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JEDDAH: Egypt and Qatar are set to deepen economic ties, with the North African country’s recent labor law reforms aimed at attracting Gulf investment and improving the business environment. 

Egypt’s Minister of Labor, Mohamed Abdel Aziz Gibran, met in Cairo with Mohamed bin Ahmed Al-Obaidli, a board member of the Qatar Chamber, to discuss boosting bilateral economic cooperation and encouraging Qatari investors to enter the Egyptian market.

The two sides also reviewed Egypt’s labor law and discussed ways to tackle challenges facing investors in the country’s labor market, according to the Qatar News Agency.

In mid-April, the two countries agreed to pursue a package of $7.5 billion in direct Qatari investments. The move comes as Egypt steps up efforts to secure funding from Gulf neighbors and other foreign partners to address high foreign debt and a large budget deficit. 

“During the discussions, HE the Minister reviewed the latest amendments to the Egyptian Labor Law, which include the establishment of an emergency fund to support workers and struggling companies, as well as the creation of an entity dedicated to training and upgrading workers’ skills,” QNA reported. 

It added that the Egyptian official said the new law seeks to create a more favorable work environment and promote a stable, secure climate for investors in Egypt. 

The meeting also reviewed the outcomes of Gibran’s recent visit to Qatar, during which he met with representatives of the Qatari private sector. 

“The visit resulted in positive understandings aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of labor, training, and employment,” the QNA report added. 

Al-Obaidli praised the strong fraternal ties between the countries, emphasizing the Qatar Chamber’s commitment to broadening cooperation across economic, commercial, and investment sectors. 

Egypt enacted Labor Law No. 14 of 2025, which took effect on Sept. 1, fully replacing previous labor legislation. 

The law introduces a wide range of reforms designed to modernize labor relations, enhance workers’ rights, and align with international labor standards.

It requires employers to provide annual salary increments, recognizes modern work arrangements such as remote work, part-time roles, flexible hours, and job sharing, and obliges them to contribute to a workforce training fund. 

The law also updates notice periods for resignations, extends maternity and paternity leave provisions, allows longer childcare leave, and regulates annual leave entitlements, including special provisions for disabled employees. 

JEDDAH: ��������’s National Housing Co. signed a series of agreements to develop more than 24,000 housing units as part of a 100,000-home Saudi-Chinese plan aimed at expanding residential supply. 

The deals were finalized during an Asian tour by Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, who visited China and South Korea to strengthen partnerships in housing, infrastructure, and smart cities, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The agreements mark a new phase of collaboration between Saudi and Chinese developers under the 2030 framework, with a focus on modern construction technologies to speed up delivery and improve quality. 

The projects fall within broader efforts to lift homeownership rates to 70 percent by 2030. The Kingdom reached 65.4 percent in 2024, surpassing its 2025 target a year early. 

“Al-Hogail emphasized that the tour is part of a comprehensive approach to enhance cooperation with international partners in housing, infrastructure, and real estate technologies,” the SPA report stated. 

He added that the initiative aims to improve execution efficiency, enhance citizens’ homeownership experience, and foster partnerships that support real estate balance and sustainable urban development. 

Al-Hogail’s visit to China included meetings with major developers and technology firms, while the South Korea leg focused on advancing smart city initiatives. 

In South Korea, he met with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyunghoon to explore ways to develop housing and infrastructure systems and deploy advanced technologies for smart city projects. 

The Saudi minister also held talks with leaders of NAVER on the second phase of the Baladi digital twin project and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between NHC and GS E&C to develop a specialized residential project within the Al-Fursan destination east of Riyadh. 

The ministry said the Asian tour set the stage for developing smarter and more sustainable Saudi cities by introducing advanced technologies and global models in urban planning and housing. 

The new partnerships are expected to speed up development, reduce construction costs, stabilize housing prices, expand residential choices, and attract both local and foreign investment to boost the sector’s competitiveness.