ANIMA moves in the center of Marseille
ANIMA Investment Network leaves the Euromediterranée business area to move in new premises in the center of Marseille, very close to the Vieux Port. Very easy to access, the new offices will allow to host the 13 ANIMA staff, and welcome partners willing to organise their meetings in Marseille. The new address is 11bis rue Saint Ferreol, 13001 Marseille, 4th floor.

First meeting Multinational Companies -SMEs within Invest in Med
An Invest in Med exchange workshop was held in Marseille on the 20th November, within the Mediterranean Economic Week. This workshop, organised the day before the Business & Government Roundtable of Economist Conferences by ANIMA Investment Network in collaboration with UNIDO and Deloitte, intended to develop links between large multinational companies positioned in the south Med markets –among which GE, Siemens, TNT Express, Caisse d’Epargne - and SMEs willing to set up partnerships with them. The participants having reported their satisfaction about this event, a duplication of this pilot workshop MNC-SME will be proposed to the Executive Committee of the programme. The new event would invite more participants, and emphasise on individual business meetings

3 pairs distinguished by the Industrial Partnership Trophy
Supported by the Invest in Med programme, the Med-Industrial Partnership initiative organised in Marseille the PACA/ Maghreb Industrial Partnership Trophies. The jury selected the following pairs of partners:
- PACA/ALGERIA: COFRAPEX and COMARPEX ALGERIE (joint maritime company based in Algiers)
- PACA/MOROCCO: SMT and IDEM (joint company based in Agadir for the repairing of fishing boats)
- PACA/TUNISIE: LOMBARD SILVESTRE and ZINA FRESH (joint company in Gabes for the production of fruits and vegetables)
The pairs of companies were selected according to the exemplary partnerships, to the effectiveness of their results, and to the sustainability of their partnerships
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Algeria – Bank - Islamic finance: opportunities to seize for Algeria
Dominated mainly by public administration, the sector could branch out while choosing the Islamic finance as the Gulf countries did.
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Egypt – Cement – Egypt's cement industry on the rise
Egypt's largest cement company announces a 14% increase of its profits over the first nine month of 2008.
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Jordan – Finance - Qatar and Jordan will create investment funds
The two countries agreed on the creation of funds of a billion dollar which should finance tourism, services and agricultural projects.
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Tunisia – Energy – Al Thani increases its investments in Tunisian hydrocarbons
The company specialized in the exploration and the production of gas and oil, subsidiary of the group Thani Investments, reinforces its presence in the country.
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Algeria - Finance
The financial services company Compagnie Gestion et Finances (CGF, Tunisie) to set up Compagnie Financière d'Algérie (CFA), a subsidiary recently authorised to offer brokerage services.

Egypt - Real Estate
The group Al Rajhi to launch officially the Al-Ersal center mix-use real estate project in Ramallah-Al Beira, through Arduna, its 50-50 JV with the Palestinian Investment Funds.

Israel - Data processing and software
Dubai's largest bank Al Ghurair to become a true local retail bank by opening 30 branches over the next 3 to 4 years from its current 5 branches.

Jordan - Consulting and services to companies
US public relation and advertisement giant, part of French Publicis group, to set up Leo Burnett Jordan and open full-fledged office in Amman

Lybia - Mechanics and machinery
The manufacturer of modular buildings Red Sea Housing Services to create a new subsidiary in Libya as a prelude to the construction of a giant factory by June 2009.

Morocco - Energy
The Dublin-headquartered oil company San Leon Energy to get an-8-years exploration permit in the 'Tarfaya Onshore’ area (30%) in partnership with other energy group.

Syria - Energy
The group Al-Mishkat Real Estate Group to set up a USD-74-million solar power plant on a 7,700-squaremeter-space after all government permits are obtainede.

Tunisia - Car suppliers
German manufacturer of car wiring systems Draxlmaier to expand its factory in Siliana.

Turkey - Aeronautical equipment
The aerospace branch of Dutch Stork to create a factory manufacturing aircraft cables in the Aegean Free Zone, Izmir.

Algeria – Veolia-Mubadala Development Company partner for the North African market
The specialist in the services to the environment and the Emirati company of capital investment want to penetrate together the North-African market of collection and water treatment worn.
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Egypt – Egypt labelled Outsourcing Destination of the Year 2008 by the National Outsourcing Association
The country was selected mainly for its young population, language skills and business-friendly climate, which taken altogether turn the country into an attractive platform for outsourcing investments.
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Euromed – The Medibtikar programme presents a new tool to finance the start-ups of the Maghreb and the Middle East
The program Medbtikar (European Commission) focused on the development of the innovation in countries MEDA, proposed on 20 November 2008 to create a new instrument of support for the innovating companies.
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Libya – A giant technological complex in project in Libya
The project ' Energy City Libya' was adopted and presented jointly by the implied Libyan public actors, the bank of business bahreïnie GULF Finance House, and the Islamic Bank of investment.
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Morocco – Royal Air Morocco goes well and praises the liberalization of the sky
In his speech during the World Air Transport Forum held in Paris on October 29, the chairman of the company, Driss Benhima, was pleased with the positive effects of the agreement of open sky signed with Europe in 2006.
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Sirya – Kuwait will fund a new road project in Northern Syria
The 300km road will connect the cities of Raqqa and Hassakeh via the industrial centre of Deir ez-Zor. The project will be funded by a loan of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED).
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Tunisia – Civil aviation: Tunisia to join the “Blue Med” project
The goal 'Blue Med' civil aviation project is to reduce both flight times and energy costs by creating a common Southern European sky with functional airspace blocks.
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4 to 5 December 2008 - MEDLOG 2008: 2nd Mediterranean conference on logistics, Tanger, Maroc
With an exhibition space of 500 m², MEDLOG offers an ideal opportunity for logistic communities from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, etc. to meet and build new partnerships.
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14 to 16 January 2009 - Med-Academy: Introduction to Foreign Direct Investments, Marseille, France
The objective of the training is to meet the demands of the members of the Invest in Med consortium networks, by giving them answers to the following questions:
What are Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs)?
What can FDI bring to the countries involved in the Invest in Med programme?
What are the national and regional strategies and tools to attract FDIs.
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26 to 28 January 2009 - Med-Academy: After care and territorial animation, 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.
How to follow up on foreign direct investments once installed on the territory, how to help these project integration into the local economy, favour their future development and use them to attract new projects? Experiences and review of technics and tools used by Investment Promotion Agencies.
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16 February 2009 - MED-Academy: FDI resource centre and on-line investor servicing
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.
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