Egypt, Qatar Agree to Boost Relations, Increase Investments

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during his meeting with the Qatar Chamber and the Qatari Businessmen Association (Egyptian Cabinet)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during his meeting with the Qatar Chamber and the Qatari Businessmen Association (Egyptian Cabinet)
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Egypt, Qatar Agree to Boost Relations, Increase Investments

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during his meeting with the Qatar Chamber and the Qatari Businessmen Association (Egyptian Cabinet)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during his meeting with the Qatar Chamber and the Qatari Businessmen Association (Egyptian Cabinet)

Egypt and Qatar agreed to boost relations and increase investments to establish trade alliances and partnerships.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that the exchange rate issue would soon be solved after the black market rate approached the official rate.

Madbouly called on the business sector in Qatar to invest in his country, stressing his determination and the governmental team accompanying him to remove all obstacles that prevent exciting projects by adopting several reforms and incentives.

On Tuesday, Madbouly met representatives of the Qatar Chamber and the Qatari Businessmen Association.

Chairperson of Qatar Chamber (QC) HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani said that the meeting aimed to discuss aspects and opportunities for cooperation between the Qatari private sector and its Egyptian counterpart in the economic, trade, and investment fields.

Bin Jassim hoped that the meeting would promote mutual investments to reach higher rates of trade exchange, which witnessed remarkable development in recent years.

Qatari businessmen are monitoring the remarkable developments of the Egyptian economy, and the big boom in infrastructure and development projects which provide many investment opportunities said the Chairperson.

He indicated that it incentivized Qatari business owners to direct their investments to the Egyptian market, especially with feasible opportunities in various sectors such as agriculture, food security, industry, real estate, hospitality, and others.

Bin Jassim expressed confidence that the coming period would witness increased rapprochement between Qatari and Egyptian businessmen, preparing a solid ground for establishing alliances and partnerships.

Madbouly stated that Egypt is prepared to approve laws on more tax incentives, including exempting investors from 55 percent of the taxes they pay in their investment field. He underlined that Egypt focuses on promoting the private sector's economic participation.

He explained that some international companies working in Egypt requested the introduction of specific incentives, which the parliament approved.

Several Qatari investors expressed their desire to speed up the establishment of the Egyptian-Qatari joint investment fund with significant capital, according to Madbouly.

Over the past nine years, the Egyptian state faced significant political challenges, including two revolutions and a war on terrorism, said the PM, adding that the focus at that stage revolved around developing and strengthening the infrastructure.

Egypt was able to improve and develop its infrastructure in various fields and sectors, establish a national network of roads, and provide essential services, which aims to achieve the goal of promoting investments.

Madbouly also stressed that the Egyptian state is determined to provide many investment incentives and focused on incentives in agriculture, industry, tourism, and advanced industries and technologies.

He noted that Egypt is a large market, adding that the state is keen to reduce the deficit in its hard currency resources, which can only be achieved by encouraging the private sector to find local industries.

During Madbouly's visit to Qatar, three memorandums of understanding were signed with several Qatari companies to support and enhance aspects of the partnership with the private sector in providing healthcare services.



Saudi Arabia Stresses Support for All Decisions Taken at Arab Summit on Palestine

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Support for All Decisions Taken at Arab Summit on Palestine

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday its full support for the decisions taken at the extraordinary Arab “Summit for Palestine” that was held in Cairo earlier this week.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting in Riyadh.

The summit rejected the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land and urged an end to the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli war on Gaza. The cabinet stressed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and to attain their legitimate rights, including the establishment of an independent state along the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital.

The cabinet condemned the Israeli government's decision to halt the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards these dangerous violations, activate international accountability mechanisms, and ensure the sustained delivery of aid.

Crown Prince Mohammed congratulated Muslims on the advent of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which started on Saturday, underlining the honor bestowed upon Saudi Arabia to serve the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque and their visitors.

He emphasized the Kingdom's commitment to fulfilling this great responsibility and dedicating all efforts and capabilities to ensure the comfort of the visitors from their arrival until their safe return to their homes.

The cabinet was briefed on the messages Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed received from Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Comoros' President Azali Assoumani.

It was also briefed on the outcomes of Crown Prince Mohammed's talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during his official visit to the Kingdom on Monday. The talks covered ways to boost Saudi-Lebanese relations in various fields, as well as the latest developments in Lebanon and the region and the efforts to address them.

The cabinet highlighted the joint statement issued by Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, which underscored the importance of the full implementation of the Taif Agreement, the application of relevant international resolutions, the extension of state sovereignty over all Lebanese territories and the exclusive possession of arms by the Lebanese state.

It underlined the national role of the Lebanese army and the need for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Lebanese territories.

On domestic affairs, the cabinet confirmed the government's continued support for the social services system and national initiatives aimed at providing housing for deserving families. It hailed the cooperation and integration among the government, private, and non-profit organizations, as well as community members, to achieve the goals of the Jood Regions campaign.