The JV is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024.

The UN and many governments across the world have expressed alarm about the possible civilian toll of an Israeli assault against the southern city of Rafah. The negotiations, which also involved Qatar's prime minister and Egyptian officials, were part of an intensifying effort to secure a ceasefire.

CIA director William Burns met with Mossad chief David Barnea in Cairo for a new round of talks on a Qatari-brokered plan to temporarily halt fighting in exchange for Hamas freeing hostages. The two intelligence chiefs were joined by Qatar's prime minister and Egyptian officials, Egyptian media reported -- two...

Despite maintaining its ties with Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the UAE has been at pains to express solidarity with Palestinians as anger mounted in the Arab world over the conflict.

Foreign governments, including Israel's key ally the United States, and aid groups have voiced deep concern over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow to extend operations. Rafah, on the border with Egypt, has remained the last refuge for Palestinians fleeing Israel's relentless bombardment elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week said he had ordered troops to prepare to go in to the city, crowded with displaced Palestinians, as it hunts down those responsible for the deadly October 7 attacks on southern Israel. The announcement has prompted concern from foreign governments including the United States...

Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, has never recognised Israel, though officials were considering doing so before the Hamas' October 7 attack. Israeli ground offensive has killed at least 27,840 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.

"We expect the negotiations to be very complex and difficult but Hamas is open to discussions and the movement is keen to reach a ceasefire," added the official, who is familiar with the negotiations. "The two parties will hold several rounds of negotiations indirectly," he said on condition of anonymity

"There's a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted" after a week-long truce in November, he said. The US top envoy, on his fifth Middle East tour since...

Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt and Qatar are sponsoring a new round of negotiations to start Thursday in Cairo aimed at achieving "calm" in Gaza as well as a hostage release deal, an Egyptian official said. A Hamas source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the Palestinian group had agreed to the...

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar and Egypt are looking to boost trade and economic ties between the two countries, besides exploring ways to encourage investors from Qatar to widen their investment in Egypt. In this regard, Qatar Chamber First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari's met with Vice President of...

Hamas has for more than a week mulled the deal drawn up in its absence at Paris talks, as international pressure mounts to end the four-month war. Hamas said the proposal was aimed at "ending the aggression against our people, securing relief and shelter, reconstruction, lifting the siege on the...

Palestinian Territories - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to fly to Egypt on Tuesday as part of a Middle East crisis tour seeking a new truce and "an enduring end" to the Israel-Palestine war. In Cairo, Blinken is scheduled to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the...

Five listings, mainly in the energy and logistics sectors, contributed 58 percent towards the total IPO proceeds raised, said the EY MENA IPO Eye Q4 2023 report. During Q4 2023, 19 IPOs raised $4.9 billion in proceeds. ADES Holding Company raised the most funds.

The Gaza health ministry said that at least 127 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours in the territory. A kindergarten where families were sheltering was hit in Rafah, which is teeming with Palestinians displaced by the war, ahead of another visit to the region by...

JERUSALEM - When Fatima, an Arab Israeli married to a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip, fled Israel's bombardment of the territory, she was terrified they would run out of fuel. "We feared that the gas wouldn't be enough. The road was deserted. All the way along, we saw devastated houses,"...

Since Hamas fighters stormed across the border on October 7, Israeli forces have targeted structures in Gaza within a kilometre (0.6 miles) of the border, said Adi Ben Nun, a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem who has carried out an analysis of satellite imagery.

Cairo, Egypt - Egypt's antiquities ministry said on Saturday it was setting up a committee to review the restoration of Giza's Menkaure Pyramid after a public outcry over the project. A week ago, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, posted a Facebook video showing workers setting blocks...

A Hamas source had told AFP the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into Gaza. Only "women, children and sick men over 60" held by fighters would be freed during that stage in exchange for Palestinian captives in...

With inflation up at 35 percent, and amid a severe foreign currency crunch, the Egyptian pound is plunging and the US dollar has become hard to come by. The country's highly import-reliant economy, dominated by military-linked enterprises and with a fondness for infrastructure mega-projects, has been hit hard by a...

Doha, Qatar - Iran are "following our dreams" in trying to win the Asian Cup for the first time in 48 years, winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh said on the eve of Wednesday's last-16 clash with Syria. Three-time champions Iran face Syria in Qatar with a quarter-final against Bahrain or pre-tournament favorites Japan...

Taher al-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, said his group wanted a "complete and comprehensive ceasefire, and not a temporary truce." Speaking to AFP, he said that once the fighting stopped "the rest of the details can be discussed" including a hostage release. Qatar, Egypt and the US have led mediation...

Hong Kong -- The Egyptian government is mulling over the possibility of issuing bonds for the first time denominated in Emirati dirhams, Indian rupees, and Hong Kong dollars. The move is part of the ministry's pursuit of a diversified financing strategy, encompassing multiple markets, investors and financing tools. In a...

French authorities were also in touch with these four countries with the aim of negotiating a halt to hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the besieged territory, the sources said. A security source on Friday told AFP that CIA chief William Burns would meet his counterparts...

Cairo, Egypt-- Egypt has enough reserves of wheat to last it for many months, according to Dr. Ali Al-Moselhi, the Egyptian Minister of Supply and Internal Trade. The minister said the country's reserves of wheat are sufficient for 4.2 months, oil for 5.3 months, and sugar for 5.4 months. He...

The exchange came as the head of the CIA is to meet in Europe with his counterparts from Israel and Egypt and the prime minister of Qatar with the goal of negotiating a truce and the release of the remaining hostages in the Israeli-Hamas war, US media reported. Biden also...

According to Axios, Israel has offered Hamas a two-month pause in fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages. Vowing to crush Hamas, Israel has launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 25,900 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to...

Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed at least 25,105 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The healthcare system has almost entirely collapsed, with hospitals overwhelmed and doctors having to treat a growing number of casualties with dwindling resources.

When the first bombs rang out in Sudan, Amjad, Fatima and Mazin abandoned their paintbrushes, musical instruments and studios, leaving behind the lives they knew for unfamiliar shores. Now in Egypt, they have sought to bring back the sights and sounds of a long-lost home to an audience of about...

In a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said, "It is necessary to insist on the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital." A joint statement from the two ministers urged...

The two will acquire 40.5% stake in the Egyptian firm.

Rafah, Palestinian Territories - Surrounded by family and friends, clapping and cheering, Gaza woman Afnan Jibril beams a brilliant smile on her wedding day, determined to celebrate even as war rages. "We are a people that love life, despite death, murders and destruction," said her father, Mohamed Jibril. Relatives were gathered...

Cairo, Egypt - Nestled in the heart of the historic capital here, a cultural center synonymous with the city's art scene has been razed, the latest heritage site torn down for contentious development projects. Authorities have been aggressively remaking parts of Cairo, a longtime cultural beacon of the Arab world, to...

Cairo, Egypt - Egypt Saturday said that navigation movement in the canal is regular from both directions, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Lieutenant General Osama Rabie denied allegations of any temporary suspension of navigation due to the situation in the Bab al-Mandab.‏ ‏In a statement, the Chairman of the...

They will buy 40.5% stake in TMG Holding’s hospitality business.

Manama, Bahrain – Morocco became the fifth country to join the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain at the fourth meeting of the Higher Committee of the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development which began on Thursday here. The Executive Committee of the now five country partnership held meetings with officials,...

As Blinken wrapped up a whistlestop tour of the region, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) heard arguments in a landmark case accusing Israel of breaching the United Nations Genocide Convention. South Africa told the top UN court that Israel's bombing campaign of the besieged Gaza Strip justified a plausible...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Morocco, and Russia. One of the aims of these MoUs is to foster international cooperation in minerals between Saudi Arabia and these countries. According...

Cairo, Egypt -- The Egyptian government signed an agreement yesterday with a consortium led by the Saudi company ACWA Power for the largest wind energy production project in the Middle East.With investments reaching up to $1.5 billion, the project will be established in the Gulf of Suez and Jebel El-Zeit...

The man-made waterway - which officially opened in 1869 - is crucial for Egypt, earning it $9.4 billion in transit fees in the fiscal year 2022/23. Since the Iran-backed Houthis began attacking ships in response to Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, companies have opted for the far longer route...

Wang's overseas travel will coincide with another trip abroad by a top Chinese official, Premier Li Qiang, this week. Li will from Sunday to Wednesday visit Switzerland, the foreign ministry said, where he will attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 and carry out a state visit.

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Stock markets across the Middle East posted record highs in 2023, with combined gains of $493 billion, propelled by strong performances in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The UAE led the charge, adding $117.5 billion to its market value, reaching $990.6 billion by the end of last...

King Abdullah, in a meeting Sunday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, called on the United States to press Israel for an "immediate ceasefire" and to put an end to the humanitarian crisis brought by the Gaza war. King Abdullah had also warned Blinken against "the catastrophic repercussions of...

The firm plans to incorporate one-to-one tutoring services.

Annalena Baerbock will hold talks with Israel's new Foreign Minister Israel Katz, as well as President Isaac Herzog, foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular press conference on Friday. She will also meet with Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas and foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki.

Cairo, Egypt--AD Ports Group (AD Ports) has signed a contract with Egypt to build, develop, operate and maintain terminals for passengers and cruise lines at the Red Sea ports of Hurghada, Safaga and Sharm El Sheikh. The contract will also commit AD Ports Group to develop yacht and cruise ship...

Rafah, Palestinian Territories--Hunger is everywhere at Rafah zoo, in Gaza's far south, as internally displaced Palestinians seek shelter from the war between cages and animals die of starvation. "The situation is very tragic, there's no food, water, medicine, or anything," its owner Ahmed Jumaa said, a parrot perched on his shoulder....

The Al Wasl field is its first oil discovery in Egypt.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia, through its Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), has initiated the first phase of the Skill Verification Program (SVP) in Egypt. The collaborative effort with the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower aims to improve the proficiency of professional labor and raise the standard...

Cairo, Egypt – ADIB-Egypt has launched its exclusive portfolio of Private Banking Services, providing a Shariah-compliant banking proposition for its high-net-worth clients. This personalized proposition is designed to offer a premium range of wealth management services catering to clients with account balances starting from EGP 20 million ($64 million) upwards, or...