Reminder: second call for initiatives to be submitted before March 2009
The Invest in Med programme has launched by end December its second call for initiatives. The programme will offer a co-financing to the selected projects. The deadline for submitting initiative propositions is the 1st March 2009.The rules and processes for participating are available for download.

MED-INVEST 2009 in Beirut, Lebanon, on 20th February 2009 : a Gulf – Europe – Mediterranean meeting
The Mediterranean Investment Forum Med Invest 2009 is taking place in Beirut, on 20 and 21 February 2009. More than 500 business leaders from Europe and the Mediterranean, 200 Gulf personalities and representatives of investment funds will attend the Forum; as well as the Ministers of Economy and Trade, the Ministers of Industry and the Governors of Central Banks in the South Mediterranean region. Register online to participate in this event organised by Business Med, Business Europe and Al-Iktissad Wal-A’amal with the support of the Invest in Med programme

A few seats remaining for the “Online Investor Servicing” training in Marseille, France, 16-18 February 2009
How to be efficient and reactive in dealing with requests from investors in the pre-investment phase? This interactive training, open to the members of the networks forming the MedAlliance consortium (IPA, CCI, BRO), will present strategic methods and tools for the on-line preparation of attractive offers.
[Register online]

Kick off of Business Services in Med and Plato Egypt
Two new initiatives are starting their activities by end February and the beginning of March. Business Services in Med, co-ordinated by the Moroccan Business Confederation (CGEM), and aiming at exchanging between European and south Mediterranean business confederations to develop value added services targeting their members, and Plato Egypt, driven by the Belgium Federation of Chambers of Commerce, which intend to adapt in Egypt a method of entrepreneurs' coaching by managers of large corporations. Both initiatives choose to start by exchanging staff between European and south Mediterranean organisations.

Algeria –37 billion dinars for the port of Béjaïa modernisation
The public work Management of the wilaya of Béjaïa presented on January 16 its project which aims at modernizing the harbour infrastructures of the city and at extending them in order to increase their capacity of reception.
[Lire+]

Egypt, Maroc, Tunisie – Textile: the Mediterranean is becoming a gravitational producer again
In an unstable economic environment, the proximity is essential like a pledge of safety for the large European textile signs. The Middle East and Maghreb countries start to take advantage of this situation.
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Euromed– New MENA investment fund raises USD 170 mln
Private Equity fund NBD Sana Capital reached a successful first closing at USD 170 mln, according to its mother body, the UAE based bank Emirates NBD. The fund will seek MENA investment opportunities.
[Read +]

Egypt – Global warming: Egypt eager to become one of the largest renewable energy producer in the Near and Middle East
Egyptian Minister of Energy declared at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi that "wind farms [...] will employ thousands and produce 20 percent of the country's diversified energy needs by 2020".
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Israel– Clean energy to represent 10% of the country's electricity by 2020, Gov declares
"Promoting the generation of renewable energy will [reduce] the dependency on fossil fuels", Finance Minister Roni Bar-On declared last Monday.
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Jordan – Mafraq Development Company to build new factory
The Jordanian-Bahraini firm announced on the 20th of January that it would build a cardboard plant in the Northern city of Mafraq, a 20 million EUR investment that is expected to provide 150 job opportunities.
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Lebanon– Construction on the rise in 2008
According to Bank Audi's figures, "[a 31.4% increase in construction permits] signifies acceleration in construction activity in the first 10 months 2008. Indeed, this year, contractors have been constantly launching new projects".
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Morocco– The OCP wishes to rely on the FDI for the realisation of 5 other factories of manure
The Cherifian Office of Phosphates (OCP) wishes to make of Jorf Lasfar (in the South of Casablanca) a hub of international scale for the production of phosphatic derivatives.
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Syria– The European Investment Bank lends 275 million EUR
The bank based in Luxembourg granted this loan on 19 January 2009 with the objective of increasing in the Syrian offer in electricity to answer an increasing domestic demand.
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Tunisia – 19 operators interested in the attribution of a 3rd telecom licence
On January 20, 60 experts representing 19 operators and other investors, of Europe, Africa, the Gulf and Asia, took part in the "road show" on the process of attribution of a new licence.
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Algeria - Plasturgy
The specialist of plastic replacement parts PlasteXel SAS to expand in Algiers where the parts for local customers will be designed, and then manufactured in France.

Egypt - Construction
The group to establish CPC Holding for Investment-Egypt, its 2nd Egyptian subsidiary, to set up a complex of 7 construction material factories.

Israel - Software & IT services
The Californian private equity group Vector Capital to eventually acquire Aladdin, a specialist in digital rights management.

Jordan - Consulting & services to companies
The company Globe Williams International (GWI) to form a 60/40 JV with local Darat Jordan Holdings (DJH) to provide facility management services, mainly in Jordan.

Lebanon - Mobile phone
Egypt's Orascom Telecom and Kuwait’s Zain to win 1-year contracts to operate respectively Alpha and MTC Touch, the 2 Lebanese mobile networks.

Morocco - Catering
SIAMA (Societe d’investissement Al Amal pour le Maroc), part of AAH group, to develop in Marrakech a USD85m polo resort called Jnan Amar Polo Retreat.

Syria - Railwail equipement
Turkish state-owned railway company Turkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demir Yollari (TCDD) to ink a preliminary agreement to establish a joint train and wagon assembly and maintenance factory in Aleppo.

Tunisia - Electronics
The manufacturer of Printed Circuit Board components to launch production at its Monastir-based upgraded factory (CIV Tunisie).

Turkey - Car manufacturer or supplier
German auto supplier C. Rob. Hammerstein GmbH & Co. KG (CRH) to set up a greenfield factory in Gebze, Kocaeli, which will primarily provide equipment to the Ford Otosan plant in Gölcük.

Egypt – Egypt Stock Exchange to open to foreign companies
The Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges (CASE) will soon allow the listing of non-Egyptian companies domestically, according Saudi daily Al Riyadh, Zawya reports.
[Read+]

Lebanon – The Port of Beirut generated a USD 132.5 mln income in 2008
This benefit represents a 16.4% increase compared to 2007. According to the latest figures released by the Beirut Port Authorities, car imports reached almost 97.000 units, a 103% increase compared to 2007.
[Lire+]

Libya – Internet high-speed: inauguration of a mobile WIMAX network
On January 22, Tripoli inaugurated a first mobile WiMAX network, installed by Alcatel-Lucent for 60 million USD, which will allow 300.000 users to reach this technology in a radius of 50 km.
[Lire+]

Morocco – Creation of the Moroccan Agency for the development of investment (AMDI)
The Moroccan Parliament adopted on January 7, 2009 a bill on the creation of the AMDI, autonomous agency which will aim at promoting the investments in Morocco.
[Lire+]

Sirya – Damascus Stock Exchange should start operating in February this year
The long awaited opening of the Damascus Securities Exchange (DSE) is expected to officially occur on the 23rd of February 2009, as reported on the Stock Exchange's web site.
[Read+]

Tunisia – With the arrival of EasyJet in the Tunisian sky, tourism should not undergo the crisis
The national Council of the civil aviation officially authorized the European low-cost company EasyJet to be operated in Tunisia.
[Read+]

Turkey – Tourism: Turkey and Egypt crowned as top destinations in 2009 by the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta)
Tourism: Turkey and Egypt crowned as top destinations in 2009 by the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).
[Read+]

16 to 18 February 2009 - MED-Academy: FDI resource centre and on-line investor servicing, Marseille, France
How to be efficient and reactive in dealing with requests by investors?
This seminar will present methods and tools for on-line preparation of attractive offers.
[Read+]

5 to 6 February 2009 - France-Maghreb Convention - 8th edition, Paris, France
The France - Maghreb Convention is the result of a 10 years expertise on the needs and expectations expressed by French companies and Maghreb professionals. It both anticipates and encourages the French-Maghrebian integration and aims at identifying and benefiting from the synergies offered by these new markets.
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20 to 21 February 2009 - MEDINVEST 2009 - Mediterranean Investment Forum, Beirut, Lebanon
The Mediterranean Investment Forum Med Invest 2009 is taking place in Beirut, in February 20/21, 2009. More than 500 business leaders from Europe and the Mediterranean, 200 Gulf personalities and representatives of investment funds will attend the Forum.
[Read+]

4 to 6 March 2009 - Med-Tracking - Workshop for end-users: what needs and what expectations for the Med-Tracking system from the freight transport actors? Athens, Greece
This workshop raises the questions which appear essential for the success of the Med-Tracking initiative: which are the specific and exhaustive needs for the end-users, what is the state of the art and which solutions would be necessary to implement for a better safety for the freight transport sector in the Mediterranean by 2010-2013?.
[Read+]