Renewed Fire at Ramses Central in Cairo Quickly Contained, Officials Say
A limited fire broke out Friday at the Ramses Central exchange building in downtown Cairo, reigniting concerns just days after a major blaze paralyzed one of Egypt's primary telecommunications hubs. Authorities confirmed the renewed fire was quickly extinguished and was a residual effect of Monday's catastrophic incident.
Firefighters responded promptly to the scene and brought the situation under control before the flames could cause further structural damage or disrupt newly restored services. No injuries have been reported.
According to officials, the fresh flare-up was sparked by smoldering debris left behind from the earlier fire, which burned for nearly 18 hours earlier this week. That initial blaze knocked the Ramses Central completely offline, disrupting fixed-line internet, landline, and mobile services, as well as financial transactions including ATMs and e-payments. Air travel and banking services also experienced temporary interruptions.
Following the shutdown, authorities redirected some telecom operations to the nearby Rod El Farag Central. While several services have resumed, the government said full network normalization is expected within hours.
The Ramses Central remains one of Egypt's most vital telecom infrastructures, and the recurrence of fire—however limited—has triggered fresh calls for comprehensive inspections and improved safety protocols.
A formal investigation into the cause of the initial fire and the delayed extinguishment is ongoing.
read more
CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion
Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect
Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document
Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister
Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years
Business
Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves
Business
Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue
Business
Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday
Business
Wheat delivery season commences on April 15
News
Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters
News
China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier
Sports
Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer
Videos & Features
Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall
Lifestyle
Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt
Business
Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
News
"Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence"
News
Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Videos & Features
Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
Arts & Culture
Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
2 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt's Telecom Regulator: 650,000 Mobile Phones Entered Duty-Free with Passengers in 2025
Taarek Refaat Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) confirmed on Sunday that over 650,000 mobile phones have entered the country duty-free alongside travelers since the beginning of the year, under the country's mobile device governance system. The authority clarified that the exemption, allowing one mobile device per traveler to enter the country without customs duties, remains in effect as part of the ongoing pilot phase of a broader telecommunications oversight framework. In an official statement, the NTRA denied social media rumors claiming that previously exempted phones would be retroactively taxed or disabled. 'These claims are unfounded,' the statement read. However, the regulator acknowledged detecting abuse of the exemption policy, revealing that approximately 60,000 devices have had their mobile network access suspended pending further investigation. Through a systematic review of the exemption program, the NTRA uncovered 13,000 devices that had illegally benefited from the duty-free rule in violation of regulatory guidelines. These devices remain blocked as of now. Conversely, around 47,000 suspended phones were found to be legitimately exempt and have since been reactivated after verification procedures. Egypt introduced the exemption policy as part of a national framework to regulate and monitor mobile device imports, reduce smuggling, and ensure fair taxation. The initiative is also designed to curb the proliferation of unregistered devices on local telecom networks. The NTRA emphasized its commitment to periodic audits and enforcement, warning against fraudulent attempts to exploit the system. Further technological upgrades and automated checks are expected as the program moves toward full implementation. Mobile phones (File photo) read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
See - Sada Elbalad
2 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt's Trade Deficit Narrows to Lowest in Six Years as Exports Surge
Taarek Refaat Egypt's non-oil trade deficit fell sharply in the first half of 2025, reaching its lowest level in six years at $14.3 billion, down nearly 18% year-over-year, according to Bloomberg. The improvement was largely driven by a surge in goods exports, which rose by 22% to $24.5 billion between January and June. Imports during the same period also increased, but only marginally, up 3% to $38.8 billion. In the same period last year, the trade deficit stood at $17.4 billion. The biggest contributor to Egypt's export growth was the building materials and metals sector, which accounted for 30% of total goods exports — approximately $7.5 billion. Other major contributors included: Chemicals and fertilizers: $4.5 billion (18%) Food industries: $3.3 billion (13%) Engineering products: $3.1 billion (12%) Agricultural exports: $2.9 billion (12%) Ready-made garments: $1.6 billion (6.5%) The government aims to increase total exports to $145 billion by 2030, with $118 billion coming from industrial exports. UAE Leads as Top Export Destination Five countries accounted for nearly 40% of Egypt's total exports in the first half of 2025: United Arab Emirates – $3.7 billion (up 163% YoY) Turkey – $1.6 billion Saudi Arabia – $1.4 billion (down 14%) United States – $1.43 billion Italy – $1.37 billion The rise in non-oil exports helped offset declining Suez Canal revenues, which have been impacted by disruptions in Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks. In 2024, Egypt's total exports grew 5.4% to $44.8 billion, of which $39.4 billion were non-oil exports, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Despite the positive trend, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib acknowledged in January that Egypt's exports still represent only 10% of GDP, one of the lowest ratios globally. The government's target is to raise this figure to 20–30%, while maintaining import levels at around 20% of GDP, a rate El-Khatib called 'moderate.' As part of its new export support framework, Egypt plans to link incentives to annual increases of 5% in local content, maintaining a minimum threshold of 35% local input for eligibility. The government has also nearly doubled its export support budget, allocating EGP 45 billion ($975 million) for fiscal year 2025–2026, compared to EGP 23 billion the previous year. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
See - Sada Elbalad
5 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
SCZone Chief Welcomes Guangdong Trade Delegation amid Expanding Egypt–China Investment Ties
Taarek Refaat Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) received an official delegation from Guangdong Province's China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on Sunday evening at the Authority's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The high-level Chinese delegation was led by Shen Xiaofeng, Chairman of the CCPIT Guangdong chapter, and follows a successful promotional tour conducted by the SCZone delegation in China earlier this month. That tour culminated in the signing of multiple investment agreements and preliminary understandings for further projects. The meeting was attended by senior SCZone executives and representatives from several Chinese companies operating across diverse industrial sectors. In his opening remarks, Gamal El-Din delivered a presentation showcasing the SCZone's competitive advantages, highlighting its strategic geographic location that offers direct access to global markets via a network of free trade agreements. He emphasized the integrated nature of the Zone's industrial, logistical, and port infrastructure, which aligns with modern "near-shoring" strategies to bring production closer to key markets. He also pointed to robust investment incentives, including tax and customs exemptions, and regulatory frameworks designed to streamline foreign investment. 'The Suez Canal Economic Zone represents a timely and effective solution for investors seeking stability amid global economic and geopolitical shifts,' Gamal El-Din said. He stressed the strategic alignment between SCZone priorities and Chinese investment interests, noting the strong and long-standing relationship between Egypt and China. The SCZone chief expressed his ambition to expand cooperation with CCPIT Guangdong, particularly in promoting the zone's opportunities to Chinese business communities. He invited Chinese enterprises to capitalize on the momentum generated by recent discussions and to translate them into tangible projects that support economic growth in both countries. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
