Minister Counsellor of Lithuania's Embassy in Cairo Visits EMPC to Enhance Cultural Cooperation
The Egyptian Media Production City, EMPC, recently hosted a high-level delegation led by the Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Lithuania in Cairo, Eirimas Pakalnis, accompanied by a team from the production company Digital Lenses Production. The delegation included Qadri Qalaji Jihad, Agni Paulikova, Vytautas Pauliukevičius, and Mai Ghaly.
The management of EMPC expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with international companies and affirmed its readiness to provide all necessary resources to support and execute joint media projects across various fields.
From his side, Pakalnis highlighted the strong historical ties between Egypt and the Baltic States, describing the visit as a significant step toward fostering deeper cultural and artistic cooperation between the two regions.
The visit aimed to explore avenues for collaboration between Egypt and the Baltic States and to strengthen the partnership between Digital Lenses Production and the Egyptian Media Production City, represented by the Egypt Film Commission. Discussions focused on enhancing cultural and media relations and evaluating the potential for joint filmmaking projects.
During the meeting, participants engaged in productive discussions about opportunities for cooperation in filmmaking and television production, as well as the exchange of expertise in various aspects of artistic production. Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening media coordination between Egypt and the Baltic States to promote cultural dialogue and shared creative endeavors.
This visit marks a significant milestone in building bridges between the two regions and paves the way for joint initiatives in media and culture.
EFC
Egypt Film Commission (EFC) is the only authorized party in charge of obtaining permits & approvals for foreign production companies filming in Egypt. EFC is a subsidiary of EMPC which is the biggest media and production hub across the Arab region, the Middle East, and Africa. It is 10 kilometers from the Giza Pyramids plateau and spans some 2 million square meters.
EMPC
EMPC is the biggest media and production hub in the Arab region, Middle East and Africa. It is located 10 Kms away from the Giza Pyramids plateau and stretches over 2 million sqm in addition to one more million sqm located within the Media Free Zone.
EMPC includes state-of-the-art studios with various surface areas, administrative and technical headquarters for Egyptian and Multi-national companies. It also includes multiple backlots areas, a complex for production and technical services and more than 30 Egyptian and Arab satellite and radio channels that broadcast their content via the Egyptian satellite Nile Sat. These services contribute to providing Arab and foreign production companies, that would like to shoot in Egypt, with the required facilities and amenities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
3 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Where Do the Flowing Dollars Go?
Report by: Mohamed Negm Last week, we highlighted the main sources of Egypt's foreign currency revenues, which stem from five key sectors. The largest contributor is remittances from Egyptians abroad, amounting to $33 billion, while the smallest—temporarily—was revenues from the Suez Canal, at around $4 billion. There are also other resources, such as loans, foreign aid, portfolio investment (the stock market), payments for Egyptian services, visa fees, property sales, and so on. However, these sources are neither sustainable nor stable, and some of them do not generate significant amounts. But where do these dollars go? Who controls them? And how stable and sustainable are they? In economic terms: what are the uses of these foreign currency resources—primarily the US dollar? To begin with, it must be stressed that the Egyptian economy is now on the verge of emerging from the bottleneck it has been stuck in during the past four years, due to both external and internal factors. Signs of recovery include improved foreign currency inflows into the Egyptian market, healthier macroeconomic indicators, and an early rise in GDP growth rates. Importantly, Egypt continues to meet its external obligations, most notably by consistently servicing its external debt—both principal and interest—on schedule. It should also be noted that most of Egypt's foreign currency resources are influenced by political and geopolitical factors, as well as by global confidence in the Egyptian economy's ability to correct itself, sustain gradual growth, and maintain political and economic stability, with steady fiscal and monetary policies. Thanks to these factors, remittances from Egyptians abroad have returned to their previous levels. At the same time, exports rose to $24.5 billion in the past six months, while tourism revenues reached $9 billion. Foreign direct investment is expected to climb from $10 billion last year to over $16 billion by the end of this year, and Suez Canal revenues are projected to rise from $4 billion to more than $7 billion. Overall, Egypt now enjoys a more balanced position between its foreign currency needs and resources. Net foreign assets at the Central Bank and local banks have turned from deficit into surplus, generating a reasonable buffer. This is why Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently stated that Egypt's resources had fully covered its dollar needs over the past two months. But the question remains: where did these dollars go, and how were they used? The largest share was allocated to cover imports, which reached $72 billion last year but have since started to gradually decline on a monthly basis. Another major portion went to servicing external debt, where Egypt paid around $39 billion last year in principal and interest. Other uses included: - Meeting individual needs during Umrah and Hajj seasons (around 350,000 pilgrims for Umrah and 80,000 for Hajj, requiring about $1.5 billion), - Profit repatriation by foreign investors (both direct and portfolio), - Egyptians' expenses for overseas tourism, education, and healthcare, - Payments of Egypt's membership contributions to certain international organizations. It is evident that the two main uses are imports and debt service. The first cannot be reduced without advancing 'industrial localization' and continuing agricultural expansion. The second—debt servicing—cannot be neglected, and Egypt is expected to finish paying its external debt installments by 2046–2047, provided there are no new borrowings. Imports include four main categories essential to local production and exports: food, medicines, machinery and equipment, and raw materials. Last year, for example: - 25% of imports were mineral and chemical products, - 24% agricultural products (wheat, corn, meat, etc.), - 15% machinery and equipment, - 13% basic metals. Specifically, Egypt imported in the past year: - Around $8.56 billion worth of wheat, corn, and soybeans, - Refined petroleum worth nearly $8.5 billion, - Packaged medicines exceeding $2.5 billion, - Natural gas valued at around $3 billion, with prospects of further increase this year. For context, Egypt consumes roughly 20 million tons of wheat annually, producing half domestically, while importing the rest mainly from Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., France, and Romania. Fortunately, global wheat prices fell from $450 to $300 per ton. Imports are sourced mainly from: - Arab countries (oil and gas), - The European Union ($22.5 billion), - The United States ($8 billion+), - Russia ($6 billion), - China ($2.5 billion). As for debt service, Central Bank reports show that by June, Egypt's external obligations stood at: - $31.1 billion in loan installments, - $6.3 billion in interest payments, - $907 million in currency swap contracts, - $1.9 billion under repo agreements. All of these were paid on time. However, total debt service obligations between January and year-end are projected to reach $44.5 billion, broken down as follows: - $10.5 billion owed by the government, - $21.2 billion by the Central Bank, - $8.1 billion by commercial banks, - $3.5 billion by other sectors. In conclusion: While Egypt's economic situation has improved, greater effort is still needed, particularly in industrial and agricultural expansion. These are the best ways to cover domestic needs, boost exports, create jobs, lower inflation, and reduce prices of goods and services. In parallel, Egypt must work on increasing tourist inflows, enhancing the investment climate, and restoring Suez Canal revenues to pre-Red Sea crisis levels (around $10.5 billion). Most importantly, industrial localization and agricultural expansion are areas where Egypt has relative control, unlike many external sources of foreign currency, which remain vulnerable to global shocks. May God safeguard Egypt, and may the future hold even better prospects. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video 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 News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
CairoScene
10 hours ago
- CairoScene
Egyptian Cinematographer Taimour Taimour Passes Away at Age 45
Egyptian cinematographer Taimour Taimour has died at the age of 44 after drowning. Aug 16, 2025 Egyptian cinematographer Taimour Taimour has died at the age of 44 after drowning on Saturday evening at Ras El Hekma beach. Reports indicate he lost his life while rescuing his son from the water. The Egyptian Actors' Syndicate released a statement mourning his passing, commending his artistic vision and enduring contributions to cinema and television. Taimour's recent work as director of photography includes the series Tareeqy (2015), Grand Hotel (2016), and Resalet Al Imam (2023).
See - Sada Elbalad
13 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt, Jordan Launch Subsea Cable 'Coral Bridge' to Strengthen Digital Connectivity
Taarek Refaat Egypt and Jordan took a major step toward boosting regional digital infrastructure with the official launch of the 'Coral Bridge' subsea cable, the first direct marine link between the two countries in more than 25 years. The high-capacity fiber-optic system was officially landed in the Egyptian city of Taba in South Sinai, in a ceremony attended by Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, Jordan's Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Sami Al-Samirat, and South Sinai Governor Khaled Mubarak via video conference. Developed jointly by Telecom Egypt and Naitel, the Jordanian telecommunications arm of Aqaba Digital City, the Coral Bridge cable stretches 15 kilometers across the Gulf of Aqaba. It will soon be landed in Aqaba, where it will connect to the Aqaba Digital City's global data center hub. Officials said the system will provide a direct, high-speed digital link that enhances resilience by offering alternative routes and backup connectivity for international traffic. The design incorporates a large number of optical fibers capable of carrying high-volume international data flows, particularly to meet surging demand from AI applications and data centers. The cable will also serve as a seamless bridge across Asia, Africa, and Europe, leveraging Egypt's long-standing role as a global transit point for internet traffic, where over 90% of east–west data flows already pass. 'This marks the first subsea system to be landed in Sinai, opening new routes for international cables and reinforcing Egypt's role as a primary hub for global data movement,' Talaat said. He emphasized that Egypt is currently home to 15 subsea cables and 11 landing stations, with plans to expand further. Jordan's minister Al-Samirat highlighted the project as a 'tangible outcome' of the recent 33rd Egyptian-Jordanian Joint Higher Committee meetings in Amman. He called Coral Bridge a strategic digital gateway for Jordan, one that strengthens its role in the regional and global data economy. 'This project reflects the historic relationship between our two countries and lays the groundwork for greater collaboration in ICT and digital innovation,' he said, extending an invitation to Minister Talaat to visit Jordan for further discussions. South Sinai Governor Khaled Mubarak described the landing in Taba as an important milestone that not only supports digital connectivity but also strengthens ties between South Sinai and Aqaba in joint ventures spanning tourism, sports, and digital services. The Coral Bridge cable was built to the highest technical and environmental standards, integrating sustainability principles to balance performance with ecological responsibility. The system was developed under a January 2024 cooperation agreement between Telecom Egypt and Naitel, underscoring the role of cross-border partnerships in enabling sustainable digital growth. Industry experts say the project could pave the way for future infrastructure investments across the Middle East, positioning Egypt and Jordan as regional hubs in the global digital economy. 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 Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video 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 News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
