Egypt budget deficit has declined to 8% of GDP in the first nine months of 2016/2017 compared to 9.4% in the same period last year.

Economic Outlook

• Egypt budget deficit has declined to 8% of GDP in the first nine months of 2016/2017 compared to 9.4% in the same period last year.
• Egypt has launched a 3 BN USD triple-tranche bond which taps its 1.75 BN USD bond maturing in 2022, the 1 BN USD notes due in 2027 and the 1.25 BN USD notes due in 2047.
• Germany has extended 97.4 MM EUR grant to Jordan in order to carry out a number of development-oriented projects in the Kingdom.
• Jordan has imposed 16% taxes on gyms. The gym owners objected the announcement as they have to increase the prices of registration and training programs while the clients will not accept that increase.
• Qatar power generation capacity is projected to increase by 50% in the next two years. Qatar plans to increase the country's power capacity to 13.1 GW by 2018. Accordingly, Qatar needs 9 BN USD investment in its power sector from 2016 to 2020.
• Abu Dhabi government-owned power utility has closed 872 MM USD (3.2 BN AED) financing package to the world's largest solar power plant. Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) raised 650 MM USD in debt with the remaining 222 MM USD raised in equity.
• Tunisia will invest 166 MM USD to produce more than 210 MW of renewable energy.

Political Events

• Ten unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians near Minya in Upper Egypt leaving 28 people dead and 23 injured.
• Jordan and Switzerland have signed an MoU to enhance political and security consultations and boost cooperation.
• The UAE foreign minister has warned Europe that some countries could be classified as "incubators of terrorism" if they fail to better address extremism.

Stock Market

Note:  Weekly values are calculated on Thursday of each week.

Companies Transactions

• Dana Gas has received an additional 74 MM AED (20 MM USD) from the Egyptian government as another partial payment of its outstanding receivables. Egypt has paid 25% of Dana Gas total overdue receivables of 283 MM USD.
• Kuwait National Petroleum Co. (KNPC) has signed a 6.25 BN USD loan with international lenders to back its planned Clean Fuels project. In addition, KNPC is planning to build a large storage plant for oil products at a cost of 1.32 BN USD.
• Kuwait Finance House (KFH) and Kuwait Credit Bank (KCB) have signed a protocol agreement for electronic payments. KFH customers will pay their installments to KCB through KFH website.
• Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has signed three contracts worth 35 MM USD with Omani Firms for the supply and servicing of compressors.
• Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has announced opening a new branch in Doha Festival City, one of the largest shopping destinations.
• Al-Enmaa Investment Company has established a real estate development fund to build the Darb Al Haramain complex that costs 4 BN SAR (1.07 BN USD) located in the old airport area in Jeddah. The project is planned to be completed by the beginning of 2018.
• General Electric (GE) signed a 1 BN SAR (267 MM USD) joint venture agreement with Saudi Arabia's state-backed Dussur industrial development company to manufacture gas turbines in the eastern city of Dammam.
• Dubai Emaar Malls will buy a 51% stake in e-commerce fashion website Namshi from Global Fashion Group (GFG), a start-up set up by Rocket Internet worth 151 MM USD as competition for technology deals heats up in the Middle East.
• Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries has achieved sales amounting to 369.3 MM AED (107.89 MM USD) with a net profit of 44.1 MM AED (12.01 MM USD) in Q1-2017.

Sports and Culture

• Omar Hegazy, a 26-year-old Egyptian adventurer and banker who had lost his left leg two years ago in motorcycle accident, has become the first amputee to swim from Egypt to Jordan crossing 20-kilometer stretch of the Red Sea's Gulf to Aqaba in less than nine hours.
• Uber has announced operating in Al Mansoura City. Uber now is covering 3 key cities; Cairo, Alexandria and Al Mansoura which is a first move in Uber plan to expand in more cities in Egypt.
• According to statistics issued by Ministry of Justice, 60% of marriages in Kuwait have ended in divorce this year. The first 2 months the total number registered in marriages was 2,001 while the divorces reached 1,193.