Bread Crisis in Sudan Hindering Government Efforts

A Sudanese man works at a bakery in the capital Khartoum on Friday. (AFP)
A Sudanese man works at a bakery in the capital Khartoum on Friday. (AFP)
TT
20

Bread Crisis in Sudan Hindering Government Efforts

A Sudanese man works at a bakery in the capital Khartoum on Friday. (AFP)
A Sudanese man works at a bakery in the capital Khartoum on Friday. (AFP)

Bread lines remain a familiar scene in the main streets of Khartoum, although the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning announced that it was increasing subsidies of a sack of flour from 100 to 250 Sudanese pounds (around USD14).

A Russian ship loaded with wheat had already arrived in Port Sudan.

Sudan has been witnessing a crisis in providing wheat to bakeries for a month now due to the scarcity of foreign monetary resources in the Central Bank of Sudan (CBS), which was forced to resort to commercial banks to fulfill the country’s needs of essential products, such as wheat and fuel.

The ministry demanded that bakeries increase their daily production to exceed 100,000 sacks to cover the needs of the capital and other states.

The security authorities and popular forces called for taking precautions to maintain the subsidized wheat and prevent smuggling.

Tariq Shalabi, State Minister at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, said that the country seeks to provide bread given that it is a strategic product that is linked to the lives of citizens.

He pointed out that the past period saw several policies to resolve this crisis.



Riyadh Hosts Saudi-Egyptian Industrial Forum

Officials are seen at the forum on Monday. (SPA)
Officials are seen at the forum on Monday. (SPA)
TT
20

Riyadh Hosts Saudi-Egyptian Industrial Forum

Officials are seen at the forum on Monday. (SPA)
Officials are seen at the forum on Monday. (SPA)

The Saudi-Egyptian Industrial Forum kicked off in Riyadh on Monday under the patronage of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef. The forum aims to bolster strategic industrial cooperation and integration between the two countries.

Organized by the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce in collaboration with the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the forum witnessed the participation of Deputy Minister for Industrial Affairs Eng. Khalil bin Salamah, Saudi Export Development Authority CEO Abdulrahman Althukair, and 300 prominent Saudi and Egyptian industry leaders and investors.

Bin Salamah underscored the significance of strengthening economic cooperation and industrial integration between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. He advocated for enhanced industrial partnerships within five priority sectors identified in the Kingdom's National Industrial Strategy: pharmaceuticals, automotive, building materials, textiles, and food industries.

He highlighted the evolving strategic integration between the two countries across initiatives like "Saudi Made,Future Factories," and "Made in Egypt," as well as in the broader goods and services sector. Bin Salamah urged Egyptian industrialists to capitalize on the industrial investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, citing its ambitious plans to establish 24,000 new factories over the next decade.

Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce Chairman Hassan Alhwaizy hailed the forum as a crucial milestone in Saudi-Egyptian industrial collaboration, emphasizing the strategic partnership underpinning their economic relations, particularly in the industrial sector.

Federation of Egyptian Industries Chairman Mohamed El-Sewedy stated that current global challenges are accelerating the need for industrial integration between the two countries, strengthening their partnership to tap into the African market's potential.

Saudi-Egyptian Business Council Chairman Bandar Al-Ameri highlighted the substantial growth in trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Egypt in recent years, fueled by developing economic partnerships between their respective business communities. He emphasized that signing the agreement to protect and encourage mutual investments represents a strategic achievement serving their shared interests.