Invest In Med, catalyst of initiatives
The Invest In Med project will be officially launched in Marseille on the 2nd July 2008, where a protocol of cooperation will be signed between four large networks of Euro-Mediterranean economic development organisations – ANIMA Investment Network, Businessmed, Eurochambres, Ascame – and their partners Euroméditerranée, GTZ and UNIDO.
Gathering through the networks several hundreds of partners across the Mediterranean, this important project will act as a catalyst of initiatives contributing to narrow the economic gap between the two rims. These players are already invited to get in touch with each other to propose projects with high impact on the economic development of the region, based on a number of tools that could be subsidised by the project – business meetings, technical assistances, trainings and workshops, staff exchange, etc.
Thus, Invest In Med is willing to instigate a new form of partnership: initiate when necessary, support, play the go-between with public and private development players of the two rims, and let them free and responsible to expand and perpetuate what deserves to be continued.
This newsletter which replaces the ANIMA Biz Board will continue to echo these initiatives having a positive impact on the development, the influence and the security of the Mediterranean economy, be it originated by Invest In Med or not.
The Invest In Med team

Algeria – ICT - Opening of the bidding process for Algeria's first 3G license
The Regulation Authority of Post and Telecommunications invited applications to bid from Wednesday 28/05/2008. Deadline for foreign or local bidders to show interest is the 30th June 2008.
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Egypt – Transport - Kuwait's businessmen interested in Egyptian transport infrastructures
Kuwaiti companies suggested to implement 20 projects in Egypt in the fields of maritime transport, harbours and railways, to worth several billion dollars.
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Israel – Real Estate - A 55,000 sqm parcel in central Tel Aviv for sale
The bidding process has been opened by Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and the Wholesale Market for Agricultural Produce in Tel Aviv, and should be completed by the fall 2008.
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Morocco – Energy - Abu-Dhabi to set up Morocco's second refinery
Abu-Dhabi government-owned energy investment firm International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) has approved a plan for a new refinery, in the port of Jorf Lasfar, in cooperation with Moroccan partners.
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Syria – Agrofood - Syria is betting on sugar refining
Syria is positioning itself to become a player in the Middle East's lucrative sugar market and turning into a major importer of both refined and raw sugar, purchasing a combined 650,000 tonnes annually.
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Tunisia – Energy - Sale of an equity stake in the national drilling contractor, Compagnie Tunisienne de Forage (CTF)
Companies are invited to submit expression of interest by 30th June 2008.
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Turkey– Construction – The government to launch social housing construction programme
The plan consists in building by 2011 some 500,000 council accommodations as well as 302 schools, 71 hospitals, 21 centres for the disabled, 4 children rehabilitations centres and 3 psychiatric institutions.
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Algeria - Energy
Russian gas giant Gazprom officially inaugurated its first Algerian representative office, in Algiers.

Egypt - Car manufacturer or suppliers
The group Pirelli is to increase for USD 65 mln production capacity of radial tyres for trucks and buses at its Alexandria facility by 50 %.

Israel - Aeronautical equipment
Gulfstream Aerospace is investing in capacity increase of Galaxy, its Israeli JV with IAI, which produces G200 and G150 models in Tel Aviv.

Jordan - Glass
Qatari investor Remal Holding teams up with local partners to set up a USD 170 million glass factory in the Maan governorate, constructed by German DTEC.

Lybia - Metallurgy & recycling of metals
The London-based mining giant Rio Tinto Alcan to negociate about building a USD 2.5 billion aluminium smelter.

Morocco - Metallurgy & recycling of metals
Carnaud Maroc to build a new beverage can plant on its existing food can manufacturing site in Casablanca.

Palestinian Authority - Construction
The Qatari government-owned Diar to create Rawabi, a new USD 350 million West Bank town with local Masar Company and the support of the Portland Fund.

Syria - Tourism
Russia’s Intourist and Syrian Sinara are launching the construction of Jol Jammal four-star hotel complex in Latakia.

Tunisia - Textile
Italian textile group Niggeler & Kupfer to buy the ICAB factory in Bir El Kassaa industrial zone and turn it into a modern spinning factory.

Turkey - Car manufacturer or suppliers
Indian automotive giant Tata Motors to manufacture its Xenon pickup trucks in Turkey through a partnership with local Isotlar Group.

Algeria– Germany greets an attractive and favorable business climate for foreign investments
According to the ambassador of Germany in Algiers, the code of the Algerian investment would be "one of the most favorable legislations to the development of the investment in Africa".
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Egypt – New financial scheme to foster the development of the franchist
Egypt's Social Fund for Development (SFD) will be offering soft loans to "franchise" companies through 27 offices across the country.
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Israel - Jordan – Renowned Swiss business school distinguishes Israel and Jordan as highly competitive economies
The IMD's annual World Competitiveness Scoreboard 2008 gives a better ranking to Israel (20th) than to the UK, Japan and France, and also a better rank to Jordan (34th) than Portugal, Greece and Poland.
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Jordan – ICT free zones to be created with Indian businesses
The government is already in talks with various investors from India to establish software industries and attract more investments in this growing sector.
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Lebanon – Foreign investors start returning to Lebanon, says IDAL
According to Lebanon's Investment Promotion Agency, "The picture in Lebanon has completely changed after the Doha talks. We are getting a lot of inquiries that will be translated into projects in the future".
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Morocco – Aeronautics : Euro high rate boost kingdom attractiveness
Following the example of Safran, more and more European groups are attracted by the proximity of Morocco, its competitive production costs and a know-how recognized in the industrial sub-contracting.
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Palestinian Authority – A palestian-israelian start-up launched virtual G.ho.st computer
40 Palestinian and Israeli professionals collaborating remotely developed Total Hosted Operating SysTem, which proposes a free virtual computer on the Web with the address http://G.ho.st,b.
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Syria – Syrian government preparing to further open up banks' capital to foreigners
It is currently mulling a proposal to allow foreign interests to hold a 60% stake in locally based banks, rather than the existing 49%.
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Tunisia – Tunisian Altea Packaging is going to invest EUR 10 million in Algeria
The Tunisian group specialized in flexible packing seeks to get a foothold in a strategic market which consumes each year more than 600.000 tons in packing products.
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Turkey – New law on foreign real estate property
The Turkish Parliament solved a legal dispute started by a Constitutional Court ruling three months ago by passing a government bill that sets clearly defined limits on sale of property to foreigners.
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Turkey – The EU launches 2nd phase of Small Enterprise Loan Programme
The Small Enterprise Loan Programme (SELP) provides EUR 70 million in loans to support small and medium companies (SEs) in Turkey over the next five yearss.
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From 27 to 29 June 2008 - Enterprise Creation Show , Algiers, Algeria
The entrepreneurship show in Algeria aims at bringing together all the accompaniment and supporting organisations for company creation.
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1rst & 2nd of July 2008 - Invest in Med launch conference , Marseille, France
The Med-Alliance consortium organises the 1st conference of the Invest in Med project, with the attendance of the networks it represents (enterprises confederation, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce) and the presence of the European Commission. The conference will propose plenary sessions on the project presentation and the stakes it is aimed at tackling, and workshops on the project strategy and internal processes.
For more information, please contact info@anima.coop.

3 & 4 July 2008 - Med Business Days: The Enterprise, Engine of the Mediterranean , Marseille, France
During this meeting organised by Business Med and Medef, the employers and entrepreneurs from the north and south shores of the Mediterranean will come together to conduct a reflection on the role of business in the integration of the Euro-Mediterranean region.
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From 17 to 23 November 2008 - 2nd Mediterranean Economic Week , Marseille, France
Save the date and plan to stay in Marseille for this week where over 20 economic events on Mediterranean will be held, including several recurring conferences (Euromed Investment Summit of The Economist, Medinnov 4, the conference on Financing Innovation of Medibtikar program, Rendez-Vous Economiques de la Méditerranée from the Cercle des Economistes and Institut de la Méditerranée, and Aspen Round Table). More information given during the summer.
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