First Independent Mena Newspaper
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is scheduled to arrive in Cairo in early December 2025 to conduct the fifth and sixth reviews of Egypt’s $8 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review under the $1.3 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), according to Julie Kozack, Head of the IMF’s Communications Department. Speaking […]
Tunisian bank workers commenced a two-day strike on Monday, disrupting all financial transactions as they pressed for wage increases. The action, organized by the influential UGTT union, followed the collapse of negotiations with the banking Council, which represents both public and private banks. Long queues formed at cash machines, though many appeared to be malfunctioning, […]
Morocco’s economic geography reveals a tale of two countries: thriving coastal hubs generating most national wealth while interior regions struggle with decline, according to new regional accounts from the High Commission for Planning. Casablanca-Settat remains the undisputed economic powerhouse, contributing 31.4 percent of national GDP and over a quarter of household consumption. Yet this dominance […]
Morocco’s government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing comprehensive reforms as it prepares the 2026 Finance Bill and three-year budgetary programming for 2026-2028, Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah announced Thursday in Rabat. Speaking before the Government Council, Fettah emphasized that reform initiatives align with Royal directives and form part of an integrated development framework […]
Morocco’s economy is projected to grow 4.4 percent in 2025 and 4 percent in 2026, driven by robust domestic demand and investment, though concerns mount over a widening trade deficit that could reach 20.1 percent of GDP by 2026. The High Commission for Planning’s exploratory economic budget reveals an economy gaining momentum despite global uncertainties. […]
Sand and dust storms now affect over 330 million people across 150 countries, with serious consequences for health, food security, and economies, according to a new report by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, the UN General Assembly declared 2025–2034 the official Decade for Action […]
Africa’s trade is poised to hit a record $1.5 trillion in 2025, driven by accelerating regional integration and improved infrastructure, according to projections from the IMF and Afreximbank — yet economists warn of persistent structural hurdles. With trade growth expected to average 5.1% annually through 2026 and intra-African trade expanding at 6.6% per year, the […]
Remittances to Africa and the Middle East, which play a pivotal role in many regional economies, significantly contributing to their GDP, are estimated to have increased 5.4% in 2024, primarily due to rebounded flows to Egypt, after a 14.6% decline in 2023. In 2024, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries are expected to reach […]
Morocco’s GDP grew 10% to 146 billion dollars in 2023, the high commission for planning, HCP, said in its final statistics. Financial and non-financial firms contributed by 45% to the national GDP, while public administrations contributed by 15.2%, HCP said in a recent report. Households and non-lucrative entities contributed by 29%, it said, adding that […]
Morocco has called on the Middle-Income Countries to build on their assets in order to be the new drivers of regional and international development in the new world order taking shape. In his opening address made Tuesday at the High-Level Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries, currently in held in Rabat, Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita […]