Month: January 2023

GBarena to acquire Tunisian gaming startup Galactech for USD 15 mn

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GBarena will acquire Tunisian gaming startup Galactech in a USD 15 mn share swap that will boost the Egyptian e-sport platform’s presence in the MENA region, it said in a statement. How much of GBarena Galactech will own is unclear: A company representative declined to disclose the details of the agreement when we reached out yesterday, saying the information is confidential. More acquisitions in the pipeline: GBarena plans to make several more acquisitions in the tech and gaming industry later this year, the company told us. The company is focused…

100 Tunisian industrialists take part in Tunisian-Libyan Exhibition

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Credit goes to Libya Herald Over 100 industrial and commercial Tunisian establishments participated in the Libyan-Tunisian Exhibition for the Development of Industry and Trade held in Misrata from January 16 to 18. The event was inaugurated by Libyan prime minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba in the presence of Libyan Mohamed Hwej, Minister of Economy and Trade, a number of undersecretaries of the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Fathi Al-Amin, Chairman of the Misrata Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, a group of owners of Libyan Industrial and Commercial Companies, with the…

Tunisia to launch a promotional program for exports to Libya

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The Ministry of Trade announced it would put forth a work charter and national promotional program towards Libya and sub-Saharan Africa during the coming days. The news came during the Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development, Kalthoum Ben Rajab’s Friday announcement of the formation of the Tunisia Export Team, as she supervised a working session to follow up the progress of its events. According to a statement by the Tunisian Ministry of Trade, the tasks of the Tunisia Export Team were defined, and the work charter to be adhered…

New $5m medical fellowship fund to benefit Tunisian universities for next decade

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The scholarship will offer faculty at Tunisian medical schools the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Twenty qualified professors, clinicians and academic researchers from the Universities of Tunis El Manar, Sousse, Monastir and Sfax will receive the funding over the next 10 years. Selected high-potential scholars who are active in medical education in Tunisia will have an opportunity to apply for admission to one of Harvard Medical School’s master’s degree programs with tuition support and funding, to cover their living expenses in Boston for…

BioNTech acquires Tunisian-born and UK-based AI startup InstaDeep for £562M

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German-based biotech company BioNTech SE is set to acquire InstaDeep, a Tunis-born and U.K.-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup, for up to £562 million (~$680 million) in its largest deal yet. Per Financial Times, the German vaccine maker intends to use InstaDeep’s machine learning to “improve its drug discovery process, including developing personalised treatments tailored to a patient’s cancer.” BioNTech is said to pay £362 million — a mix of cash and an undisclosed amount of BioNTech shares — upfront. The remaining £200 million is dependent on how InstaDeep performs in…

Tunisia and missed opportunities

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We remain committed to dialogue to resolve our political differences. This is the only way to preserve Tunisian unity against all the dangers and divisions that threaten us at this crucial time. By dint of misleading speeches and blatant allegations, Tunisia is fully weakened and all aspects of life are undermined. We are in the midst of a month (January) in which Tunisians have historically experienced horrific political and social fragmentation under the skies of Tunisia and our fear of attempts to further hinder stability and increase misery in these…

OIC S-G lauds the historic Charter of Makkah

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Secretary General of the Muslim World League and president of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, received at his office in Mecca Province Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hussein Ibrahim Taha, accompanied by Secretary General of OIC’s International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano.  The Secretary General of the OIC lauded the historical Makkah Declaration (The Charter of Makkah), which was sponsored by His Highness, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and initiated by…

Tunisia: Tourism revenues jump 83% in 2022

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Cumulative tourism revenues showed an upward trend of 83% in 2022, compared to 2021, to reach 4.2 billion dinars, according to the daily monetary and financial indicators, published by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT). In the same way, the cumulative income from work exceeded 8.4 billion dinars in 2022, against 7.5 billion dinars in 2021, a growth of 12%. However, the service of the accumulated external debt has fallen from 10.4 billion dinars in 2021 to nearly 9 billion dinars, at the end of December 2022. As for net…

5 dead after boat carrying migrants sinks off Tunisia’s coast

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The coastguard rescued 20 migrants who had been on the overcrowded boat, which sank off Louata in the Sfax region on Friday, the official told Reuters. The coastline of Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing poverty in Africa and the Middle East for a chance at a better life in Europe. In recent months, hundreds of people have drowned off the Tunisian coast, with an increase in the frequency of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy. In light of an unprecedented economic and financial…

Travel agents in Tunisia expect Chinese tourists after China’s optimization of COVID-19 response

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 China’s latest COVID-19 response measures are warmly welcomed by hoteliers and travel agents in Tunisia, which are gearing up for the coming of Chinese guests. China has optimized its COVID-19 response, with restrictions on international flights to be lifted starting from Jan. 8. Amir Ben Aribia, general manager of the travel company Tunisia Blue Sky, told Xinhua that he is so happy to hear the good news, as Chinese customers contribute most of the company’s business. Amir is a second-generation tourism practitioner whose father, a travel guide with years of…