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The World Bank has approved a $400M logistics and transportation plan to help Egypt reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, including the Alexandria–6th-of-October–Cairo Area railway corridor.

According to Reuters, Egypt’s transportation sector is the second largest contributor to the country’s greenhouse emissions after energy.

The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 965,000 tons over the next 30 years while increasing freight capacity.

The Egyptian railway system is one of the largest in Africa. Although the main focus along the Alexandria–the 6th of October–Greater Cairo Area corridor is on passenger services, there are also three freight trains in both directions daily.

The Cairo Alexandria Trade Logistics Development Project plans to build a railway bypass to circumvent the congested corridor. It will provide freight trains with an alternate route west of the Greater Cairo area, between the Alexandria Sea Port and the new 6th of October Dry Port.

By 2030, the bypass will allow 15 container trains a day to access the dry port and 50 by 2060. More freight trains will run between Alexandria Port, Upper Egypt, and the Red Sea.

“Reforming the transportation and logistics sectors is vital to Egypt’s competitiveness and economic development,” said Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir.

He added,” This new project introduces several improvements in those vital sectors. The upgrades are aligned with Egypt’s pressing development priorities, which include decarbonization, trade facilitation, private-sector participation, and gender balance in the workplace.”

Officials said the project would help Egypt integrate into global value networks and become a regional economic powerhouse. Given the predicted reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, it is also expected to substantially contribute to the country’s 2050 National Climate Change Strategy.

“This operation is part of a wider set of efforts dedicated to offering timely and comprehensive support to Egypt’s economic development and climate change plans,” said Marina Wes, the World Bank’s country director for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti.

The shared mobility market in the MENA region is set to expand with a compound annual growth rate of 18.4% from 2022 to 2030 as the yearly demand is predicted to witness a 16.9% increase, according to Grand View Research Inc.

The shared mobility technology landscape, including ride-sharing, car-renting, and taxi-ordering models, has increased since global players such as Uber and Lyft swept the field.

We’ve compiled a list of the MENA region’s most funded ride-sharing startups:

1. Careem

Total funding amount: $771.7 million

Founders: Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olsson

Investors: Alpha Partners, Arzan Venture Capital, BECO Capital, Bild Alternative Investment, Coatue Management, and 22 others

Headquarter(s): UAE

Recognized to be the Middle East’s first unicorn startup, Careem has transformed the ride-hailing sector in the region, attracting global competition and acquisitions to the industry.

The company first started as a car-booking app. It later entered the food delivery space and now operates as a super app.

Founded in 2012, Careem is the second most funded startup in the region. It obtained unicorn status in 2018 and was later acquired by global ride-hailing giant Uber for $3.1 billion in 2020.

2. Swvl

Total funding amount: $264 million

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Mahmoud Nouh and Ahmed Sabbah

Investors: BECO Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, MSA Capital, Oman Technology Fund, Arzan Venture Capital, Sawari Ventures, VNV Global, and others

Headquarter(s): Founded in Egypt, based in the UAE

Founded in 2017, Swvl is a tech-enabled mass transit solutions provider offering intercity, intracity, business-to-business, and business-to-government transportation services.

The company is another unicorn founded in the MENA region, also listed on the Nasdaq.

Currently operating in 20 countries across four continents, Swvl went public after it completed a merger with particular purpose acquisition company Queens Gambit Growth Capital and was valued at $1.5 billion in March 2022.

3. Halan

Total funding amount: $146.4 million

Founders: Ahmed Mohsen, Mohamed Aboulnaga, and Mounir Nakhla

Investors: Lorax Capital Partners, Disruptech Ventures, Bossanova Investimentos, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Endeavor Catalyst, CDC Group, Apis Partners, and others

Headquarters (s): Egypt

Founded in 2017, Halan provides two and three-wheeler vehicle rides and on-demand logistics. It allows customers to request motorbike or tuk-tuk rides or order food or goods for delivery via motorbikes or cargo tricycles. The application also caters to businesses, offering smart-tech last-mile delivery through integrated smart services using motorcycles and tricycles.

The startup also offers on-demand logistics solutions to support large organizations and small businesses in their distribution and supply chains. It also provides convenience and safety while it offers incremental business for the driver. The application has partnered with fast-food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut in Egypt.

4. Yassir

Total funding amount: $43 million

Founders: Noureddine Tayebi and El-Mahdi Yettou

Investors: Y Combinator, P1 Ventures, French Partners, ACE & Co., Venture Souq, WndrCo, DN Capital, Kismet Capital, Spike ventures, Quiet Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, FJ Labs, Venture Souq, Nellore Capital, Moving Capital, and other investors

Headquarter (s): Algeria

Established in 2017, Yassir offers on-demand services such as ride-hailing and last-mile delivery in 25 cities across Algeria, Canada, France, Morocco, and Tunisia, with over 3 million users.

The startup started as a ride-sharing platform and later became a super app adding last-mile delivery and financial services for its users.

The company raised $30 million in series A funding in June 2021 in a bid to expand into Western Africa and Europe in 2022.

5. ekar

Total funding amount: $34 million

Founder: Vilhelm Hedberg

Investors: Polymath Venture, Audacia Capital, and other

Headquarter (s): UAE

Founded in 2016, ekar offers on-demand access to a network of car-share, subscription leasing vehicles, and other mobility options, including peer-to-peer rentals.

Operating across seven cities with a fleet of 2,300 vehicles and 250,000 users in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the company is one of the region’s first fully contactless car-sharing apps.

The company raised $17.5 million in series B funding in 2019, announced its launch in Thailand in 2022, and plans to expand into Malaysia, Turkey, and Egypt later in the year.

6. Udrive

Total funding amount: $17.3 million

Founders: Nicholas Watson and Hasib Khan

Investors: Cultiv8 and Oman Holding International

Headquarter(s): UAE

Another car rental app Udrive provides a pay-per-minute rental service for UAE residents and tourists, clocking in over 2 million trips.

Founded in 2016, the company allows users to pick up a car from any location available and is then returned to any parking location in the same city.

In its latest funding round, Udrive raised $5 million to support its plans to expand in the Middle East and enhance its technology.

7. Fenix

Total funding amount: $5 million

Founders: Jaideep Dhanoa and IQ Sayed

Investors: Emkan Capital and Panthera Capital Ventures

Headquarter(s): UAE

Established in November 2020, Fenix provides a different kind of mobility using electric scooters on a subscription-based service.

Founded by two ex-Careem executives, the company has one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the region as it operates in four cities.

In 2021, the company raised a $5 million seed funding to support its goals to become the first national micro-mobility operator in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

8. Telgani

Total funding amount: $4.2 million

Founder: Abdulkader Almkinzy

Investors: 500 Startups, Saudi Venture Capital Co., Impact46, and others

Headquarter(s): Saudi Arabia

A car rental platform, Telgani allows users to rent a car through its mobile app that is then delivered to their doorstep.

Founded in 2018, the company also enables users to pick the car and the location they want to travel to and provides them with nearby options.

In November 2021, Telgani secured a $2.5 million pre-series A funding led by Saudi venture capital firm, Impact46.

9. KOI Ride

Total funding amount: $3 million

Founder: Kayla Kroot

Investors: CEG Invest and Taurus Wealth

Headquarter(s): UAE

KOI Ride is a B2B ride-hailing service startup that offers end-to-end ground transport services and connects online booking portals with licensed transportation providers.

Established in 2015, the company offers services in Dubai, London, New York, Las Vegas, Cancun, Istanbul, Bodrum, Antalya, Izmir, and Dalaman.

In June 2022, KOI Ride raised $3 million in an investment round to support its expansion into 24 cities across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Angry bank clients, some armed, stormed five commercial banks across Lebanon on Tuesday, asking for their money over withdrawal limits that Lebanese banks imposed due to the financial crisis that hit the country in 2019.

Lebanon has been witnessing the consequences of 2019’s financial crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, political corruption, Beirut port explosion. Since then and the Lebanese people are suffering in many ways, including:

• Bank withdrawal limits imposed on the informal capital controls are one of the significant consequences that Lebanese suffer from.
• Shortage in the U.S. dollar, which is used in everyday transactions in Lebanon, and the crash in the pound’s value have undercut the country’s ability to pay for imports, including essentials such as wheat and oil.
• Short-term loans suspension: Banks in Lebanon have stopped giving short-term loans to businesses and no longer provide them with U.S. dollars for imports, forcing people to turn to the black markets.
• Significant inflation causes a massive loss of purchasing power and increased poverty.

The recent violent storms hit five different commercial banks across Lebanon, including BLC Bank- the Chtaura branch, the First National Bank Branch in the port city of Tripoli, Byblos Bank in the southern town of Tyre, IBL Bank in the Beirut suburb of Hazmieh, and the Haret Hreik branch of BLOM Bank.

Among the five incidents this week, depositors were angry about the delays in accessing their salaries and savings.

In one of the cases, a depositor was trying to sell his kidney; he was in deep debt and needed to wire money to his son, who was studying in Ukraine, as Reuters reported. But the holdups ended up receiving a sum of their deposits.

Banks Strike

Last month, a spree of seven holdups in a single week saw the banking association announce a closure for about a week.

Banks in Lebanon have 20,000 employees, which, considering their families, means that around 50,000 people are reliant on employment in the banking sector.

Head of the Bank Employees’ Union George Al-Hajj said members would abide by the association’s decision as it “is meant to financially, morally and physically protect employees and preserve their safety.”

However, the economic expert Jassem Ajaqa said the closure of banks “constitutes a harmful blow and inevitably leads to a rise in the exchange rate.”

Ajaqa warned that “if the political authority does not initiate reform measures, things are heading for the worse, and we may reach a stage where the central bank, Banque du Liban, loses its ability to curb the dollar’s rise.”

The International Monetary Fund, IMF plans to open a regional office in Saudi Arabia as it prepares to sign a memorandum of understanding on Oct. 3 in Riyadh.

The MoU, to be signed between the Saudi Arabian ministry of finance and the IMF, will be followed by a joint press conference that will be held at Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, a ministry release said.

Opening a new regional office in Saudi Arabia holds significance as the IMF expects the Kingdom to become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, recording a growth of 7.6 percent in the gross domestic product this year.

It should also be noted that credit rating agency S&P has affirmed Saudi Arabia’s rating at “A-/A-2” with a positive outlook citing higher oil revenues, rising oil production, and the government’s robust reform program.

Egypt’s population has reached 104 million after an increase of one million in 221 days, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Earlier in February, over seven months and 11 days, the country recorded the rate of a newborn every 19 seconds, with the population increasing by 4,525 people per day. Meanwhile, recording an average of 1,858 deaths daily.

The Egyptian Family Health Survey showed that fertility levels are high, expecting Egypt’s population to reach 165 million in 2050.

Egypt is the most populated country among the Arab countries, the third among African countries, and the fourteenth among the world countries.

The Dubai-based communities’ developer Arada has launched the Central Business District, a new commercial hub for Sharjah, with a cost of 6.3 billion dirhams ($1.71 billion) at Aljada amid a boom in Emirate’s economy.

Spread over 4.3 million square feet of prime leasable space located in 40 smart office blocks, Arada CBD can accommodate 20,000 workers, fulfilling the substantial demand for a contemporary business district in Sharjah and catering to the needs of the future workplace for companies across the UAE and beyond.

The region’s first post-pandemic business park features employee-friendly elements and landscaped ‘green spine.’

The region’s first business park to be conceptualized after the pandemic, Arada CBD, is defined by contemporary urban architecture designed to inspire staff and enhance productivity.

Flexible and wide, open floor plans enhance collaboration and benefit from floor-to-ceiling windows allowing more natural light, while each office also benefits from smart technology that is part of Aljada’s overall smart city program, which will use next-generation solutions that are linked to everything from waste and traffic management to the circular economy and smart lighting solutions.

The signature feature of Arada CBD is the ‘green spine.’ This forest park runs the length of the district, containing shaded walkways, an amphitheater, art installations, seating areas, and spaces set aside for activities and quiet reflection. All external green spaces, indoor trees, and plants are fed using recycled water from Aljada’s onsite treatment plant.

HH Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arada, said: “Arada CBD is aligned with Sharjah’s vision to position itself as a leading business hub, attracting companies of all sizes and talents from across the UAE and beyond. The launch of Arada CBD fulfills our promise to provide a transformational urban experience where residents can work, live and play.”

Arada CBD also contains a mix of café, dining, and retail spaces, all carefully curated to serve local employees, and the district is also served by extensive parking. The Rove Aljada hotel, located within Arada CBD, offers convenient hospitality for business trips from other parts of the UAE or overseas and dining options for the local workforce.

According to Oxford Economics, the launch of Arada CBD complements the ongoing growth of the Sharjah economy, which is projected to grow at 5% annually for the medium term. One of the region’s most vibrant and diverse economies, with 96% of GDP derived from non-oil sectors, the Emirate also attracted AED808 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2021.

Leasing has begun with the first phase of eight blocks to be completed in 2025

Scheduled to break ground in the first quarter of 2023, the first cluster of Arada CBD features 812,000 square feet of Grade A and Grade B leasable space spread across eight impeccably designed buildings. The cluster also includes 1,666 parking spaces, 76,000 square feet of landscaped green space, and 26,500 square feet retail space.

By the time the first cluster of Arada CBD is ready in the first half of 2025, there will already be 20,000 living within the Aljada community.

Aljada is Sharjah’s largest ever project and a transformational destination for the Emirate.

Spread over a 24 million square foot area, Aljada has numerous residential districts, extensive retail, hospitality, entertainment, sporting, educational, and healthcare components, and Arada CBD, all within a green urban master plan. So far, Arada has completed almost 1,500 homes at Aljada, with another 6,000 currently under construction.

The new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro (Max) are now available in the Middle East markets, after 10 days from the official release date. Although Apple did not make significant changes in prices, some countries are increasing iPhone prices like never before due to global inflation hitting the world.

In this article, we’ve summed up all prices of iPhone 14 in the United Arab of Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt.

iPhone 14 prices in UAE

UAE was the first country in the Middle East to have the iPhone 14 because it has the only Apple Store in the region. As a result, UAE has the cheapest iPhone in the Middle East as it is sold by Apple UAE.

The Standard iPhone 14 Prices in the UAE

• 128 GB costs AED 3,399.00
• 256 GB costs AED 3,799.00
• 512 GB costs AED 4,649.00
• Available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red)

iPhone 14 Plus Prices in the UAE

It will be available starting October 7, 2022.

• 128 GB costs AED 3,799.00
• 256 GB costs AED 4,199.00
• 512 GB costs AED 5,049.00
• It will be available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red).

iPhone 14 Pro Prices in the UAE

• 128 GB costs AED 4,299.00
• 256 GB costs AED 4,699.00
• 512 GB costs AED 5,549.00
• 1 TB costs: AED 6,399.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black).

iPhone 14 Pro Max Prices in the UAE

• 128 GB costs AED 4,699.00
• 256 GB costs AED 5,099.00
• 512 GB costs AED 5,949.00
• 1 TB costs: AED 6,799.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black).

iPhone 14 prices in KSA

The iPhone 14 lineup is available in Saudi Arabia on Amazon, among other authorized resellers. Here are the iPhone 14 prices in the kingdom:

iPhone 14

• 128 GB costs SAR 3,799.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 4,299.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 5,299.00
• Available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red).

iPhone 14 Plus

Since it hasn’t been released yet, not all the colors and versions are available. However, here are the prices:

• 128 GB costs SAR 4,199.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 4,699.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 5,699.00
• Once released, it will be available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red).

iPhone 14 Pro

• 128 GB costs SAR 4,699.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 5,199.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 6,199.00
• 1 TB costs: SAR 7,199.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black). 

iPhone 14 Pro Max

• 128 GB costs SAR 5,199.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 5,699.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 6,699.00
• 1 TB costs: SAR 7,699.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black). 

iPhone 14 prices in Jordan

The capital Amman has many Apple Authorized Resellers, including DNA, Virgin MegaStores, e-Store, iSystem, and Smart-Buy. Jordan has had a stable price scheme over the years regarding iPhone devices. According to DNA, here are iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro (Max) prices in Jordan:

iPhone 14

• 128 GB version is only available so far, which costs JOD 799.00
• Available in 5 colors (midnight, starlight, purple, product red, and blue).

iPhone 14 Pro

• 128 GB costs JOD 999.00 
• 256 GB costs JOD 1,099.00
• 512 GB costs JOD 1,309.00
• 1 TB costs JOD 1,499.00
• Available in 4 colors (space black, silver, gold, and deep purple).

iPhone 14 Pro Max

• 128 GB is only available so far, which costs JOD 1,099.00
• Available in 4 colors (space black, silver, gold, and deep purple).

iPhone 14 Plus

It hasn’t been released yet. It will go on sale in October.

iPhone 14 prices in Egypt

iPhone 14 prices sparked a frenzy in Egypt due to unconfirmed reports about its prices hike in the country; some reports say that the iPhone 14 Pro will hit around EGP 63,000, which translates to US$3,200.

Apple Authorized Reseller in Egypt, Tradeline, refused to comment on the new price leak, as the device is still unavailable in the Egyptian market.

Instagram is developing a new optional feature to protect users from seeing and receiving nude photos in chat and Direct Messages – media reports.

The optional user controls feature is still in the early stages of development. The feature will help people shield themselves from nude photos and other unwanted messages on Instagram.

Users will be able to add nudity keywords to the “hidden words” feature, allowing users to filter direct message requests containing offensive content automatically.

In late August, the Meta-owned company said that it is testing new ways to protect users from unwanted/irrelevant content:

• Instagram is currently testing the ability to mark multiple posts in Explore as Not Interested.
• Instagram will soon start testing the ability to tell Instagram you don’t want to see suggested posts with certain words, phrases, or emojis in the caption or hashtags. Whether you’re seeing something irrelevant or moved on from something you used to like, you can use this feature to stop seeing content that’s not interesting to you.

iOS 16 has brought a new valuable “copy and delete” option when you screenshot on your iPhone; it allows you to paste the image in a message or email without saving it to your photo library, which helps you save storage on your iPhone.

The new iOS 16 “copy and delete” option can be used in regular and scrolling screenshots. It helps you keep your photo library out of repeated and useless screenshots.

So, how to take regular and scrolling screenshots on your iPhone without downloading a third-party app?

Regular screenshots using the new ‘copy and delete’ option

1. Press the side button and volume up button at the same time to grab a screenshot (you can also press one immediately after the other)
2. For 5 seconds, you can tap the screenshot thumbnail in the bottom left corner for more options – if you do nothing, it will save to the Photos app.
3. If you tap the screenshot thumbnail, you can use markup tools – tap the share button in the top right corner (square with up arrow) for quick options.
4. Tap Done in the top left corner for the handy new Copy and Delete option

Scrolling screenshot on iPhone

With this native iOS option, a scrolling screenshot or long screenshot gives you a PDF of everything on (or selection of) a document, webpage, note, or email in Apple’s apps.

1. Take a screenshot (press the side button and volume up button at the same time)
2. Tap the thumbnail in the bottom left corner before it disappears
3. Choose the Full Page option in the top right corner. The Full Page option will only appear in instances where there is more than one page worth of content on-screen
4. You can preview all the pages, use markup, and more before saving
5. You can also tap the crop icon (square-ish icon next to “Done”) to edit what part of the Full Page you’d like to save
6. Tap either Done in the top-left corner to save or the share button in the top right – you’ll get the new Copy and Delete option with these too

• Tip: For webpages, swipe down to ensure all content loads before saving the scrolling screenshot.

Third-party apps

Another option for scrolling screenshots of content inside third-party apps or more manual control (saving as PNG, etc.) is using an app like Picsew or Tailor.

Read also:

• 10 hidden settings in iOS 16 that you need to try today
• How to turn off the search button on your iPhone?
• Turn on the haptic keyboard setting on iPhone
• How to increase the delay time to unsend emails on iPhone?