Minister of Planning Explores Partnerships with NDBRainy weather over the country, snow expected over mountains

Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said met with New Development Bank (NDB) President Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong to discuss enhancing partnerships, according to a statement on Thursday 25/1/2024. During the meeting, El-Said emphasized Egypt's desire to build an effective collaboration that leverages the capabilities of BRICS nations. She expressed optimism about cooperation potential after her first discussion with Rousseff. El-Said also noted that Egypt has seen a 33 percent surge in imports and a 75 percent jump in exports to BRICS countries since 2020. She explained that Egypt owns 2.27 percent of the NDB's capital through 11,960 joint shares worth $1.19 billion. Furthermore, El-Said highlighted Egypt's focus on directing public investments toward needier communities to improve living standards and public services access. Egypt's membership in the BRICS bloc officially came into effect in a landmark move this January, aligning itself with five other new members, heralding a wave of anticipated benefits for the country. In March 2023, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi approved an agreement establishing the NDB of the BRICS bloc (whose founding members are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and allowing Egypt to join the bank. The BRICS countries established the NDB in 2014. NDB member states include Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Russia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay. Source: State Information Service Egypt Damascus: Temperatures will drop to become below average from 1 to 3 degrees, as the weather will be very cold at night in general as the country is being affected by a low pressure accompanied by a cold and humid air mass that extends throughout all layers of the atmosphere. The Meteorology Department expected in its Friday bulletin that the weather will be cloudy and rainy over most areas, as snow is expected over the mountains. The Meteorology Department added that the weathers will be very cold at night, warning against fog formation over mountain heights. The winds will be westerly to southwesterly in a moderate speed with active gusts sometimes whose speed exceeds 75 km/h in the southern regions, as it will be easterly to northeasterly in the northern and eastern parts between light to moderate in speed, and the sea wave height is medium to high in height. The expected temperatures in some Syrian cities will be as follows: Damascus 12/4, Daraa 12/6, Homs 10/4, Hasaka 8/5, Tartous 16/8, Aleppo 7/3, D eir Ezzor 12/5. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency