The growth comes as global organisations look to capitalise on the region’s critical links between the east and west. This contributed to RSM in MENA seeing an overall growth of 23% for consulting services. Bassam Dahman, Regional Leader for Middle East and North Africa at RSM, commented: “Despite the economic slowdown caused by a decline in oil production, businesses in the region have exhibited positive growth, evident in the performance of all service lines at RSM. Recognising the transformative impact of this new framework across the region, RSM positions itself well to assist businesses in seamlessly incorporating and implementing sustainability strategies. RSM’s strong performance in the Middle East and North Africa comes as RSM has announced double-digit growth in global revenues to US$9.4bn.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the “timbuktoo” initiative together with African countries, which it said is positioned to be “the world’s largest financing facility”, bringing catalytic and commercial capital together to support Africa’s startup ecosystem. Promoted by the UNDP, timbuktoo aims to address critical gaps and work with African governments, investors, corporates, and universities, to support the African startup ecosystem. The ambition is to mobilise and invest US$1 billion of catalytic and commercial capital to transform 100 million livelihoods and create 10 million dignified new jobs. The initiative will blend commercial and catalytic capital to de-risk private investment, with a pan-African approach to supporting startups, while also focusing on the whole ecosystem, engaging and deepening the linkages between government policy, universities, corporates, development partners, catalytic partners, and commercial investors. This will enable innovations to grow and benefit people in Africa and elsewhere on the planet,” he said.

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“This is a very important milestone for the New Okiep Mining Project,” Boksburg-born Orion CEO Errol Smart commented in a release to Mining Weekly. Overall, Orion is targeting substantial diversified base metal production through the development of the Okiep Copper Project and the Prieska Copper-Zinc Project, also in the Northern Cape. The latest surface right ownership also removes any conflict of interest in future surface use, allowing outstanding environmental authorisations and water-use licence and rezoning applications to proceed to completion. Orion has mobilised drill rigs to execute a 3 000 m twin hole drilling programme over the Flat Mines East and Flat Mines North deposits and conduct confirmatory geotechnical and metallurgical test work. The mining right and prospecting rights surrounding the granted mining right contain 18 known mineralised bodies that are mapped and drilled by Newmont and Gold Fields.

Italian service provider Deepblue Energy Services S.r.l. With over two decades of expertise in drilling services, Deepblue Energy – based in southern Europe – operates in Italy and has ongoing operations in Serbia and Albania. How can you adapt and transfer your skills to the African market, and are there other markets in Africa that interest Deepblue Energy? The African market, particularly North Africa, remains a primary focus due to logistical proximity and strategic partnerships in place. Deepblue Energy, as a junior company, prioritizes resource focus and acknowledges the unique demands of the African market, especially in regions requiring sophisticated technology like floaters for deep-water activities.

Retail tech, encompassing online shopping, digital payments, AI, and augmented reality, has revolutionized the retail sector. This article delves into the impact of retail tech on cybersecurity and outlines strategies for retailers to safeguard themselves and their customers. Expanding Attack Surface: Retail tech amplifies the attack surface by accumulating and processing extensive data from various sources and devices. Changing Threat Actors: The adoption of retail tech alters the profile of threat actors, exposing retailers to a variety of cyber adversaries. A secure and responsible approach to utilizing retail tech ensures that it remains a powerful tool for innovation in the retail sector.

Al-Qassam Brigades Back In North Gaza: War Monitors Warn IDF Of Hamas 'Resurgence'War monitors have warned the Israel Army of Hamas' resurgence in North Gaza just days after the IDF claimed that it had cleared the area of Al-Qassam Brigades fighters. Israeli forces reducing their footprint in north Gaza from December 31, allowed the re-emergence of Hamas-backed governing bodies and Hamas fighters to reconstitute militarily, according to the latest assessment by the U.S.-based think tank ISW and the CTP. Watch for more details.

Mauritania is ideally placed to become a notable green hydrogen producer, given its geographical attributes and the presence of natural hydrogen, a new report says. According to the Green Hydrogen Organisation, Mauritania has excellent renewable energy prospects making it a potential leading green hydrogen producer in Africa. “Significant green hydrogen project developments and Mauritania’s proximity to the European market has the potential to increase export benefits, in addition to providing power to the national grid and various industrial activities, such as green steel production.”Africa ideally placed for green hydrogen productionAFSIA said the race for producing the cheapest green hydrogen is global. Green hydrogen is the fuel of the future – sector expertOverall, the report notes that the appetite for green hydrogen development in Africa has further skyrocketed in 2023. “Thanks to Africa’s stellar solar irradiation, the continent offers some of the best features to produce the cheapest green hydrogen in the world.

The issue of increased duties levied on some imported Moroccan agricultural products will be resolved through dialogue and consultation between the two countries, said Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug. The Mauritanian top diplomat made the remarks during his talks held Monday in Rabat with Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita. Salem Ould Merzoug is visiting Morocco, carrying a verbal message from President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani to King Mohammed VI. By raising tariffs, Mauritania affected not only Moroccan exporters and transporters but also Mauritanian consumers who felt the heat with a spike in prices of Moroccan fruits and vegetables in local market. Noukchott says the new tariffs rates were decided to encourage local agricultural production.

Mauritania has a central role to play in Morocco’s Atlantic initiative aiming to offer access to the ocean to landlocked Sahel countries and promote regional economic integration and shared development. Morocco’s foreign minister Nasser Bourita made the remarks at a joint press conference in Rabat with his guest Mauritania’s foreign minister Salem Ould Merzoug. King Mohammed VI had called, in a speech in November, for an international initiative to ease Sahel countries access to the Atlantic and global trade. Sahel countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad subscribed to the initiative at the highest level in view of its potential in unlocking the economies of the region. Bourita said Morocco backs Mauritania as a bacon of stability in the region and that the Kingdom looks forward to stronger ties.

Hilal Khashan is a Professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. He is a respected author and analyst of Middle Eastern affairs. He is the author of six books, including Hizbullah: A Mission to Nowhere. He is currently writing a book titled Saudi Arabia: The Dilemma of Political Reform and the Illusion of Economic Development. He is also the author of more than 110 articles that appeared in journals such as Orbis, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Middle East Quarterly, Third World Quarterly, Israel Affairs, Journal of Religion and Society, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, and The British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.

ECS Group has acquired Morocco's leading GSA Efis Maroc, building on a long standing commercial partnership spanning over two decades. "The acquisition agreement, signed on December 13, 2023, marks the beginning of a seamless transition and the implementation of digital enhancements for the benefit of Efis Maroc and its clientele," says a release from ECS. Founded by Pierre Fougerouse, Efis Maroc is based in Casablanca and specialises in air, road and logistics, the release added. "Their expertise includes supervising the handling of special products such as outsize cargo, dangerous goods, perishables, and live animals. Efis Maroc, strategically positioned at Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, provides extensive commercial coverage for the country's major cargo gateways including Marrakech Menara Airport, Agadir Al Massira Airport and Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport."

Winners in the fifth annual Middle East&North Africa Stevie® Awards (https://StevieAwards.com/MENA), the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced. The 2024 Middle East&North Africa Stevie Awards have recognized winning organizations in 13 nations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. “We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2024 edition of the Middle East&North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 2 March in Ras Al Khaimah. The program has grown every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region.”Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Middle East&North Africa Stevie Awards.

While the Rapid Support Forces (RFS) has continued getting diplomatic and materiel support amid the war in Sudan, the consequences of isolating the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) could inadvertently push them toward rogue regimes, a self-fulfilling prophecy that complicates the region’s stability. There's more to this story Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Subscribe Now cancel anytime Already a a subscriber Sign In

The bus station in Agadez, a remote city of low mud-brick buildings in the West African nation of Niger, is buzzing again. For years, this portal was closed, at least officially. The country’s government, friendly to Europe, outlawed migration out of Agadez, and in exchange the European Union poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Niger’s coffers and the local economy. But last summer, after generals in Niger seized power in a military coup, the European Union suspended financial support to the government — and in response, the generals severed the migration arrangement with the European Union in November. The gate is once again open, and a fresh flock of hopeful migrants is once again passing through, to the relief of many locals.