WATANI International 29 August 2010
The State-run General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) last week purchased a 60,000-ton cargo of Canadian wheat from Nidera Inc. at USD280 a ton, as well as two cargoes of French grain of equal size from Glencore International AG for USD289.78 a ton and USD291.32 a ton, and a third from Granit at the same price. The wheat purchased is free on board for shipment between 16 and 30 September. Russia, which supplied more than half of Egypt’s wheat imports in the fiscal year that ended in June, banned grain exports from 15 August until 31 December following severe forest fires. GASC’s approved suppliers include firms from Argentina, Australia, the UK and the US as well as Canada and France. GASC buys between 5 million and 6 million tons of wheat a year on behalf of the government via international tenders, for use in a subsidised bread programme. Local production is insufficient to meet demand for the country’s 80 million people.
Oil in Alex waters Alexandria Port authorities are holding two vessels, a Maltese and Italian, after polluting the water off the port’s platforms 4 and 5. The vessels, both of which are oil tankers, leaked a 1,650-square-metre oil slick. Minister of State for Environment Affairs Maged George has ordered urgent measures to contain the leak.
20 per cent rise A recent report by the Ministry of Trade and Industry revealed that the value of Egyptian non-oil exports in the second quarter of 2010 reached EGP29 billion compared to EGP24 billion in the same period of 2009. The increase marks a 20 per cent rise in exports. The report said Saudi Arabia ranked first among ten countries buying Egyptian exports. Peace envoys Last Wednesday saw the first two-day world gathering for security and peace envoys open in Cairo. The gathering was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Cairo Centre for Training on Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa, and the Arab League. It represented an opportunity for exchange of experience and ideas among those concerned with peace and security envoys around the world. Calligraphy and Coptology The first Arabic Calligraphy museum has been inaugurated in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) in Alexandria. The museum showcases 190 linear panels of the works of leading calligraphers of the 10th, 12th and 13th Hijrah (17th, 18th, and 19thCE respectively) centuries. Next September will see the Calligraphy Centre at the BA join the Coptology Society and the Supreme Council of Antiquities in holding the International Conference of Coptic Studies under the title “Life in Egypt during the Coptic period”. Marks & Spencer here Marks & Spencer last week announced plans to open its first store in the Dandy Mega Mall in Cairo later this year—the first time the retailer enters into the Egyptian market—in conjunction with its franchise partner HYPERLINK “http://www.zawya.com/cm/profile.cfm/cid984053” Al Futtaim. Trading over 2,600 square metres, the new store will offer a selection of family fashion, beauty and home products. Following on from this opening, Marks & Spencer will open its flagship store of 4,400 square metres over two floors in a prominent position at Cairo Festival City in the spring of 2012. Festival City is located some 15 minutes away from Cairo International Airport and is a three million square metre development offering a mix of retail, entertainment and luxury facilities.