World Bank Agrees $7 Bln, 5-Year Partnership with Egypt

People buy traditional lanterns in Sayyeda Zeinab market in preparation ahead of the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (AP)
People buy traditional lanterns in Sayyeda Zeinab market in preparation ahead of the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (AP)
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World Bank Agrees $7 Bln, 5-Year Partnership with Egypt

People buy traditional lanterns in Sayyeda Zeinab market in preparation ahead of the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (AP)
People buy traditional lanterns in Sayyeda Zeinab market in preparation ahead of the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (AP)

The World Bank said on Wednesday it had approved a new $7 billion partnership agreement with Egypt for 2023-2027 with a focus on boosting private sector jobs, provision of better health and education services, and adaptation to climate change.

The Country Partnership Agreement (CPF) will entail $1 billion per year from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and about $2 billion over five years from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a statement from the World Bank said.

Among the goals of the program is to help create a level playing field for the private sector and to encourage investment and improve resilience to shocks through better macroeconomic management, the statement added.

Egypt's economy has come under severe pressure over the past year, after the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine exposed underlying problems.

The government has announced ambitious privatization plans but sales of state assets have been repeatedly delayed.

Also on Wednesday the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, announced that it had partnered with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Egypt's Sovereign Fund to develop desalination plants in Egypt through a public-private partnership model.

The scheme is part of Egypt's plan to increase desalinated water supply by 8.8 million cubic meters of water daily by 2050, with the first plants to be located in the north coast region of Marsa Matrouh, the IFC said.

Egypt depends almost entirely for fresh water supplies on the River Nile and is considered at high risk from the impacts of climate change.



Gold Gains over 1% as Dollar, Yields Ease; Spotlight on Trade

A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo
A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo
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Gold Gains over 1% as Dollar, Yields Ease; Spotlight on Trade

A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo
A gold seller arranges gold bracelets at a gold shop in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/ File Photo

Gold prices gained over 1% on Monday as the dollar and US bond yields weakened amid uncertainty over trade talks ahead of a US deadline of August 1 for countries to strike deals or face more tariffs.

Spot gold was up 1.2% at $3,390.79 per ounce at 9:52 ET (1352 GMT). US gold futures were up 1.3% to $3,402.40.

The US dollar index was down 0.4%, making dollar-denominated gold more affordable for buyers using other currencies, while benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hit a more than one-week low, Reuters reported.

"With the August 1st deadline looming, it brings a level of uncertainty to the market and that certainly is supportive," said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures.

The European Union is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the US as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats.

On the interest rate front, traders are pricing about a 63% chance of a rate cut in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the entire Federal Reserve needed to be examined as an institution and whether it had been successful.

Talk of earlier than expected U.S. rate cuts is building, with speculation around a possible replacement of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and reshaping of the Fed adding to market jitters, Meger said.

Gold is considered a hedge against uncertainty and tends to perform well in a low interest rate environment.

Data showed that the world's leading gold consumer, China, brought in 63 metric tons of the precious metal last month, the lowest amount since January. Its imports of platinum in June fell 6.1% from the prior month.

Spot silver gained 1.8% to $38.86 per ounce, platinum rose 2.2% to $1,453.17 and palladium was 3.5% higher at $1,284.46.