CABINET WATCH- Madbouly cabinet approves plan for five-year tourist visas: The cabinet has approved plans to introduce a new five-year tourist visa that will come into effect from June. With the new visa tourists would be able to enter the country for multiple 90-day periods for a USD 100 fee. Citizens of 27 countries can obtain visas at arrival ports, and countries offering Egyptians free entry at their ports of arrival will see the same service reciprocated in Egypt. There will be no restrictions on nationality or age for visitors whose tourist visas have expired to apply for a residency visa for one year, renewable. A USD 10 discount will be offered to tourists entering the country from Luxor or Aswan, from June to August every year, as part of the “Summer in Upper Egypt” initiative.

In addition, the cabinet:

• Ratified an agreement between Egypt and 23 other African countries signed in 2013 to set up the Community of Sahel–Saharan States;
• Approved proposed amendments to a law regulating government-commissioned dispute resolution bodies; and
• Approved a EUR 1.5 mn grant from the European Investment Bank to fund railway upgrades to the Tanta-Mansoura-Damietta line.
• Approved extending Tourism Ministry's charter flight incentive program till the end of October, crediting it with drawing 13.6 mn tourists to the country in 2019, compared to the 11.3 mn visitors in the previous year.