The head of the Egyptian Commercial Representation Authority told RT in the “Newsmaker” program that the Egyptian government aims to attract 30 million tourists by 2030, noting that the number of Russian tourists in 2023 reached about 1.5 million tourists, stressing that the difficulties associated with bank payments hinder the flow of tourism from Russia to Egypt.
He pointed out that “the Central Bank of Egypt discussed with its Russian counterpart the possibility of launching an Egyptian bank card called “Meeza”, and said that “work is currently underway to approve an Egyptian bank to issue the “Meeza” card, which is a prepaid bank card that Russian tourists can receive upon arrival in Egypt. The card aims to facilitate payments for Russian tourists in Egypt.”
Regarding the mechanism of the “Meeza” card, Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah said: “Any tourist who wants to enter Egypt without using cash sends a message expressing his desire to receive the “Meeza” card. In the message, the tourist must specify the spending limit and deposit the money in advance (in Russia) and then receive his bank card in Egypt at the hotel or airport upon his arrival. If he does not spend the entire deposited amount, he can retrieve the money from a Russian bank.”
The official expressed his hope that the “Meeza” card project would be launched with the Russian side next year, 2025.
Regarding trade between Russia and Egypt, Al-Wathiq Billah stated that trade exchange between the two countries amounted to about $5 billion last year, 2023, an increase of 6% over the previous year, 2022.
He added that trade between the two countries is growing despite various obstacles, noting that Russia is a major supplier of wheat to Egypt, and that Russian wheat exports to Egypt exceeded $2.5 billion last year.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah’s participation in the meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Economy and Foreign Trade in Moscow, where various topics were discussed, including strengthening the multilateral trading system, ensuring a suitable climate for the business sector, and developing digital solutions for payments.
The official praised the BRICS group, its importance, and the role played by the group’s countries in the global economy. He stressed that Egypt will benefit from its membership in the group, noting that Egypt’s trade with the group’s countries amounts to $25 billion.
Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah said that Egypt aims, through its participation in the group, to increase inter-trade and investment with the group’s countries, noting that Egypt enjoys high investment potential, as it is a window for export to African countries.
Source: RT
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2024-07-28 05:52:59
