and Cairo International Airport.

Tabib said this is the third regional airline to resume flights to Libya after National carrier Tunisair and Tunisair Express, which restarted flights to Tripoli in 2021.

International airlines had suspended flights to Libyan airports with the eruption of the conflict in mid-2014 that led to a sharp political division.

Airports were not spared the fighting.

Tripoli International Airport was completely destroyed and security unrest is still hampering efforts to reopen it.

In remarks to the dpa, Tabib called on all foreign airlines to resume flights to and from Libya.

He stressed that Mitiga airport is applying all the security measures in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s recommendations.



Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to invest in the United States as he kicked off a Gulf tour in Riyadh where he was welcomed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The leaders signed an agreement on energy, defense, mining and other areas, which the White House said will “build economic ties that will endure for generations to come.”

“The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” it added in a statement.

Among the agreements secured on Tuesday: Saudi Arabian DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States.

Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber are committing to invest $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries, said the White House.

American companies including Hill International, Jacobs, Parsons, and AECOM are building key infrastructure projects like King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City, and much more totaling $2 billion in US services exports.

Additional major exports include GE Vernova’s gas turbines and energy solutions totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft for AviLease totaling $4.8 billion.

Investment partnerships include several sector-specific funds with a strong emphasis on US deployment, such as the $5 billion Energy Investment Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund, and the $4 billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund.

Trump had arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Tuesday on his first overseas trip since his reelection. He will next visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Saudi Arabia and the United States also signed the largest defense sales agreement in history, worth nearly early $142 billion.