New acceleration of FDI flows in MEDA region .
According to recent UNCTAD figures on Foreign Direct Investment, completed by investigations by ANIMA, the MEDA region benefited in 2006 from an increasing volume of FDI: approximately US$ 48 ,7 billion, vs. 30 bn in 2005. Without Israel, this flow reached more than US$ 35,5 billion in 2006, up from 24.5bn in 2005. All these provisional data must be taken with caution, but allow for a certain optimism concerning the economic performance of the Mediterranean and the dynamism of its investment agencies.
For more information : www.unctad.org/press, www.animaweb.org .

Syria adopts new regulation to favour foreign investment
Among Syrian newly-passed regulations, a January 2007 law authorises investors to repatriate their benefits on the capital introduced into the country via Syrian banks. It also envisages the creation of a national investment promotion body. Syrian estimates regarding investment needs over the next five years amount to US$ 37 billion.
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ANIMA Network Association - Workplan 2007
A work session of the board of the association, which associates the main Mediterranean Investment promotion agencies (IPA) along with a number of institutions and multilateral organisations, was held on the 29th March in Marseille. The 2007 workplan of the association was validated, along with the creation of a number of tools: communication, web site, internal rules.
A presentation of the document discussed is available for download.

Egypt– FINANCES – IPO for 15% of Bank of Alexandria is set for Q4 2007
Beltone Financial, one of the most dynamic banks in the MEDA region, has been chosen to stage the initial public offering of a 15% stake in the Bank of Alexandria (BoA) by the end of the year. In August 2006, 80% of the bank was privatized and attributed to Italian bank Intesa SanPaolo. By then, the Bank of Alexandria client base reached more than 2 million by the end of 2005. The last 5% will be attributed to the employees of the bank.
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Jordan– ENERGY – Opening of the oil market to private sector in March 2008
After 50 years of Jordan Petroleum Refinery Corporation monopole, the oil liberalisation in Jordan will be effective on March 2008. Jordan oil market annual growth s is currently around 3%. According to 2006 statistics, JRPC locally refined product sales (included the imports) reached 464 millions tons..
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Syria– INDUSTRY - 12 investment opportunities published
The Syrian Ministry of industry has recently published a dozen of investment opportunities in various sectors: chemicals, services, textile, automotive, agro-food..
[To see the details of the projects click here]

Tunisia– DISTRIBUTION – 76% of “Magasin Général” Group stock for sale
76% of the Magasin General Group stock is on sale. Magasin Général Group owns the first supermarket chain “Magasin Général” (44 sales outlet throughout the country) and the cash and carry chain “Magro” (4 shops)..
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Tunisia – ENVIRONMENT – Concession for water purification stations
Among the projects forecasted by the privatisation programme in 2007, the concession of sanitation projects for the water purification stations of El Allef and El Attar, which should be merged in order to become more attractive.
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Turkey– ENERGY - Offshore drilling open to private investors
The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) is about to award oil detecting, exploration and drilling contracts in the Black Sea to private companies. The objective for Turkey is self-sufficiency in oil consumption. Turkey consumed 29.5 million tons of oil last year, and only 4.35 million tons was provided domestically.
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Algeria - Energy
First Calgary Petroleum - The Canadian firm will develop with Sonatrach through a 25/75 JV Menzel Ledjmet gas field, a USD1.3 billion project, with the construction of a gas processing plant and a pipeline.

Algeria - Metallurgy & recycling of metals
Mubadala Development w/ Dubal - A JV formed by Moubadala Development and Dubal will hold 70% in a US$ 5bln aluminium smelter project, while Sonatrach-Sonelgaz will hold the rest..

Egypt - Electronic components
Newport Media - The semiconductor company supplying products to the mobile broadcast media market to open a Design Center in Cairo.

Egypt - Telecoms
Vodafone - Vodafone Egypt, a 73% owned subsidiary of British Vodafone, buys Egypt's second 3G licence for US$ 586 million..

Jordan - Public works
Five international firms made offers for the USD3 billion mega project to relocate Aqaba Special Economic Zone's only port 20kms south, towards the kingdom's border with Saudi Arabia.

Libya - Mechanical industry
Poulina - Tunisia's Poulina to relocate Carthago Ceramic's production in Libya and Algeria.

Morocco - Tourism
Orascom / OHD - OHD was awarded 15 million m² at Oued Chbika which it will turn into a tourist project of 800 million USD though a 70/30 JV with CDG.
Fadesa - The Spanish group will invest Euro 450 million over 8 years to develop Bahia Blanca, the "Plan Azur"'s 6th and last site located in the Guelmim province

Tunisia - Telecoms
Dubai Holding / Tecom-DIG - Tecom-DIG gets official approval for the acquisition of a 16% stake in Tunisie Télécom, and thus holds a majority of the capital.

Turkey - Banking
Hapoalim - Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest bank, bought 57.55% of Turkey's Bank Pozitif for USD 100 million.

Egypt– 11 industrial production facilities
The construction of 11 industrial production facilities in the Free Trade Zone in Alexandria has been announced by the Egyptian General Authority for Investment (Gafi). The total investment amounts is about 15.4 million USD and foreign investors from Iraq, Turkey, Australia and Switzerland will raise13% .
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Lebanon– The port of Beirut is quite breaking his own activity record of 2005
Less than eight months after Israel lifted its maritime embargo on Lebanon, the Port of Beirut activity, the major port of the country, is doing record thanks to transhipment trade and its cargo facilities.
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Morocco – CNUCED recommends to create a more independent IPA
According to a CNUCED report, the Direction of Investment (DI) doesn’t have the means to meet its ambition and helps is now required urgently. Despite a tight annual budget of 7 millions DH, it succeeds in attracting many FDI since it was created 10 years ago.
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Syria– A new intellectual property law
Syrian President Assad approved the law on March 12, 2007, and it will take effect a month later. The legislative decree dating back to 1946 is modified, but nevertheless, it will continue to be applied on patents which are not regulated by the new text.
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Tunisia– Expatriated enabled 21 000 jobs in Tunisia
Tunisian expatriated diaspora of 933,944 people, from which 83% is living in Europe, influence the country economy. In 2005, they transferred 1.8 millions dinar in the country. Since 1987, expatriated financed 2 525 projects and created 21 172 jobs.
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30-31st May 2007 – 5th ANIMA annual conference – Marseille, France
With the participation of the European Commission and other sponsors, about 20 Med IPA managers and directors from investing companies.

12-14 June 2007 – Seminar : « Lead generation and bid winning, information management strategy », Marseille, France
Aimed at investment promotion agencies, this seminar addresses economic intelligence, the building of a resource database and the building of a targeted offer to an investor.

21-22nd June 2007 – Forum de Carthage - Tunis, Tunisia
ANIMA will participate to the 9th edition of the Forum de Carthage organised by FIPA/ Invest in Tunisia. The topic of this year event is “Industrial Internationalisation and Outsourcing of Services”.

28-29th June 2007 – 5th World Investment Conference - La Baule, France
ANIMA will participate to the 5th edition of this conference “La Baule 2007”. The topic of this year event is “Green Technologies and Services in Europe — High Returns and Global Opportunities”.