The Donation Conference for Palestine as a Continuation of the Annapolis Conference

France announced that it will host the conference of donors for the Palestinian people on the 17th of this month, expecting about 90 delegations to take part in the conference, comprising the donors countries, among them Arab countries, the countries of the European Union, the rising big countries, the G8 countries, the main donors, the UN, and the regional as well as economic and financial organizations.
In this respect, Palestinian sources expected Paris Conference to adopt the three Palestinian plans of reform and development which cover the period between 2008-2010, according to which the Palestinian authority will demand to have $5.5 bn for implementing these plans.
But this seems to be more than positive, (in case we ignored many of such conferences that had no real results), specially that France looks upon this conference as a continuation of Annapolis Conference. Taking into consideration information published by mass media concerning building more than 300 housing units by the Israeli occupation troops in Eastern Jerusalem, in the first expansion of settlements since Annapolis Conference held in the US two weeks ago, then it is logical not to expect from this conference, like any other conference, but promises and kisses only.

A Deal with the Total Value of $50 by the Kuwaiti Financing Bank

The Kuwaiti Financing House “Batuaka” announced that it concluded a deal with a total value of $50 m, according to which it would by electricity from the British Energy Company, “British Electric”, and sell it to “Meriel Lench Bank”. The Head of the Directorate of International Investment, Imad Yousef al Naie, said that this deal is the first of its kind in which an Islamic Bank enters electricity sector.

European Bank Grants Lebanon a Donation of 14 million Euros

The European Bank for Investment Granted Lebanon Central Bank a donation of 14 million and 450.000 Euros for supporting the costs of financing projects implemented by small and medium seized institutions which got benefit from loans offered by the European Bank.

$5.5 bn, Proposed International Financial Aids to Palestine

France announced that it will host the conference of the donation countries for Palestine on the 17th of this month, expecting the participation of about 90 delegations in the conference. Palestinian sources expected Paris conference to adopt the three-step Palestinian plan of reform and development covering the period between 2008-2010.

Huge Libyan Investments in the Oil Sector

Shukri Ghanem, Chairman of the Libyan National Oil Company said that his country is planning to increase the production of crude oil by double by 2012, and with investments between $30-40 bn. Ghanem said in a press statement on the sidelines of the exceptional ministerial conference of OPEC held yesterday, that Libya’s production of oil is estimated currently by 1.75 million barrels daily, adding that Libya will increase this capacity of production to three million barrels daily during the coming five years.

Talks between Turkey and The European Union Over Turkey’s Joining the EU

The Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Papajean said on Tuesday that keeping Turkey out of the European Union will be a grave mistake, adding that hundreds of millions of people have united on mutual values and started to question to what limit the mistake of the European partnerships will reach in the sense that this will distort the basic values of the European Union.

Small Indexes

 The Kuwaiti Investments in Egypt have considerably increased during the third quarter of this year of the fiscal year 2006-2007, reaching $12.8 bn opposite to $0.5 m during the third quarter of the same year.
 The report of the international monitoring for 2008 issued by UNESCO said that Jordan was ranked 55 among 129 countries in achieving the goals of “Education for All”
 The German Ministry of Economy said that Germany will continue to occupy the first position in the world on the list of the exporting countries for this year, according to statements issued by World Trade Organizations.

Companies’ Indexes

 France Telecom Company said that “Orange” Company for the Services of Mobile Phones has succeeded in selling 300.000 I-Phone mobiles, the first mobile phone produced by the American Apple Company since it entered the French markets last week.
 The German “Hokey Tev” Company for Construction has won four deals comprising building a center for conference in Dubai with a total value of 354 million Euro in addition to three hotels in Abu Dhabi with a total of 287 Euros, and the total value of these deals is estimated at 641 million Euros.

Conferences

 The Palestinian Institute of the Researchers of the Economic Studies “Mas” has concluded the activities of its annual conference held under the title: “The Palestinian Economy, Forty Years Under Occupation, Forty Years of Hindering Development”.
 The Tenth International Exhibition for Computers “Camax-2007” was opened on Wednesday in Mashad, in Iran with the participation of 190 world companies.
 Tunisia is taking part currently in the 12th session of the International Exhibition of Traditional Industries between 1-9 December 2007 in Milano with the participation of 105 countries and 3000 exhibitors from all over the world. It is expected the number of visitors of the exhibition to reach three million among them 35.000 professionals.

Indicators is a daily economic watch newsletter about the Near East, issued by New Orient News agency in Beirut, Lebanon. It is available on Voltairenet.org in Arabic and English. Also worth a read is Tendencies, the daily Near East political watch newsletter, available in Arabic, English and French languages.