North Africa

The Mali Ministry of Territorial Administration announced on Thursday that the transitional government of Mali has filed a complaint against Algeria before the International Court of Justice accusing it of aggression after its neighbour shot down a Malian reconnaissance drone. Mali claimed that Algeria intentionally shot down its drone near Tinzaouaten, in Mali's Kidal Region, during the night between March 31 and April 1, near their shared desert frontier. The statement said: "This blatant attack, which the Malian government strongly condemns and was intended to hinder the neutralisation by the Malian Armed and Security Forces of armed terrorists, is the...

WestJet, a low-cost Canadian airline, announced on Wednesday that it had ordered 67 Boeing aircraft for a fleet upgrade, including seven Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 60 Boeing 737-10 MAX narrowbodies. The Calgary-based airline said that it has also acquired options to purchase 25 additional 737-10 MAXs and four Dreamliners with delivery dates extending through 2034. WestJet operates 193 aircraft, and it has an order list of 123 jets with 40 options. The average age is 10 years. Alexis von Hoensbroech, Chief Executive Officer of WestJet, said: "With these additions to our aircraft fleet, WestJet will double our Dreamliners." The Boeing...

Transport services were halted in Tunisia Wednesday as workers demanded better working conditions, higher wages and urgent reforms. This added pressure to President Kais Said to address the deepening crisis. Tunisians have suffered from poor public services for many years, particularly in the sectors of health, education, transportation and investment due to a lack of funding and public investments, as well as frequent interruptions in water and electricity supply. Saied, a man who has been in power since 2021 and tightened it, accuses those he believes are conspirators, seeking to undermine the government and exacerbate social tensions. The three-day strike...

Gulf stocks fell across all key markets on Monday as investors weighed concerns about U.S. policy in light of an upcoming deadline for tariffs and lower oil prices against strong corporate earnings. According to EU diplomats, the European Union is looking at broader countermeasures against Washington as the prospects for an acceptable trade deal with Washington are fading. The imposition of tariffs by Donald Trump around the globe could harm global economic growth as well as oil consumption. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 0.3% on the back of broad sector declines, and lower oil prices. This was after it...

Investors weighed positive corporate earnings against the uncertainty of U.S. Trade Policy, following reports that Washington wants a minimum tariff of 15% to 20% in any agreement with the European Union. In spite of global uncertainty, the steady price of oil and strong results from regional giants helped to offset external headwinds. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index is on track to end its longest decline in two years with a 0.2% gain, driven by financials. Saudi National Bank, which is the country's largest lender based on assets, gained over 1.5%, while Al Rajhi Bank (the largest sharia compliant bank) jumped...

The majority of major Gulf stock markets rose on Thursday as a result of positive corporate earnings announcements and results, but the Saudi index is set to continue its losses for the eighth consecutive session. Dubai's main stock index rose 1.2% to a record high of 17-1/2 years, boosted by financial stocks. The shares of Emirates NBD rose 4% on track to increase for the third consecutive session after the top bank announced that it had closed a syndicated loan for Dubai Metro Blue Line Project worth 3.9 billion dirhams. Air Arabia, a budget airline, has risen 5.1% in the...

A source familiar with Wednesday's negotiations said that Brazilian planemaker Embraer was competing with Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc to supply its aircraft. Source: The African carrier wants to renew and expand its fleet across three sizes, and Embraer has been fighting to secure an order for the smallest. On Wednesday, the local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo had reported that Royal Air Maroc, in conjunction with Embraer and other suppliers, was in discussions to buy up to 200 aircraft. Embraer's second-generation E2 jet family Folha, citing Folha's CEO, reported that the airline is considering the idea. The E2 line is...

A senior State Department official stated on Tuesday that the United States had helped around 400 U.S. Citizens and others fly out of Israel amid conflict with Iran since Saturday. They hope to accommodate even more in the days to come. "We are very aware that there is still capacity and that U.S. citizens still want to leave Israel. The airspace has not been reliably opened. The official stated that the situation is "extremely dynamic". An official stated that the State Department now shares information with 27,000 people about safety and security in the region, as well as leaving it....

The major Gulf stock markets advanced early on Tuesday, with risk appetite increasing after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel agreed to a truce. Trump declared a ceasefire that could end the 12-day conflict which saw millions of people flee Tehran, and raised fears about further escalation. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index rose by 2.1%. The biggest contributors to this increase were Al Rajhi Bank, which saw a 1.9% gain and Saudi National Bank, the largest lender in Saudi Arabia. Flynas, a company recently listed on the stock exchange, soared by more than 7% and reached 79.80...

A report on Thursday said that $250 billion has been allocated for the production of low-carbon material in sectors with heavy emissions, such as chemicals and fuels. However, future projects requiring low-carbon material will require more than five-times this amount of funding. Mission Possible Partnership report said that newly industrialised countries like Indonesia and Morocco had already secured a quarter of the $250 billion invested in clean industrial plants. The report stated that 69 projects were in operation, using clean energy for the production of materials. The report also tracked $1.6 billion of projects announced, but not yet funded, with...

Sources in the industry said that Royal Air Maroc was close to a deal to purchase dozens of Boeing jets for its fleet renewal, while Airbus Europe is poised to take a rare step forward with a smaller contract for 20 A220 aircraft. Royal Air Maroc is in discussions for more than a year about renewing its Boeing-dominated fleet. It will continue to use its traditional supplier to meet the majority of its requirements, including 737 MAXs and 787 Dreamliners at next week's Paris Airshow. Sources asked to remain anonymous because the negotiations were not made public. Bloomberg reported earlier...

State media reported that Morocco's King Mohammed V gave his approval on Thursday to a rail expansion project worth 96 billion dirhams (10,3 billion dollars), which includes the construction of a fast-track line from Marrakesh (the country's tourist center) by 2030. The extension of high-speed rail, intercity, and urban networks has been a result of Morocco's preparations for co-hosting the World Cup 2030 with Spain and Portugal. The country hopes that the investments will also help to develop its fledgling rail industry. The 53 billion dirhams high-speed rail line will run from Kenitra, on the Atlantic Coast, 430 km south...