logo
IMF to review Egypt's loan program on March 10, paving way for $1.2B

IMF to review Egypt's loan program on March 10, paving way for $1.2B

Egypt Today02-03-2025

CAIRO – 2 March 2025: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to review Egypt's loan program during its upcoming meeting on March 10, 2025.
Pending approval, the country is expected to receive the fourth tranche of its loan agreement, valued at $1.2 billion.
A senior government official told Youm7 that the funds are anticipated to be disbursed next month following the IMF's confirmation.
The source also noted that Egypt has been officially added to the IMF Executive Board's agenda for the March 10 session.
The official underscored that this tranche will play a crucial role in bolstering Egypt's foreign exchange reserves, which have reached a record high of $47.3 billion, according to data from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
Earlier, the IMF announced it had reached a staff-level agreement with Egyptian authorities for the fourth review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
In February, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva reaffirmed the organization's commitment to supporting Egypt's economy alongside the country's ongoing economic reform efforts.
Speaking at the AlUla Emerging Markets Economies Conference in Saudi Arabia, Georgieva highlighted Egypt's progress in implementing IMF-mandated reforms, emphasizing that these measures are strengthening the nation's financial position.
Meanwhile, the IMF has adjusted its projections for Egypt's economic growth, lowering its estimates for real GDP growth in FY2024/2025 and FY2025/2026 by 0.5 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
The latest World Economic Outlook report also revised the forecast for the current fiscal year, reducing it to 3.6 percent from the earlier estimate of 4.1 percent published in October.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Delays to the GEM
Delays to the GEM

Al-Ahram Weekly

time3 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

Delays to the GEM

The long-anticipated official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum has been postponed to later this year Despite its near completion and its having already hosted several high-profile events after its soft opening to the public in 2023, the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), originally scheduled for 3 July, has been postponed in the wake of current regional developments until late in 2025. Across more than two decades and since its foundation stone was laid in 2002, the GEM's completion and official opening have been hindered by an epidemic, financial crises, political upheavals, and, lately, regional instability. Plans for the GEM were first unveiled in 1992, when a site was allocated just 2 km from the iconic Giza Pyramids for what would become one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Egypt's modern history. In 2002, the foundation stone for the GEM project was laid on a prime site overlooking the Pyramids of Giza. That same year, the Egyptian state working with the UN cultural agency UNESCO and the International Union of Architects announced an international architectural competition for the best museum design for the GEM. The winning proposal came from the Irish architectural firm Heneghan Peng Architects. Between 2005 and 2010, the site was prepared, and a high-tech conservation centre was built, funded by the Egyptian government. However, following the 2011 Revolution work on the project came to a halt. Construction officially began again in 2012 after a joint venture between Egypt's Orascom Construction Industries and the Belgium BESIX Group was awarded the contract for completion of the GEM's third phase, which included the construction of the museum's main building and landscaping. In 2014, the project was resumed with the help of a $300 million soft loan provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In 2015, the concrete shell of the main building was completed. At the time, the target opening date was 2018, but a series of political and economic challenges caused repeated delays, pushing back the long-awaited inauguration and the construction slowed down. By 2016, only 20 per cent of the museum had been completed. Another $460 soft loan agreement was then signed between the JICA and the ministries of antiquities and international cooperation to complete the GEM construction work within the scheduled time. Progress surged, bringing the museum to approximately 95 per cent completion, but the official opening, scheduled in 2020, was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Work continued and the museum saw a soft opening in 2023. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said that the present circumstances in the region called for reconsidering the inauguration's timing to preserve the efforts required to deliver the event at the most opportune moment. He stressed that the upcoming opening would be a historic and pivotal event for Egypt and the world and therefore must take place under ideal conditions. In an official statement, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities emphasised that the postponement aligns with Egypt's national responsibility to present an event of global stature and one that reflects the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilisation and showcases the country's heritage to the world in a manner befitting its international standing. Despite the delay, the GEM will remain open to visitors as part of its ongoing soft opening phase. The museum has already begun welcoming guests to selected exhibitions, offering a preview of what will become the world's largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilisation. Built on 500,000 square metres, the GEM, with its trapezoidal architectural design and distinguished external walls, offers an enormous panoramic view of the Giza Plateau. It houses objects from ancient Egypt, beginning with prehistory and going up to the early Roman period. Among the objects on display will be the unique treasures of the boy king Tutankhamun, some of which will see the light of day for the first time. The museum's main galleries offer visitors an unprecedented journey through ancient Egyptian civilisation. With 12 galleries organised into four broad time periods and three thematic pillars of Society, Kingship, and Beliefs, visitors are invited to explore Egyptian history in multiple ways. The star of the museum will be the Tutankhamun galleries, which will put on show the whole funerary collection of the golden boy-king that consists of 5,537 artefacts. The Khufu Boats Museum is another attraction of the GEM. Recognised as one of the world's foremost specialised museums, it houses two rare and invaluable artefacts: the first and second boats of King Khufu. For the first time in history, both royal boats will be showcased side by side within a single exhibition space. The first boat has already been carefully transported from its original location near the Great Pyramid of Giza to the museum, where it has undergone meticulous conservation and preparation in accordance with the highest international museological standards. The second boat, discovered adjacent to the Great Pyramid, has had all its wooden planks and components successfully extracted. Following an initial phase of restoration, the pieces were transferred to the GEM, where conservation work continues in close collaboration with Japanese experts. Visitors will be able to witness the reassembly process in real time, as the boat's components are gradually restored and reassembled before their eyes in a distinctive interactive exhibition that brings ancient craftsmanship to life. Both the Tutankhamun galleries and the Khufu Boats Museum were to be opened following the official inauguration and are not currently accessible. * A version of this article appears in print in the 19 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:

Egypt, Italy mull ways to boost AI cooperation
Egypt, Italy mull ways to boost AI cooperation

Egypt Independent

time5 hours ago

  • Egypt Independent

Egypt, Italy mull ways to boost AI cooperation

Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat discussed with Italy's Minister of Enterprises, Adolfo Urso, ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). They held a meeting in the Italian capital, Rome, in the presence of Bassam Rady, Egypt's Ambassador to Italy, to review key developments in AI applications in both Egypt and Italy. They also followed up on discussions initiated during Urso's visit to Egypt in April 2024, which aimed to lay the foundations for constructive collaboration between the two countries in various aspects of AI and its infrastructure. During the meeting, Talaat explained the main aspects and objectives of the second edition of Egypt's national AI strategy, noting that it focuses on building digital capacities, AI governance, fostering innovation, research and development, and enhancing international cooperation in this field. For his part, Urso highlighted Italy's efforts to support startups working in the AI sector. He also outlined the features of an initiative launched by Italy during its 2024 presidency of the G7, which involves the establishment of an 'AI center for Sustainable Development'. This initiative aims to support the use of AI in advancing development efforts across the African continent. Urso expressed keenness to strengthen bilateral cooperation in AI, as well as to collaborate on a regional level to implement and achieve the goals of this initiative. He also thanked the Egyptian Ministry of Communications for nominating a representative to serve on the center's executive committee. This meeting is part of Talaat's visit to Italy, in response to an invitation from Urso. During the visit, several meetings were held with officials from Italian companies and institutions to boost cooperation and attract more investment into Egypt's communications and IT sector.

Egypt, Turkey aim to boost trade to $15 bln: FM Abdelatty - Foreign Affairs
Egypt, Turkey aim to boost trade to $15 bln: FM Abdelatty - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly

time6 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

Egypt, Turkey aim to boost trade to $15 bln: FM Abdelatty - Foreign Affairs

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a Friday meeting with Turkish business leaders in Istanbul that Egypt and Turkey seek to deepen economic ties and increase bilateral trade from $9 billion to $15 billion. According to Egypt's Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty described Turkey as a key destination for Egyptian exports and positioned Egypt as a strategic gateway for Turkish goods into African markets. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's ministerial gathering, is part of broader efforts to strengthen Turkish investment in Egypt. Abdelatty said the political leadership of both countries set the $15 billion target and reflects a shared commitment to closer economic integration. After years of diplomatic strain, relations between the two countries have warmed significantly. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan co-chaired the inaugural session of the High-level Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara in September 2024 — a body established by joint declaration during Erdoğan's earlier visit to Cairo. The council aims to elevate bilateral relations to the strategic level across multiple sectors. During the meeting with Turkish business representatives, Abdelatty discussed opportunities for expanding trade and removing barriers to growth. He underscored the importance of the Egypt-Turkey free trade agreement, which has been in force since 2005, as a key mechanism for reaching the new trade target. He also welcomed the recent increase in Turkish investment in Egypt, citing advantages such as Egypt's membership in multiple regional trade agreements and the incentives available within the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Abdelatty reaffirmed Cairo's support for Turkish investors, noting that Egypt's prime minister had established a dedicated unit to facilitate Turkish investment and help resolve any challenges they may encounter. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store