
Chinese firm to build solar panel plant in Algeria
Longi, one of the world's largest photovoltaic devices manufacturers, presented its investment plan at talks with the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency (AIPA) in the capital Algiers on Tuesday, the local press reported.
'A Longi delegation explained its plan to build a solar panel plant in the country…AIPA Director General Omar Rakash explained the incentives that will be offered to such a project,' the Arabic language daily Elkhabar said.
The paper quoted Rakash as saying the project would support Algeria's plans to expand its reliance on renewable energy sources.
It said Longi had earlier presented its planned project to the Energy and Mines Minister Mohammed Arkab but it did not provide project details.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Gulf Today
US and China to resume tariff talks in effort to extend truce
Senior US and Chinese negotiators meet in Stockholm on Monday to tackle longstanding economic disputes at the centre of the countries' trade war, aiming to extend a truce keeping sharply higher tariffs at bay. China is facing an August 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with President Donald Trump's administration, after Beijing and Washington reached a preliminary deal in June to end weeks of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs. Without an agreement, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil from duties exceeding 100%. The Stockholm talks, led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, take place a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Trump at his golf course in Scotland to try to clinch a deal that would likely see a 15% baseline tariff on most EU goods. Trade analysts on both sides of the Pacific say the discussions in the Swedish capital are unlikely to produce any breakthroughs but could prevent further escalation and help create conditions for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet later this year. Previous US-China trade talks in Geneva and London in May and June focused on bringing US and Chinese retaliatory tariffs down from triple-digit levels and restoring the flow of rare earth minerals halted by China and Nvidia H20 AI chips and other goods halted by the United States. So far, the talks have not delved into broader economic issues. They include US complaints that China's state-led, export-driven model is flooding world markets with cheap goods, and Beijing's complaints that US national security export controls on tech goods seek to stunt Chinese growth. 'Stockholm will be the first meaningful round of U.S.-China trade talks,' said Bo Zhengyuan, Shanghai-based partner at China consultancy firm Plenum. Trump has been successful in pressuring some other trading partners, including Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, into deals accepting higher US tariffs of 15% to 20%. He said there was a 50-50 chance that the US and the 27-member European Union could also reach a framework trade pact, adding that Brussels wanted to 'make a deal very badly'. Two of Trump's top trade officials, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, will attend the Scotland talks and then travel to Stockholm. Analysts say the U.S.-China negotiations are far more complex and will require more time. China's grip on the global market for rare earth minerals and magnets, used in everything from military hardware to car windshield wiper motors, has proved to be an effective leverage point on US industries. In the background of the talks is speculation about a possible meeting between Trump and Xi in late October. Trump has said he will decide soon whether to visit China in a landmark trip to address trade and security tensions. A new flare-up of tariffs and export controls would likely derail any plans for a meeting with Xi. 'The Stockholm meeting is an opportunity to start laying the groundwork for a Trump visit to China,' said Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Bessent has already said he wants to work out an extension of the August 12 deadline to prevent tariffs snapping back to 145% on the US side and 125% on the Chinese side. Still, China will likely request a reduction of multi-layered US tariffs totaling 55% on most goods and further easing of US high-tech export controls, analysts said. Beijing has argued that such purchases would help reduce the US trade deficit with China, which reached $295.5 billion in 2024. China is currently facing a 20% tariff related to the US fentanyl crisis, a 10% reciprocal tariff, and 25% duties on most industrial goods imposed during Trump's first term. Bessent has also said he would discuss with He the need for China to rebalance its economy away from exports toward domestic consumer demand. The shift would require China to put an end to a protracted property crisis and boost social safety nets to encourage household spending. Michael Froman, a former US trade representative during Barack Obama's administration, said such a shift has been a goal of US policymakers for two decades. 'Can we effectively use tariffs to get China to fundamentally change their economic strategy? That remains to be seen,' said Froman, now president of the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank. Reuters


Sharjah 24
8 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Al Dhaid Date Festival supports productive families
Supporting heritage and innovation through local participation Productive families are showcasing a diverse range of innovative, heritage-inspired products, celebrating Emirati culture and entrepreneurship. Their participation highlights the festival's commitment to empowering communities economically and socially, while promoting the cultural and commercial value of date palms. Traditional products attract visitors The productive families' pavilion has drawn significant visitor interest, offering items such as traditional palm-based crafts like woven baskets and heritage containers, Emirati dishes such as harees and machboos, and locally produced honey, Emirati spices, and Arabic coffee blends. SCCI reaffirms commitment to social responsibility His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI, emphasized that the involvement of productive families aligns with the chamber's corporate social responsibility strategy and the broader goals of the 'Year of Community', fostering inclusivity and sustainable development. Showcasing generational craftsmanship Participant Khesbah Saeed Mohammed shared her enthusiasm for the festival, where she annually presents her handmade crafts like sarod and mahafat, passed down from her mother. Her work highlights the festival's role in preserving traditional palm-frond skills across generations. Bridging tradition and modernity Maryam Al Yamahi featured a collection of palm-related crafts such as makhareef and saf, blending modern design elements to appeal to contemporary consumers. She praised the festival for its role in market expansion, business growth, and entrepreneurial support. A rich cultural and commercial experience Running daily from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, the Al Dhaid Date Festival offers a comprehensive visitor experience centered on dates and seasonal fruits, while continuing to serve as a strategic platform for supporting productive families and local artisans.


Al Etihad
16 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
27 July 2025 08:55 GENEVA (AFP)The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity".But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key."There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach".Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting."I think there are different approaches," she said."We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies".A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said."But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue."The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all".The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide."We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out."We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space.