Morocco and the UAE signed a deal to invest in the Atlantic gas pipeline that will channel Nigerian gas to North Africa and ultimately to Europe. The deal was part of a series of memorandums of understanding signed during a state visit by King Mohammed VI to Abu Dhabi. It signals the UAE readiness to invest in the promising project, key to fostering economic integration and energy security in West Africa. The project was spurred by King Mohammed VI who agreed in 2016 with then Nigerian President Buhari to launch the project. Nigeria’s energy minister Ekperikpe Ekpo said a few days ago that works to build the pipeline will start next year.

The Mobile Economy MENA Report 2023At M360 MENA, the GSMA launched the Mobile Economy MENA 2023 Report which revealed 5G's GDP contribution is expected to reach $60bn in 2030, representing 13% of the overall annual economic impact of mobile in the region. · Continued MENA mobile growth through to the end of the decadeThere are currently 415 million unique mobile subscribers in MENA, which will rise to 550 million by 2030. Presented by the GSMA, M360 is a series of global events that unify the regional mobile ecosystem. M360 MENA follows a full year of the GSMA's M360 event series in 2023, which this year has included M360 Eurasia, M360 LATAM, M360 UK and M360 APAC. To download the Mobile Economy MENA Report, please click here.

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Aon and Markel. Aon Promotes Clarke to Head of Renewables, Global Broking Centre & UKInsurance broker Aon plc announced the promotion of Alison Clarke as head of Renewables for its Global Broking Centre (GBC) & UK. Clarke joined Aon in September 2022 as part of the Energy Transition team. Prior to joining Markel, Meek worked for the American Insurance Group (AIG) where he started out as an assistant underwriter, before being promoted to underwriter in 2021. “With his wealth of experience, Isaac will help us to identify new territories and geographies to drive profitable growth for the cyber portfolio, with the support of our established cyber underwriting teams in India and Singapore,” said Robbie.

by TINTSWALO BALOYIJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – MASTERCARD and Bidvest Bank have partnered for a solution enabling customers to send international remittances. Titled Bidvest Bank BidSend, the new solution is powered by Mastercard cross border services. “Providing innovative solutions that deliver the choice, security, and flexibility that South Africans need and expect is a factor win we take pride in,” said Gabriel Swanepoel, Country Manager at Mastercard, Southern Africa. Tendani Sikhwivhilu, Chief Financial Officer at Bidvest Bank, said the offering leverages the latest technology to create an affordable and accessible solution that is cost-effective and efficient. Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal receive the greatest remittance inflows, while South Africa is the largest sender of remittances to other countries in Africa.

By Quentyn Taylor, Director of Information Security, Canon Europe (www.Canon-CNA.com)It’s no longer enough to just print and sell a product. [1] Despite this trend, many businesses are overlooking and neglecting high-risk areas such as print security, inadvertently leaving them subject to attacks. This paradigm shift in work dynamics calls for a more robust approach to print security. Leveraging external expertise can help strengthen organisational print security measures, promote a holistic approach to print security, and ensure a culture of secure practices is in place. Prioritising print security for your businessIt goes without saying that the safe moving and sharing of documents must be a crucial part of workplace security.

Published an hour ago Submitted by International Paper CompanyWhat separates IP from our competition, isn’t the products we make, it’s the people who make them. In celebration of our 125th anniversary, we sat down with two of our most tenured team members to capture their experience and perspective. Ronnie Lettow, a machinist at the Savannah, Ga., mill has 58 years of service and is IP’s most tenured employee. Here’s their story:Celebrating Our History: A Tenured Perspective | International PaperAbout International PaperInternational Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe.

Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) has signed a $600 million wind farm deal with a clean energy developer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). EEP said that under the terms of the deal, the 300MW wind farm will be built in the Aysha district of Ethiopia’s eastern Somali region. “The wind farm will be built on 18,000 hectares of land and create job opportunities for thousands of Ethiopians,” an EEP statement said. The Adama I Wind Farm generates 51MW; Adama II and Ashegoda wind farms each generate 153MW. Wind energy and the Continental Power System MasterplanThe objective is to is to strengthen and expand the electricity network, enable renewable energy generation, and support power sector reforms, said EEP.

Russia’s operational control over Armenia’s air defences makes it certain that the Russian military will scrutinize this technology and perhaps even appropriate it. French–British Diplomatic Rivalry over the CenturiesFrance’s historical geopolitical rivalry with Britain is an underestimated driver of its actions in the South Caucasus. France’s involvement in Armenia is, in addition to its other motives, also a manifestation of the Fashoda syndrome. Via Armenia, France has simply devised a way to add the South Caucasus to its portfolio of anti-Turkish dossiers. With a foothold in Armenia, France can also thwart any budding Armenia–Azerbaijan rapprochement.

— Reuters file photoPublished: Tue 5 Dec 2023, 4:25 PM Last updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023, 6:36 PMWater is life—yet the water crisis in the Middle East and North Africa continues to worsen without a viable solution in sight. A tipping pointAlthough we have been facing a water crisis for years, the situation is becoming more severe, exacerbated by sustained climate change-induced droughts and extreme heat. When there is no immediate access to water, girls miss school to fetch water for their families, and women’s time is usurped by water collection, hindering them from keeping a job. The water crisis and climate crisis as a whole demand that we strengthen health systems to address the many detrimental effects of climate change on health. Future at stakeA failure to address the water crisis and the climate crisis more broadly will inevitably result in regional conflicts over water, significantly hindering health and development and threatening the viability of entire nations.

East China University of Political Science and Law unveils a collection of selected translation of legislative texts of partner countries of Belt and Road Initiative. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai unveiled a collection of selected translation of legislative texts of partner countries of Belt and Road Initiative on Dec 3. The collection efforts, a major national social science project, was led by Qu Wensheng, a legal translation expert and dean of the graduate school at the East China University of Political Science and Law. The four-volume collection comprises legislative texts from more than 40 countries in Southeast Asia, West Asia, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Following the ceremony, experts and scholars attended seminars on legal translation and discussed ways to create a talent development system for legal translation at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels.

Niger and Russia Monday signed a deal to bolster military cooperation between the two countries, a move that translates Russia’s growing presence in the region. The agreement came as Russia’s deputy Defense minister Colonel-General Yunus-Bek Evkurov met with Abdourahamane Tiani, the new strongman of the West African country who arose to power on July 26 after toppling west-backed Mohamed Bazoum. Evkurouv signed the document with Nigerian Defense Minister Salifou Mody. Like Niger, neighboring countries namely Mali and Burkina Faso, all of them former France-ruled colonies, have severed ties with the European country and stepped up cooperation with Russia in many areas including security, defense and communication. Russia, another Deputy Defense Minister, Alexander Fomin indicated, has agreements on military-technical cooperation with 30 African states.

Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) launched Monday December 4 from China, EgyptSat-2, the country’s domestically-made satellite, to serve the North African country’s sustainable development goals by utilizing space technology to enhance vital areas, including agriculture and exploration of mineral resources. Also known as MisrSat-2, the satellite was built using China’s $92 million grant in February 2022. With Chinese cooperation, it was assembled and tested at EgSA’s Satellite Assembly, Integration, and Testing Centre (AITC), the agency notes. Into orbit, MisrSat-2 will help in identification of surface water sources, and studying the impacts of climate change on the environment. They include NileSat 101 launched in 1998, EgyptSat 1 launched in 2007 and Horus 1 satellite launched in February this year.

beIN SPORTS, the official broadcaster of the tournament in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) provided extensive, exclusive, and easily accessible coverage of the quadrennial event, held for the first time the in the Arab World. With six new high-definition channels, 20-plus studios, more than 120 analysts, and comprehensive social and digital coverage dedicated to the tournament, beIN raised the bar for how broadcasters should cover a major tournament. Throughout the month-long tournament, beIN’s linear channels recorded more than 5.4bn cumulative views, with the final watched by a record 242.8m viewers – equivalent to 68 per cent of MENA’s adult population. On beIN SPORTS’ official YouTube channel, the final match recorded a cumulative viewership of 25m and set a regional record with 4.4m simultaneous viewers. Across beIN SPORTS’ social media platforms, beIN SPORTS’ accounts generated 1.1bn video views and 5.5bn impressions.

Casablanca Station (pictured) forms part of Morocco’s Al-Boraq line, which the ONCF intend to extend before the 2030 World Cup. Morocco’s National Office of Railways (ONCF) has announced a tender for the acquisition of 168 trains, marking a major step in the country’s preparation for the 2030 World Cup. The World Cup imperativeFIFA’s decision to name Morocco, Spain and Portugal as joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup but award Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay the opening three matches has led to criticism from climate groups over the long-distance, high-emissions journeys teams will undertake between matches. There has also been scrutiny over the readiness of Morocco’s transport system. Morocco passed FIFA’s inspection in its initial bid for the 2026 World Cup but was deemed “high risk” in the accommodation and transport category.

Though each of the five selected countries are at varying levels of mini-grid adoption and deployment rates, each has the same goal of cultivating a thriving mini-grid sector. This not only showed the role private sector can play in some of the underserved markets, but also that private sector has a very important role to play in mini-grids. Some of the key stakeholders of the mini-grid sector in Sierra Leone at the training on the AFUR Tool. Governments are happy to allow private sector into the mini-grid space, but handing over of the sector to private sector fully is a long way off. The sooner private sector accepts such a stance on the continent of Africa, the easier it will be for the mini-grid sector to grow with both public and private sector fully benefitting from the value offered by private sector deployment in the sector.