First Independent Mena Newspaper
Long before the advent of the Arab Spring, the region was boiling as people in most of the countries of the region were denied basic social and economic rights: Unhealthy housing, below standards education, inaccessible health care, ramping unemployment etc. However hard the situation was, people seemed accommodating with their daily hardships, thanking God for […]
In a bid to boost its tourism industry, Egypt has come up with the plan of exempting neighboring countries in the North African region from visa procedures when they are entering the country as tourists. It is being reported that only Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria are part of the exempted countries that will no […]
As Tunisia is at grips with a seemingly inextricable political situation, rating agencies continue to reduce its standings, in an unnecessary additional evidence that the country’s economy is not faring any better than politics. The latest of these agencies is Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services# which lowered Tunisia’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings […]
Conergy has made its entry into the Tunisian solar market to begin its operation in North Africa. The German company has been allowed by authorities to install a solar plant in the desert area of Ben Guardane in Medenine. The plant will be covering 4,000m2 with a capacity of 210KW which will be used in […]
Doing business in North Africa seems to be very challenging and still largely for the intrepid. The World Bank’s annual survey ‘Doing Business’ provides data on the relative easiness (or difficulty) of running a business around the world. A high ranking on the ease of doing business index means the regulatory environment is more conducive […]
In the context of the Arab Spring, the use of the term “Islamism” is very common. The new political elites throughout the North Africa, commonly referred to as the “Islamists”, often talk of replacing the old and more or less authoritarian secular regimes in the Middle East. Journalists also use the term quite excessively and […]
Tunisia is mingled in chaos and that are fears that it might continue for a long period. Its economy and finance are hardly affected by the current situation. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has shown its intention to help the small and medium sized enterprises in the country. In a statement by Jamel, the chief […]
Hamid Chabat, the Secretary General of the Istiqlal Party, has been threatening for months now to withdraw from the coalition government, led by Abdelilah Benkiran’s Party for Justice and Development (PJD), if his repeated calls for a cabinet reshuffle were not heeded. Likewise, he has not missed any opportunity to lash out at the head […]
Thousands of angry Tunisians have mourned the assassination of opposition political figure Chokri Belaïd, a prominent opponent of the Islamist-led government of Hamadi Jebali. They took to the streets of the Tunisian capital in a huge march against the killing of the human rights militant who was shot in the head and the chest outside […]
Since the conclusion of a preliminary agreement with Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company Sonde Resources in December, PA Resources (PAR) is still looking for farm-in partners for the Zarat license offshore Tunisia. The two companies hold the joint oil block license north of the Zarat concession, concerning unitization principles for the Zarat […]