Amnesty International has decried Egyptian new anti-terrorism law which threatens journalists with jail for reporting anything that contradicts the official account of terrorist attacks. This draft law represents “a flagrant attack on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association”, said Amnesty International on Wednesday in a press release, describing the bill as […]
Tag: Middle East
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank plans Morocco and Algeria expansion
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC, the United Arab Emirates’ second-biggest shariah-compliant lender, is planning expansion in Africa markets to tap demand in countries with a large Muslim population. In Africa, The bank has “looked closely” at Algeria and Morocco, Chief Executive Officer Tirad Mahmoud told reporters. “We are actively visiting locations where we may be […]
Algeria: “No to religious extremism in our universities,” PM Sellal
Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal has urged educational institutions to fight extremism saying“no to religious extremism in our universities.” At a meeting with the Dean of the Said Hamdine Faculty of Law in Algiers and the Minister of Higher Education and scientific research Tahar Hadjar, the Prime Minister called universitystudents to stay away from extremism as he reminded them that “our religion is Islam but we are […]
The Israeli-Palestinian solution will not come from outside, Netanyahu
French foreign minister Laurent Fabius met with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority as part of a Middle East tour geared towards the revival of talks between the parties. France’s stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is seen as interference and contradictory […]
MENA Most Violent Region in the World (Institute for Economics & Peace)
Several countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been rocked by the surge in violence related to sectarian strife and armed conflicts, making the region the least peaceful in the world. According to the 2015 report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the region remains plagued by bloody conflicts and receives […]
Saudi Arabia Opens up Its Stock Market, but There is No Queuing
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, has opened Monday for the first time its stock market to foreign investors in a bid to attract more international capital to help the country diversify its economy and reduce its heavy dependence on oil. The stock market liberalization move comes following the sharp fall in oil prices […]
Tunisia calms Algerian nerves over Washington status
After Washington upgraded its ties with Tunisia to the level of a strategic ally during President Béji Caid Essebsi’s maiden visit as president, Khemaies Jhinaoui Diplomatic Adviser to the North African President explained to his compatriots that it does not mean that they have become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as […]
Egypt-USA: Sisi and Panetta discuss regional security
Regional security and the joint Arab force project were among the main topics discussed at talks held Thursday in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and visiting former U.S Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. A statement released by the Egyptian presidency said Panetta is convinced that the joint Arab force being discussed by members […]
Peugeot to build its MENA region plant in Morocco
The French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen plans to open a plant in Morocco to meet the needs of the Maghreb and other African markets, a source close to the group said, confirming the information published earlier by Bloomberg. The project that could be formalized early June will have an initial capacity of nearly 100.000 units. […]
Jordan: We should be our own leaders, Abdullah tells MENA leaders at WEF
The World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa has opened in Jordan with King Abdullah II calling on the countries of the region to be their own leaders. “My friends, we would solve the problems of our region but only when we build on its strength. We cannot be sidetracked by […]









