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Saudis, UAE pledge $8 billion in aid for Egypt

Written By Unknown on Wednesday, 10 July 2013 | 00:04

Saudis, UAE pledge $8 billion in aid for Egypt

Saudis, UAE pledge $8 billion in aid for Egypt

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which took two hours to welcome the military-backed ouster of Islamists in Egypt, have pledged $US8 billion in aid to the Arab world's most populous nation.
Saudi Arabia offered $US5 billion, which includes $US1 billion in cash, $US2 billion for petroleum products and gas, and a $US2 billion deposit, Al Arabiya reported, citing Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf.
The UAE package includes a $US1 billion grant and a $US2 billion interest-free deposit with the Egyptian central bank, the official WAM news agency said Tuesday.
The aid "will alleviate concerns over the external position over the transition," Jean-Michel Saliba, London-based economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said. "We suggested they needed $US2 billion to $US3 billion to keep reserves flat over the coming interim period, so UAE support is in line with our expectations."
Three days after being sworn in as Egypt's interim president to succeed Mohamed Mursi, Adly Mansour dispatched Central Bank Governor Hisham Ramez to the UAE for talks, stoking speculation an aid package from the second-biggest Arab economy would follow. The support reflects the unease with the Muslim Brotherhood, which has inspired similar religious movements across the region, including the Persian Gulf.
"We can expect that there will be more investment from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who were hesitant because of the Muslim Brotherhood beforehand," said Emad Mostaque, a London-based strategist at Noah Capital Markets EMEA.
Egypt's interim leaders inherit a divided nation and an economy stuck in the worst slowdown in two decades.
Egypt's foreign reserves declined $US1.1 billion in June to $US14.9 billion, largely due to the annual re-evaluation of the country's gold holdings, according to central bank data. The reserves have plunged about 60 percent since 2011.


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