The Egyptian Embassy in Greece announced that, in cooperation with Greek authorities, it has expedited the repatriation of the bodies of 14 Egyptians who died in the migrant boat sinking south of Crete. The embassy noted that this process usually takes 14 days, especially given its overlap with the Christmas and New Year holidays. This comes as part of the embassy’s ongoing efforts to address the aftermath of the migrant boat sinking south of Crete, and its commitment to the families of the victims to expedite all necessary procedures to return the deceased back to their homeland. The embassy added that the repatriation of all bodies will begin gradually starting on Tuesday, December 23. Families of the victims are being notified of the arrival times of the bodies.

The Egyptian government announced that the electricity interconnection project between Egypt and Saudi Arabia has entered its final stage, paving the way for the launch of the first phase, RT reported on Sunday. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat, on Sunday, to review the implementation status of the Egyptian-Saudi electricity interconnection project and the latest developments in its various aspects, in preparation for its launch. Massive interconnection projectThe Egyptian-Saudi electricity interconnection project is the largest interconnection project in the Middle East, with a total cost of approximately $1.8 billion. The Egyptian-Saudi project is seen as the nucleus of a broader regional interconnection linking Africa, Asia, and Europe, while supporting renewable energy goals in both countries. It includes three main substations: Badr, east of Cairo; Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; and Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Egypt’s Acting Minister of Environment Manal Awad and Sharqeya Governor Hazem Al-Ashmouny on Monday witnessed the signing of a contract between Sharqeya and Gaia Titan, the green energy arm of Titan Cement, to establish and operate three municipal solid waste treatment facilities in the governorate, according to an official statement. The agreement covers the construction and operation of facilities in Al-Ghar (Zagazig district), Al-Khattara (Husseiniya district), and Geeta (Belbeis district). It also includes the operation of two sanitary landfill sites for residual waste in Belbeis and Al-Khattara. Awad said the project will process at least 3,000 tonnes of waste per day across Sharqeya and ensure the environmentally safe disposal of residual waste, with total investments reaching up to EGP 500m. Gaia Titan Managing Director Essam Abdel Nabi said the 15-year contract aims to treat more than one million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually and produce around 200,000 tonnes of alternative fuel.

Egypt is opening its doors to increased investment inflows, supported by strong competitive advantages and an enabling, attractive business environment, Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk said. He noted that Egypt’s fiscal and economic priorities place greater emphasis on the private sector’s role in investing for the future, in a way that serves both economic growth and citizens’ interests. The Minister also highlighted improvements in the banking sector’s net foreign assets and growth in foreign exchange reserves, reflecting increased financial stability. He noted that the 73% increase in private investment during the last fiscal year demonstrates the private sector’s ability to lead Egypt’s economic growth. He also announced that, in coordination with the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, a major package of customs facilitation measures will soon be unveiled to boost foreign trade and significantly reduce customs clearance times.

Egypt has deployed a specialised medical convoy of 13 senior consultants to Port Sudan to provide free surgical treatment and bolster healthcare services, the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development announced. The mission, which is operating from Dec. 20 to Dec. 27, includes specialists in neurosurgery, general surgery, spinal surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, thyroid surgery, and vascular surgery. It involves high-level institutional coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates and the Ministry of Health and Population. Nour expressed appreciation for the support from the Egyptian leadership, government, and people, noting the historical and brotherly ties between the two nations. The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development said the mission aims to alleviate the burden on citizens, bridge gaps in specialised medical disciplines, and support efforts to localise treatment within the state.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the acceleration of Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance (UHI) system across all regions, targeting the inclusion of five provinces in its second phase, the cabinet said in a statement on Monday. The second phase will cover the provinces of Minya, Matrouh, Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and North Sinai, with Alexandria also under consideration for inclusion. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar presented a detailed plan for the second phase, which is expected to serve 13 million beneficiaries. Of these units, 516 are scheduled for implementation under the second phase of the Decent Life initiative. Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian General Authority for Mineral Resources, reported that the Golden Triangle region contains approximately 95 mineral occurrences, representing about 7.6% of Egypt’s total mineral wealth.

The ministry said the overall death toll since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, had reached 70,937, with 171,192 people wounded. Gaza’s civil defence said the remains of Palestinians killed during more than two years of fighting are increasingly being discovered across the territory as destruction spreads. It was the second such discovery at the site in two days, after remains were found there on Sunday. Doctors Without Borders said on Monday that new Israeli procedures for registering international organisations working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank could seriously disrupt humanitarian operations. Separately, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said it has faced a coordinated disinformation campaign for more than two years aimed at dismantling the agency, describing the effort as unprecedented.

The Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) signed a EGP 1bn usufruct contract on Monday with the Main Development Company (MDC) to develop pre-built factories in the West Qantara industrial zone. The project involves the development of a total area of 200,000 square metres to create ready-to-operate facilities for investors. Each phase will cover 100,000 square metres with an investment of EGP 500m and a delivery timeline of 18 months. He stated that the ready-to-use factories are designed to meet increasing demand in the West Qantara region for sectors including textiles, ready-made garments, food processing, agricultural manufacturing, and woven medical supplies. He added that the West Qantara industrial zone offers competitive advantages such as the availability of trained technical labour and access to diverse energy sources at competitive rates.

The meeting comes in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to strengthen the localisation of medicines and medical supplies manufacturing and to increase investment in the pharmaceutical sector, according to the ministry. Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said discussions focused on preparing an actionable policy paper outlining the practical requirements for developing the pharmaceutical industry. Talks centred on enabling manufacturers, encouraging domestic investment, and introducing new investment packages targeting medicines, vaccines, and biotechnology industries. The minister stressed the importance of adopting practical and implementable steps, including studying the establishment of a specialised committee to support vaccine localisation and organising a dedicated conference to showcase investment incentives and localisation mechanisms. He also emphasised the need to strengthen public-private partnerships to accelerate sector development.

During the meeting, El-Shimy emphasised the depth and strength of Egyptian–Indian relations and their continued expansion across various sectors, particularly in economic, investment, and tourism cooperation. This milestone reflects the mutual confidence between both sides and underscores the growing attractiveness of Egypt’s tourism investment climate. The meeting addressed ways to strengthen joint cooperation and explore partnership opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as mechanisms to support serious international partnerships. These efforts aim to maximise the value of Egypt’s historic tourism assets and reinforce the country’s position on the global tourism map. El-Shimy added that the entry of the Taj brand into Egypt reflects increasing confidence among major international institutions in the Egyptian economy and the country’s tourism investment environment.

Egypt’s digital exports reached $7.4bn over the past seven years, marking a 124% increase from $3.3bn in 2018, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat said, noting the sustained expansion of the communications and information technology (ICT) sector. Talaat reviewed the vision and key pillars of Egypt’s Digital Strategy, which is built on four main pillars: fostering digital innovation, enhancing digital services for citizens, driving GDP growth and exports, and creating jobs in the digital economy. He also noted the diversification of training delivery methods, including in-person training, online learning via digital platforms, and blended learning models. Talaat pointed to the MaharaTech platform, which offers specialised digital training content across a wide range of technological fields. He also highlighted progress in digital government services, noting that the Egypt Digital Services Platform now offers 210 government services, serves more than 10 million users, and processes around 2 million transactions each month.

Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, met with Gevorg Papoyan, Minister of Economy of Armenia, and his accompanying delegation to explore ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries across a range of agricultural sectors. The meeting was attended by Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, and focused on mechanisms for enhancing joint agricultural investment, increasing private-sector engagement, and strengthening ties between business communities in both countries. Discussions also covered cooperation in key areas, including seed production, land reclamation, and the rationalisation of water use. The minister also noted the strong international reputation of Egyptian agricultural products, reaffirming Egypt’s readiness to meet Armenia’s needs for strategic commodities, as well as fruits and vegetables. In addition, both sides discussed enhancing cooperation in training and capacity-building programmes for agricultural technical staff through specialised research centres in Egypt and Armenia.

“Japan is under the US nuclear umbrella, which in its essence means a commitment by the United States to defend Japan, even if it requires the use of nuclear weapons,” Onodera said. The three pillars are:* Non-possession: Japan will not own nuclear weapons. * Non-production: Japan will not manufacture nuclear weapons. * Non-introduction: Japan will not allow nuclear weapons on its territory. These include how Japanese conventional forces—such as new long-range “counter-strike” missiles—might support US operations in the event of a US-China nuclear conflict.

Egypt and Oman have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, with a focus on establishing integrated industrial projects, developing industrial zones, and enhancing maritime connectivity. He noted that the Egyptian delegation included representatives of Egyptian companies currently operating in Oman, most of which are active in construction and infrastructure. The meeting reviewed the capabilities of Egyptian contracting companies and the projects they have already implemented in Oman. Al-Wazir affirmed the readiness of Egyptian firms to establish factories in Oman to manufacture building and construction materials or complete production stages locally, highlighting the experience of Egyptian industrial developers in developing high-standard industrial zones. For his part, Al Yousef praised the strength of the longstanding fraternal relations between Egypt and Oman, commending Egypt’s major achievements, particularly the Grand Egyptian Museum and the New Administrative Capital.

Total bilateral trade between Egypt and Iraq reached approximately $1.1bn in 2024, marking a 26.1% increase compared with 2023. On the investment front, Iraqi investments in Egypt reached approximately $553.6m in February 2025. In this context, the Egyptian Commercial Representation is intensifying efforts to further strengthen industrial and trade cooperation between the two countries. Commercial Counsellor Samir Qorshi, Head of the Egyptian Commercial Office in Baghdad, held a series of meetings with senior Iraqi officials to advance bilateral collaboration. The Head of the Egyptian Commercial Office also met with Mustafa Nizar Al-Ani, Director General of the Iraqi General Company for Exhibitions and Commercial Services.