Economic News

Egypt plans to dig new Suez Canal costing $4 billion

Egypt plans to build a new Suez Canal parallel to the current 145-year-old historic Channel in order to expand trade along one of the most important shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The new channel is part of a larger project to expand port and shipping facilities around the canal in an attempt to raise Egypt’s international profile and establish it as a major trade hub.

This project is a major step to stimulate Egypt’s economy. Indeed, while revenues from the Suez Canal total about $5bn every year, the new canal is set to boost annual revenues to $13,5bn by 2023.

Belgian companies such as TRACTEBEL, DEME, or BESIX, are likely to participate in this major project.

Inauguration of Emirates new daily service to Brussels

On Friday 5 September, 2014, Emirates marked its inaugural flight to Brussels in Belgium; Brussels being the airline’s 145th destination. The new daily service will see up to 16,000 Emirates customers traveling on the Boeing 777-200LR between Dubai and Brussels each month.

Emirates is the third Golf company to land in Brussels, after Etihad and Qatar Airways.

These three companies, which are already among the top 5 world’s leading airlines, enjoy a growing success; paving the way for gulf countries to become the new centre of air traffic worldwide.

Delcredere/Ducroire: Country Risk Assessment

The Belgian public credit insurer, the Office national Delcredere/Ducroire has published an elaborate analysis about Tunisia Risk assessment. The study can be accessed via the following link: http://www.delcredereducroire.be/newsletter/en/cra/54537/cra-tunisia-june2014.

Qatar Airways wins World’s Best Business Class for the third time

Qatar Airways, member and sponsor of the ABLCC, has been recognized in three of the top awards at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. In total, Qatar Airways won three awards - World’s Best Business Class for the third time and second year in a row; Best Airline in the Middle East for the eighth time; and Best Business Class Airline Lounge for the second time consecutively. The awards further cement Qatar Airways’ reputation as the world’s ultimate Five-Star carrier and are the result of its dynamic growth in recent years.

From Brussels, onboard its state-of-the-art new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Qatar Airways offers 22 fully flat beds in a 1-2-1 configuration, with direct access to the aisle at each seat. Learn more.

www.qatarairways.com