• Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa expects financing to touch US$2.5bn

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) expects the bank's annual financing to reach US$2.5 billion by the end of 2024. According to its director general, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, the annual financing of the bank is witnessing a steady increase, rising from US$2 billion in...
  • UN warns record e-waste in 2022 a catastrophe for environment

    On average, every person on earth generates roughly 7.8 kilograms (17 pounds 3 ounces) of e-waste each year, said the report from the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), another UN agency.
  • Seven children among 22 dead as boat capsizes off Turkish coast

    Istanbul, Turkey - Twenty-two migrants including seven children have drowned after a boat capsized off the Turkish coast, local officials said on Friday. Two people were rescued by the Turkish coastguard and another two managed to make it out of the water on their own, officials said. The victims' nationalities were...
  • Brighter US economic outlook fuels global oil demand growth forecast

    Rising fuel needs of ships rerouted away from the Red Sea also to increase demand, the International Energy Agency said. Commercial ships have been taking longer and costlier journeys around the southern tip of Africa to avoid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
  • Jafza reports 28% year-on-year growth in 2023 of new Indian companies

    DUBAI, UAE – Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is a major contributor to the growing trade between India and the UAE. There's been a significant increase in Indian businesses setting up there, with 28 percent more new companies in 2023 compared to the previous year. This resulted in over 190...
  • High inflation leaves Nigeria struggling ahead of Ramadan

    Lagos, Nigeria - The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins early next week in Nigeria, with the worst economic crisis in a generation leaving many in Africa's most populous Muslim country struggling to buy food. With food inflation at around 35 percent, worshipers taking part in Friday prayers at the central...
  • Arab League organizes workshop to discuss BRICS role in MENA region

    Cairo, Egypt--The Arab League (AL) on Sunday organized a workshop in Cairo to discuss the role of BRICS for African and Middle Eastern countries. Titled BRICS: Potential Roles, Challenges Facing African and Middle Eastern Countries, the one-day workshop discussed new memberships, expectations, and needs related to the mechanism. New BRICS...
  • Middle East and Africa smartphone shipments surge 30% YoY in Q4 2023

    Dubai, Riyadh - Smartphone shipments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region witnessed a remarkable surge, growing by 30% year-over-year (YoY) and 9% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in the final quarter of 2023, according to Counterpoint’s Market Monitor Service.  The MEA region demonstrated the highest YoY growth globally during this period,...
  • Africa’s largest mosque inaugurated officially in Algeria’s capital

    The vast mosque, which can hold 120,000 worshippers, first opened for prayers in October 2020, but President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was suffering from Covid-19 and did not attend. Known locally as the Djamaa El-Djazair, the modernist structure extends across 27.75 hectares (almost 70 acres), and is smaller only than the two...
  • UN chief slams ‘distressing’ spending on arms over climate

    Without action, "the situation will deteriorate," he warned. "Conflicts are multiplying. The climate crisis is set to spiral, as emissions continue to rise. And acute food insecurity has been increasing year on year."
  • Global conflicts herald ‘dangerous decade’, says military think-tank

    "The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.
  • Law, politics hamper UK museum return of artifacts

    LONDON, UK - British museums, like others across Europe, are under pressure to return artworks taken during the colonial era, including Bronzes from Benin, royal treasures from Ghana and friezes from Greece. However, politicians have little appetite to change the legal framework that is currently blocking full restitutions by national museums,...
  • Imane Ayissi brings African tradition to Paris couture

    PARIS, FRANCE - Imane Ayissi is on a mission to put authentic African textiles in the spotlight but faces an uphill battle as a pioneer African couturier at Paris Fashion Week. The bark of the Obom tree, kente cloth from Ghana and kapok fibres from Burkina Faso are some of the...
  • Africa in debt spiral as restructuring efforts drag on

    Paris, France -- While the explosion of debt is throwing a shadow over global economic growth, experts warn that sub-Saharan Africa, where several countries are already in default, is experiencing its worst-ever crisis. The rise in interest rates and over-indebtedness is already crimping the ability of countries to finance their development,...
  • Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd ink deal

    The cooperation deal between the two will begin February 2025.
  • Biggest fuel refinery plant of Africa begins production

    Lagos, Nigeria - Africa's biggest diesel and aviation fuel refinery built by the continent's richest man has started production, the company said on Saturday, calling it a "big day for Nigeria". The 650,000 barrel-per-day Dangote refinery could be a game changer when fully operational by helping end Nigeria's reliance on fuel...
  • GCC telecom firms turn to Europe, Asia for expansion

    Wielding piles of cash and cutting-edge technology, many Arab telecom firms are scouting overseas markets to expand business beyond home territory.
  • EVA Air orders 33 Airbus planes

    The deal could be worth as much as $8.5 billion.
  • GCC telecom firms turn to Europe, Asia for expansion

    Wielding piles of cash and cutting-edge technology, many Arab telecom firms are scouting overseas markets to expand business beyond home territory.
  • UAE participates in UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Ghana

    ACCRA, GHANA - A United Arab Emirates delegation led by Dr. Rashed Ali Al Kaabi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Security and Military Affairs, participated in the United Nations’ Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting here. The ministerial meeting was the first to be held in Africa with previous sessions taking place...
  • Maritime agencies report explosion off Yemen coast

    Dubai, UAE - A "possible explosion" struck a key shipping lane off Yemen on Monday, two maritime agencies said, the latest incident in the vital waterway threatened by Houthi rebel attacks. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning of a potential explosion striking near a vessel passing through...
  • Iran’s exports to African countries register 185 percent growth

    Tehran, Iran--Iran’s export to African countries in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year registered a 185 percent hike compared to the same period in 2020, an official said. Iran’s direct and indirect exports to the African continent in the administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi have significantly...
  • Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022, says charity

    Out of the 12, countries in the Horn of Africa were most affected, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children facing hunger, Save said.
  • Diamond industry adopts tracking as Russia sanctions loom

    Antwerp, Belgium - As European capitals prepare to implement long-awaited sanctions on Russia's diamond exports, Belgian traders are bracing for new scrutiny of their industry. In Antwerp's renowned diamond district -- which handles an estimated 86 percent of the world's rough diamonds -- polishing "labs" are turning to blockchain technology to...
  • UAE company secures African land the size of the UK for carbon offset projects: report

    Dubai, UAE - Blue Carbon, a Dubai-based company has secured expansive forested land across several African nations, a CNN report said.  The area, which is estimated to be nearly equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom, is earmarked for conservation projects aimed at safeguarding forests and preventing significant amounts...
  • Jet fuel sales to reach over billion gallons by end of 2023: ENOC

    Dubai, UAE--ENOC Group will reach more than one billion gallons of jet fuel sales at the end of this year by supplying more than 153,000 commercial, military, and general aviation flights around the world. The company made the announcement on the sidelines of the 18th edition of Dubai Airshow, which...
  • Saudi Arabia boosts ‘investment relations’ with African countries

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment has held a number of roundtable meetings with several African countries on the sidelines of the Saudi-African summit in order to enhance business ties with them. The Saudi-Chadian roundtable meeting was held yesterday, in the presence of the President of the Republic...
  • Saudi EXIM Bank signs deals with African banks and institutions worth $185m

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi EXIM Bank has signed multiple agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with African banks and financial institutions on the sidelines of the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference recently held in Riyadh. Saad Al-Khalb, the CEO of the Saudi EXIM Bank, signed Line of Credit agreements worth $185...
  • Arab and Iranian leaders likely to attend Saudi’s dual event on Gaza

    The emergency meetings of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation come after over one month of Israeli bombardment has killed more than 10,000 people in Gaza, many of them children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. With Israel's leaders rebuffing talk of a ceasefire until the captives...
  • IMF agrees on rise in funding, extra Africa board seat

    The IMF announced member nations agreed to increase their contributions to the global lender and give sub-Saharan Africa a third seat on its executive board at its first meetings on the continent since 1973. Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino, who chairs the IMF Financial Committee, said there was an agreement...
  • Africa’s exports expected to hit close to $1 trillion by 2035: Standard Chartered

    Marrakesh, Morocco – Africa’s total exports will reach $952 billion by 2035 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), once fully implemented, has the potential to increase this figure by a further 29 percent, a Standard Chartered report has revealed.  This represents an annual growth rate of 3 percent...
  • UAE as hub will help food security corridor under I2U2 framework: Indian minister

    Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE as a geographical and business hub will help the proposed ‘food security corridor project in India under the I2U2 framework,’ Piyush Goyal, Indian Commerce Minister told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) in an exclusive interview. “The UAE as a trading hub can cater to...
  • EU close to ratify new deal on asylum seeker and migrants

    Part of the aim of the revised policy is for European Union countries to act together should they be faced with a sudden large inflow of asylum-seekers, as happened in 2015-2016 when hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived, most of them Syrians fleeing the war in their country.
  • Italy to restrict migrants after record entrants from Africa

    Meloni, who won the election last year on a vow to stop immigration, said Sunday the defense ministry would also be charged with setting up more repatriation centers "as soon as possible". The government allocated 42.5 million euros ($45.3 million) at the end of 2022 for new repatriation centers, and the...
  • Tunisia bars entry to European Parliament delegation of five MEPs

    "We condemn the decision of the Tunisian authorities to refuse entry for the delegation," the delegation, made up of five MEPs, said in a statement. "This conduct is unprecedented since (Tunisia's) democratic revolution in 2011", it said.
  • Countries must cooperate to battle sandstorm threat, say UN, Iran

    Countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia must work together to combat sand and dust storms made increasingly severe by climate change, the United Nations and Iran said. “I urge you to use your time in Tehran to build partnerships, increase cooperation and commit to practical action,” UN chief...
  • Masdar, Africa50 sign MoU

    The aim is to speed up clean energy transition in Africa.
  • 2023 likely to be hottest year in human history, says EU climate monitor

    "2023 is the year that climate records were not just broken but smashed," said Mark Maslin, a professor of climatology at University College London.
  • UAE announces US$4.5bn in Africa clean energy investments

    Speaking at a landmark climate summit hosted by Kenya, Sultan Al Jaber, who heads the government-owned renewable energy firm Masdar, the UAE's national oil company ADNOC and the COP28 climate talks, said the money will jump-start a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects in this very important continent.
  • Erdogan and Putin likely to discuss Africa flour supply deal: Report

    Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin are likely to discuss a deal on supplying Russia's flour to African countries, according to TASS. "Both leaders spoke earlier about plans to process Russian grain into flour in Turkey and sending it to the poor nations...
  • Russian army officials visit Libya after invite from pro-Moscow Haftar

    Haftar, who backs the country's eastern administration, is close to Russia's private Wagner mercenary group, whose troops guard military and oil infrastructure in the country. "This is the first official visit of a Russian military delegation to Libya," Moscow's defense ministry said.
  • Tunisia, Libya collaborate to help stranded migrants at border

    In a collaborative bid to address the migrant crisis, Tunisia and Libya have announced a shared responsibility for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border. These migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, had been left in the desert area of Ras Jedir. The deal aims to provide shelter and essential...
  • UAE 2023 growth prospects face least risk in Middle East, Africa

    Lower oil production, high inflation, tighter monetary policies, increased borrowing costs, and the rising cost of servicing debt continue to strain the region's finances, data and analytics company GlobalData said in its Global Risk Report Quarterly Update -- Q1 2023. The region's risk score went up from 54.3 out of...
  • Migrants suffer between life and death in Tunisia-Libya desert

    In the midday heat, a Libyan patrol near the border with Tunisia comes across a black African man collapsed on the desert. The man is just one among hundreds of migrants arriving daily in Libya after being abandoned in the desert borderland by Tunisian security forces, according to Libyan border...
  • Russia, Africa build a new, fairer global architecture

    "I would like to note that the African continent is emerging as a new center of power right before our eyes. It has been demonstrating exponential growth in terms of its political and also economic roles. Everyone will have to reckon with this objective reality," adds Putin during the second...
  • Trade between Russia and Africa totaled $18 bn in 2022: Putin

    Moscow, Russia - Trade turnover between Russia and Africa reached $18 billion in 2022, which is one of the results of the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Russia-Africa forum. "I would like to note that last year trade turnover between...
  • Clean cooking to save millions, boost gender equality

    He was referring to a new IEA report which suggests that universal clean cooking access could be reached worldwide by 2030 with annual investment of US$8 billion. "This is just a tiny fraction of what the worlds spends on energy each year. Tackling this injustice is affordable and achievable," he...
  • ‘Coup attempt’ in troubled Niger as president held by guards

    Niamey, Niger -- An attempted coup was underway Wednesday in the fragile state of Niger, where members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, triggering a standoff with the army, sources said. The head of the West African bloc ECOWAS said Benin President Patrick Talon was heading to Niger on...
  • UAE vows $100m to tackle migration, climate change

    "The UAE believes in the importance of joint action, integration of efforts, and promotion of economic development for countries facing development challenges and affected by irregular migration, according to a framework of joint planning with various international partners," adds Al Hashimy.
  • Dutch museum exhibit on Egypt causes anger in North African country

    LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS - In a Dutch museum the sound of hip-hop blares out next to sarcophagi and statues, in what curators say is an attempt to show the influence of ancient Egypt on black musicians. A photo of superstar Beyonce dressed as Queen Nefertiti sits next to ancient busts, while a...