Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Cairo on Tuesday. Reuters
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Cairo on Tuesday. Reuters
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Cairo on Tuesday. Reuters
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Cairo on Tuesday. Reuters

Leaders of Egypt and Iraq pledge to strengthen ties in Cairo talks


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The leaders of Egypt and Iraq pledged on Tuesday to strengthen bilateral relations, the Egyptian presidency said.

Talks in Cairo between Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani included a review of regional issues and ways to bolster co-operation between the two nations and Jordan.

The three countries have forged closer ties relations in recent years, establishing a loose alliance focused on economic integration.

Mr Al Sudani arrived in Cairo on Monday for a two-day visit.

He is accompanied by his ministers of trade, housing and electricity, the governor of the central bank, and the chairman of the National Investment Authority.

Among the key issues discussed by Mr Al Sudani and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly were plans to integrate Iraq with Egypt's power grid.

If implemented, this will allow Iraq to reduce the frequency and duration of chronic power cuts and take advantage of Egypt's power surplus.

Mr Al Sudani arrived in Egypt hours after the Iraqi parliament ratified the largest budget in the country’s history. It came after months of political wrangling and four days of voting on individual articles.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Cairo on Tuesday. Reuters
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Cairo on Tuesday. Reuters

The budget stands at 198.91 trillion Iraqi dinars ($153 billion), running with a deficit of 64.36 trillion dinars. It is focused on upgrading the nation's collapsing infrastructure.

Egypt is eager for its public and private sectors to land big contracts in Iraq's multibillion-dollar reconstruction and infrastructure drive.

Iraq has hosted a series of recent meetings between Egyptian and Iranian officials who are working to normalise relations after decades of tension. The next round of meetings is expected to take place in Baghdad later this month.

The talks are being sponsored by Oman, which enjoys close relations with both Cairo and Tehran.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

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Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

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Dubai Cares

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Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: June 13, 2023, 10:58 AM