The very first Ethiopian satellite, announced last year, will finally be launched into space on Friday, December 20, 2019, from China space station, the Minister of Innovation and Technology, Getahun Mekuria, announced. “Ethiopia and China have strong multifaceted ties. As a showcase of these ties, Ethiopia’s first-ever space satellite will be launched from China on December 20.” The...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says it is giving the Malian government 30 armored military vehicles to strengthen its defense forces amid growing security crisis. The announcement was publicly made by Prime Minister Boubou Cissé (pictured) on the National TV channel. “They (the UAE) promise they will give us, as soon as possible, about 30 armored Cougar-type vehicles to support our defense...

Over the first 9 months of 2019, the startups operating in the Middle East and North Africa region raised $517 million, 30% more than the amount in the same period in 2018, Magnitt announced in a recent report. According to the document, the resources were mobilized through 354 operations and Egypt accounted for 27% of them. The top 5 also includes the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Saudi...

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) are stepping up their support for refugees and people affected by forced displacement, including hosting communities, across a wide range of sectors and policy instruments. The pledges were made by the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American...

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development announced it is supporting the Samendeni Dam in Burkina Faso with $10 million. The dam was commissioned at the end of last November. “ADFD’s robust relations with the Government of Burkina Faso and the country’s diligent efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals have already fostered economic growth in key sectors while creating job...

Last week, the World Bank approved $100 million in favor of the Republic of Benin. The new funding, provided via the International Development Association (IDA), is expected to support the country’s development policies by strengthening public financial and debt management, improving the financial sustainability of the energy sector and fostering the development of the digital economy. It...

The Board of the World Bank has approved $250 million investment to support peace and security keeping process in Mali. According to the related statement issued by the institution last week, $210 million of the amount will be provided in the form of a loan while the remaining $40 million is a grant from the International Development Association (IDA). The resources will support...

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) will officially become a full member of Oneworld, a global airline alliance that eases connections for travelers and ties together multiple loyalty programs, on March 31, 2020. The membership approval follows a unanimous vote of the alliance’s current 13 member companies on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. According to Hamid Addou, RAM’s CEO, the membership process for the...

Mobile phone operator MTN South Africa announced it has invested more than R10 billion ($692.14 million) to improve the quality and capacity of its telecom network this year. The amount could increase as the company is planning to further strengthen the quality and capacity of the network in densely populated areas. Jacqui O'Sullivan, MTN SA's Director of Corporate Affairs, explained that the...

South African packaging manufacturer Nampak Limited has sold its London subsidiary Nampak Plastics Europe Limited (NPE), which supplies packaging for the UK dairy sector, following difficulties. According to the parent company, the price of recycled materials used to manufacture packaging for the dairy industry increased sharply while sales volume in the United Kingdom declined and the business...