Egypt to Join the New Development Bank within Weeks

Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt to Join the New Development Bank within Weeks

Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt is moving forward with the procedures of officially joining the New Development Bank (NDB), which was established by the BRICS countries to enhance cooperation in infrastructure and sustainable development.

The Egyptian parliament is scheduled to officially discuss the final procedures for Cairo to join the Bank in the coming weeks.

BRICS is a prominent global economic bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Algeria recently announced its desire to join the coalition.

Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Maait affirmed his country's keenness to enhance cooperation with international development partners, especially in light of the unprecedented development movement in Cairo.

Maait hoped this would lay the foundations of comprehensive and sustainable development, provide investment and development opportunities, improve citizens' living standards, meet their development needs, and improve the quality of public services.

During his meeting with the NDB President, Marcos Troyjo, the minister added that Egypt looks forward to building a solid partnership with the Bank, which has enormous financing capabilities, international expertise, and advanced infrastructure to help Egypt meet its financing needs and maximize its efforts to develop infrastructure.

Maait explained in a press statement by the Ministry of Finance that the NDB is a new platform for Egypt to enhance cooperation with BRICS countries and other emerging and developing economies' infrastructure and sustainable development.

He pointed out that the New Development Bank's strategy is in line with Egypt's vision for sustainable development, asserting that Cairo looks forward to strengthening cooperation between the two sides to achieve green and sustainable economic growth.

For his part, Troyjo said that the New Development Bank is proud of establishing a solid relationship with Egypt, especially in light of the promising opportunities explored together during the UN Climate Summit (COP27).

NDB aspires to jointly advance on key sustainable development issues across emerging economies, including climate action, said Troyjo.

Russia established the BRICS on September 20, 2006, when the group's first ministerial meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

During the BRICS summit in Brazil in 2014, the official agreed to establish a development bank and adopt a treaty to set up an emergency reserve for the group, which now owns a total of $200 billion.

BRICS established the Bank to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging market economies and developing countries.

The initial authorized capital of the Bank is $100 billion divided into 1 million shares having a par value of $100,000 each. It is open for subscription for UN members.

The New Development Bank has begun to expand its membership in 2021, accepting Bangladesh, the UAE, Uruguay, and Egypt.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
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Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.