Russian businesses apparently don’t see much economic benefit arising from the USD 7 bn Russian Industrial Zone (RIZ), Al Monitor says. Russia was “dragged into” signing on for the project for political, rather than economic purposes, and many business figures don’t think that setting up projects in the RIZ is certain to yield significant returns, a Russian trade and industry official says. “This is just flag-waving. Russia’s internal market alone devours anything we produce and is also profitable,” according to the official. Egyptian officials also tell Al Monitor that Moscow and Cairo’s ties are more grounded in a common political outlook than potential economic benefit, and the two see each other as “predictable” partners.

Volatility in international markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria have contributed to Procter & Gamble’s “weak” sales growth last quarter, the Wall Street Journal says. The company is also one of several of the world’s biggest consumer product makers that are facing difficulties in raising their prices in these markets, some of which are becoming less accepting of price increases, according to the newspaper.

Otherwise worth noting in brief:

• The Arab Quartet should end its boycott of Qatar since the ongoing spat is “another crisis that the Middle East does not need,” the FT suggests.
• Egypt is using xenophobia to discredit the Nubian minority’s attempt at peaceful dissent, Amy Austin Holmes writes for the Washington Post.
• The Egyptian Museum will display 300 artifacts from the Ptolemaic period for the first time, the AP reports.
• South Sudan’s military chief died in Egypt on Friday, the Associated Press reports.