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Cairo, Islamabad to Enhance Cooperation in Military Production

Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 
Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 
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Cairo, Islamabad to Enhance Cooperation in Military Production

Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 
Egyptian Minister of Military Production Salah El-Din Mostafa met with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo Aamir Shouket in Cairo on Sunday (Egyptian cabinet) 

Egypt and Pakistan on Sunday discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in military and civil manufacturing.

Egyptian Minister of Military Production, Salah El-Din Mostafa, highlighted during his meeting with Pakistani Ambassador in Cairo, Aamir Shouket, the longstanding and steadily growing relations between Egypt and Pakistan, reinforced by the strong support of both countries’ political leadership.

The minister referred to recent high-level engagements, including President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha.

He also praised the recent signing of a joint defense strategic agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, aimed at strengthening regional military cooperation.

Mostafa outlined the broad capabilities of Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production, which operates 15 industrial subsidiaries, a construction company, a center for scientific and technological excellence, a maintenance company, a training sector, a medical center, ammunition and weapons testing grounds, and an academy for engineering and advanced technology.

He then emphasized that the Ministry’s core mission is to supply the Armed Forces and police with military-grade products—including small, medium, and heavy ammunition, weapons, equipment, armoured vehicles, tanks, and electronic systems.

The minister added that its surplus production capacity is also directed toward manufacturing competitively priced civilian goods and participating in national development projects.

“The ministry is committed to cooperating with all global companies to localize the latest manufacturing technologies and improve the quality of military and civil products,” Mostafa said.

The minister expressed his hope for establishing strategic partnerships between Egyptian military production companies and their Pakistani counterparts in manufacturing fields, which would benefit both parties.

In July, al-Sisi met with Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, to discuss strengthening bilateral military and security cooperation.

In May, Cairo welcomed the announced ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

In a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Egypt described the agreement as a positive step toward stability in South Asia.
Cairo expressed hope that both sides would commit to the deal, build mutual trust, and work toward peace and prosperity for their peoples.
Egypt reiterated the importance of peaceful conflict resolution and called for continued dialogue to settle international disputes.

On Sunday, the Pakistani ambassador to Egypt affirmed the depth of Egypt–Pakistan relations, which are built on mutual respect, cultural affinity, and shared geopolitical interests.

He recalled that Egypt was the first Middle Eastern country where Pakistan established an embassy following its independence.

Shouket noted that bilateral ties have expanded significantly in recent years, particularly in the areas of politics, defense, economics, and culture.

He commended Egypt’s efforts to advance its industrial base, enhance the investment climate, and undertake major infrastructure projects, thereby positioning the country as a strategic hub for access to African and Middle Eastern markets.

Shouket then expressed strong interest from Pakistani companies in collaborating with Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production, citing the Ministry’s manufacturing, technological, and human resources capabilities.

He praised its subsidiaries for their efficiency, precision, and successful track record in executing national development projects, noting that these strengths present clear opportunities for future joint ventures.

 

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Arab World

Over 11,000 Migrants Arrive in Yemen Despite Conflict

The total number of African migrants arriving in Yemen since the beginning of this year has risen to 145,776. (Government media)
The total number of African migrants arriving in Yemen since the beginning of this year has risen to 145,776. (Government media)
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Over 11,000 Migrants Arrive in Yemen Despite Conflict

The total number of African migrants arriving in Yemen since the beginning of this year has risen to 145,776. (Government media)
The total number of African migrants arriving in Yemen since the beginning of this year has risen to 145,776. (Government media)

More than 11,000 migrants from the Horn of Africa arrived in Yemen last October despite escalating fighting between government forces and the Houthis along the country's coasts facing their transit routes. Ethiopians accounted for the vast majority of arrivals, according to the latest data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The organization recorded a slight decrease in the number of arrivals compared to the previous month amid security tensions along the western coast and disruptions to boat traffic in maritime corridors, particularly in the Bab al-Mandeb area.

In its monthly flow monitoring report, the IOM stated that it tracked the arrival of 11,677 African migrants last month, marking a 1.2 percent decline compared to September, which saw 11,841 arrivals.

The organization attributed this decrease primarily to escalating fighting that disrupted boat movements and limited the ability of field teams to safely gather information and monitor migration flows.

According to data from the organization's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), Djibouti topped the points of departure, accounting for 60.6 percent of the total recorded flows, followed by Somalia at 36 percent, while 3.4 percent arrived from Oman.

The Abyan Governorate received 94 percent of the migrants departing from Djibouti, compared to 6 percent who arrived in the Taiz Governorate.

Demographically, the migrants comprised 70 percent men, 14 percent women, and 16 percent children.

Despite the slight decline in October, the total number of African migrants arriving in Yemen since the beginning of this year has risen to 145,776, most of them Ethiopians, even as military escalation along Yemen's Red Sea coast threatens one of the key maritime transit routes from Djibouti.

Yemen serves as a major transit point for tens of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict, poverty, and drought in the Horn of Africa, who take the perilous "Eastern Migration Route" across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in hopes of reaching Gulf countries in search of job opportunities.

Migrants stranded in Yemen face dire humanitarian conditions amid ongoing armed conflict and deteriorating basic services, in addition to the risks of exploitation, detention, and difficulties moving across frontlines, according to repeated UN and human rights reports.

Arab World

Western Warnings about Muslim Brotherhood Bolster Egypt’s Crackdown on Group

The Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters after being set ablaze in Cairo in the summer of 2013. (Getty Images)
The Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters after being set ablaze in Cairo in the summer of 2013. (Getty Images)
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Western Warnings about Muslim Brotherhood Bolster Egypt’s Crackdown on Group

The Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters after being set ablaze in Cairo in the summer of 2013. (Getty Images)
The Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters after being set ablaze in Cairo in the summer of 2013. (Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump’s warnings about the Muslim Brotherhood could strengthen Egypt’s efforts to restrict the group’s activities at home and abroad, researchers told Asharq Al-Awsat, following a series of Egyptian and Western measures targeting its networks.

Speaking to Salem News Channel on Thursday, Trump said the Brotherhood posed risks extending to the United States and Europe. Asked whether it or communists were more dangerous, he described both as major threats but suggested the Brotherhood currently posed the greater danger.

Mounir Adib, a researcher specializing in extremist movements and international terrorism, said Trump’s remarks reflected growing Western awareness of transnational networks.

Their significance lay in their timing, as Washington increasingly moved beyond warnings toward legal and financial measures against specific Brotherhood branches, he added.

Adib said the shift reinforced Egypt’s longstanding position that the organization uses institutions and affiliated entities to advance its political objectives.

Hesham al-Naggar, a researcher specializing in jihadist groups, described Trump’s comments as recognition of Egypt’s approach since 2013, although he considered Western measures insufficient.

He said Cairo’s initial efforts to dismantle the Brotherhood domestically and pursue its overseas networks encountered Western resistance, partly because of earlier expectations surrounding political Islam.

Attitudes have since shifted, including among some left-wing intellectuals, he noted.

On November 24, 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the State and Treasury departments to consider terrorist designations for Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

In January, Washington designated the Egyptian and Jordanian branches as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, while the Lebanese branch was also designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The Sudanese Brotherhood received terrorist designations in March.

In May, the Trump administration outlined a counterterrorism strategy focusing on the Brotherhood as what it described as an ideological source of modern jihadist terrorism.

Argentina also designated the Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese branches earlier this year, while the European Parliament approved an October 8 resolution calling for a common EU strategy against Brotherhood networks.

Adib said these developments strengthened Cairo’s case for targeting financing channels and overseas operations, but stressed that international cooperation should rely on intelligence, evidence and legal procedures rather than political labels alone.

Al-Naggar said even limited Western measures would reinforce Egypt’s efforts.

Trump’s remarks followed Egypt’s decision to place the Brotherhood permanently on its terrorism list under a final court ruling published in the Official Gazette on Monday, after years of temporary designations.

Several Brotherhood leaders, including Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, remain imprisoned in cases involving violence, terrorism and murder.

The following day, a Cairo criminal court issued a first-instance ruling placing 35 entities and 36 individuals based in Europe on Egypt’s terrorism lists for five years.

Adib said the next phase could bring closer US-European cooperation in intelligence sharing, monitoring financial flows and reviewing organizations linked to prohibited activities.

Al-Naggar called for a broader international response, including stronger security and intelligence cooperation, arguing that the issue extended beyond the Arab region to global security and stability.

Arab World

PMF-Led Government Committee Enters Iraq’s Jurf al-Sakhar

Members of the committee in Jurf al-Sakhar on Friday in this photo released by platforms close to the PMF.
Members of the committee in Jurf al-Sakhar on Friday in this photo released by platforms close to the PMF.
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PMF-Led Government Committee Enters Iraq’s Jurf al-Sakhar

Members of the committee in Jurf al-Sakhar on Friday in this photo released by platforms close to the PMF.
Members of the committee in Jurf al-Sakhar on Friday in this photo released by platforms close to the PMF.

An Iraqi security committee began investigating suspected fuel smuggling in Jurf al-Sakhar, north of the Babil province, on Friday, amid mounting tensions between the government and Kataib Hezbollah over the area and efforts to bring weapons under state control.

Troops deployed around the area to secure the committee’s entry, but political mediation reportedly halted their advance amid disagreements over how the investigation would proceed.

Footage showed a large military deployment before committee members met commanders believed to be from the pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah. Sabereen News, an outlet close to armed factions, broadcast a Kataib Hezbollah commander addressing Interior Ministry officers.

Security Media Cell chief Saad Maan denied that political groups or armed factions were represented on the committee, saying it had begun fieldwork early Friday.

A security source told Shafaq News that the committee conducted an initial inspection after agreeing with faction representatives on investigative procedures and field visits.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi formed the committee Thursday, placing it under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Its members represent the prime minister’s office, intelligence and anti-corruption bodies, the Oil Ministry, security agencies, forensic authorities and the Energy Police.

The November 12 order was signed by Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir al-Shammari, director of the commander-in-chief’s office.

The decision followed a three-hour meeting between al-Zaidi, Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri, PMF chairman Falih al-Fayyadh and chief of staff Abdul Aziz al-Muhammadawi, known as Abu Fadak.

According to Shafaq News, al-Zaidi demanded enforcement of Iraqi law against offenders, while al-Amiri and al-Fayyadh proposed giving the parties concerned time to reorganize and resume dialogue over weapons.

The proposal included continuing negotiations through a four-member committee seeking to resolve disputes and preserve stability.

A government adviser told Asharq Al-Awsat that Baghdad’s changing approach reflected the armed groups’ growing political influence.

“The state is not merely confronting forces that possess weapons; these forces have also become capable of influencing political decision-making,” the adviser said.

The government prioritizes restoring sovereignty without confronting society or its communities, he stressed.

Disputes over Kataib Hezbollah had already disrupted a planned Monday meeting between al-Zaidi and Coordination Framework leaders, while negotiations over bringing weapons under state control had produced no progress.

Separately, Babil Governor Ali Turki, affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq, resigned after publicly denying oil smuggling in Jurf al-Sakhar.

Informed sources said his remarks were made without the federal government’s knowledge or coordination with Asaib’s leadership, prompting movement chief Qais al-Khazali to order his resignation.

Jurf al-Sakhar has been a major armed-faction stronghold since 2014. It is believed to contain military camps, prisons, weapons depots and rocket and drone manufacturing facilities.

Many also believe the area serves as an operations center for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, an allegation denied by faction representatives and parties in Iraq’s governing coalition.