Japan Says Financial Aid for Tunisia Hinges on IMF Deal

Japan will consider financial assistance to Tunisia once an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal is reached. (Reuters)
Japan will consider financial assistance to Tunisia once an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal is reached. (Reuters)
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Japan Says Financial Aid for Tunisia Hinges on IMF Deal

Japan will consider financial assistance to Tunisia once an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal is reached. (Reuters)
Japan will consider financial assistance to Tunisia once an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal is reached. (Reuters)

Japan will consider financial assistance to Tunisia once a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is reached, head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tanaka Akihiko has announced.

Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Saied signed last week a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for several projects in many sectors, such as infrastructure, renewable energy, and others.

The projects will be presented to Japanese officials to obtain the necessary financial funds.

The Fund's approval is Japan's top condition to launch the projects.

The Japanese official added that the IMF deal would be the basis for discussions with financial institutions, including JICA.

"Once an agreement concluded, Tunisia will be required to introduce necessary economic reforms," he said.

Japan will be ready to provide financial assistance when reforms are undertaken.

The Fund required an "economic reform package" directed towards subsidizing essential consumer products, reforming the financial balances of central government institutions and the tax system, and reducing wages in the public sector.

Economist and financial expert Ezzeddine Saidane said that obtaining funds from major international financial institutions are coupled with the progress of Tunisia's negotiations with the IMF.

Saidane said Tunisia is awaiting the IMF's approval for the economic reforms program to be implemented between the two parties.

He stressed that organizing major economic forums and conferences is essential to explaining the advantages of investment in Tunisia, noting that establishing an appropriate investment environment is essential.

The expert stressed that the state is required to lead the investments, indicating that in 2010, it invested about 25 percent of the country's budget for development, which now dropped to no more than three percent.

Saidane believes that if the state is reluctant to invest, local and foreign private entities will not be incentivized to invest.

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8), which was held last weekend in Tunis, resulted in presenting a set of economic projects, including 81 by the Tunisian private sector.

A set of agreements was also signed during the conference.

The Tunisian government submitted 47 projects to the Japanese financing institutions in several fields, including health, environment, higher education, infrastructure, water desalination, transportation, renewable energies, and green economy.

Japan provided Tunisia with financial aid of $100 million to mitigate the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.



Port of NEOM Strengthens Role in Global Supply Chain Connectivity

By empowering Saudi workers with high-tech skills, Port of NEOM is supporting NEOM’s vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable, diverse, and innovative ecosystem that enables regional economic resilience and advances the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA
By empowering Saudi workers with high-tech skills, Port of NEOM is supporting NEOM’s vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable, diverse, and innovative ecosystem that enables regional economic resilience and advances the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA
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Port of NEOM Strengthens Role in Global Supply Chain Connectivity

By empowering Saudi workers with high-tech skills, Port of NEOM is supporting NEOM’s vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable, diverse, and innovative ecosystem that enables regional economic resilience and advances the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA
By empowering Saudi workers with high-tech skills, Port of NEOM is supporting NEOM’s vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable, diverse, and innovative ecosystem that enables regional economic resilience and advances the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 - SPA

Port of NEOM has marked a major milestone with the arrival of the first fully automated, remote-controlled Ship-To-Shore (STS) and Electric Rubber-Tyred Gantry (eRTG) cranes in the Kingdom, advancing its goal to become a global hub for smart, sustainable trade, SPA reported.

Strategically located on the Red Sea, Port of NEOM is already serving as a critical gateway on the East-West trade route. The newly arrived state-of-the-art cranes will play a critical role in the port’s automation strategy, unlocking the potential for high-volume, high-efficiency operations.

Development of Port of NEOM continues at a pace ahead of the 2026 opening of Terminal 1, a next-generation container terminal, with recent infrastructure milestones including the completion of a 900-meter quay wall and the deepening of the port channel to 18.5 meters—enabling the world’s largest vessels transiting the Suez Canal to call at Port of NEOM.

Terminal 1 will also feature horizontal transport automation as part of its broader goal to achieve full automation. Once operational, these technologies will significantly expand the port’s logistics capacity, driving regional industrial growth, opening access to global markets, enhancing supply chain resilience, and unlocking business opportunities.

Port of NEOM Managing Director Sean Kelly said: “The arrival of our first automated cranes marks a tangible milestone as we lay the foundations for an advanced, future-ready port. We are not only accelerating industrial growth in northwest Saudi Arabia, but we are also setting a new benchmark for performance, efficiency, innovation and establishing a vital trade gateway for the Kingdom and the region beyond.”

In parallel with its investments in infrastructure and automation, Port of NEOM is also committed to developing local talent, including training Saudi women to take on high-tech roles. Central to this effort is a pioneering initiative to train the next generation of production specialists in remote crane operation skills, thereby helping to shape a more inclusive future for the logistics and industrial sectors.

By empowering Saudi workers with high-tech skills, Port of NEOM is supporting NEOM’s vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable, diverse, and innovative ecosystem that enables regional economic resilience and advances the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.