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Thursday, 19 August 2021

Israeli PM’s potential visit and car manufacturing in East Port Said keep the talking head busy

Last night’s (limited) talk shows were largely focused on diplomacy, as Intelligence chief Abbas Kamel headed to Israel to support Egyptian efforts in the peace process with Palestine, making stops in Tel Aviv and the West Bank’s Ramallah. During yesterday’s visit, Kamel shared President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for an official visit to Egypt within the next few weeks, which would be the first official visit by an Israeli leader to Cairo since January 2011, as we note in What We’re Tracking Today, above. Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:43 | 1:14) had coverage of the visit.

Elsewhere: The Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) is studying the prospect of establishing an industrial zone in East Port Said dedicated to the manufacturing of automotives, Chairman Yehia Zaki told Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 25:50) last night, without disclosing further details. Cabinet greenlit in March 2020 an automotive strategy that would offer incentives, implement infrastructure improvements, and possibly establish Morocco-style industrial zones for vehicle manufacturing. The government has for years been attempting to stimulate automotive manufacturing through the planned automotive directive, a nationwide system of incentives and tariffs for manufacturing and exports for the auto industry.

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