London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Arabic press review: 3,000 Moroccan pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia

Arabic press review: 3,000 Moroccan pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia

Elsewhere, an Egyptian delegation arrives in Gaza, tax rises are debated in Cairo, and Moroccan youth want to remain single and leave the country
Moroccan pilgrims stuck in Saudi Arabia


Around 3,000 Moroccans are stuck in Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah because Morocco has shut down air traffic in an attempt to tackle the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, according to al-Khaleej al-Jadeed website.

The Moroccans have been stuck with high hotel costs and other spiralling prices, the report said.

They denounced "the delay of Rabat officials to respond to their demands to schedule exceptional flights in order to enable them to return to Morocco, similar to those stranded in several European countries", the website wrote.

Feeling ignored, the Moroccans have demonstrated in front of their consulate in Jeddah.

But they are not without help. The stranded pilgrims are being supported by representatives of Moroccan travel agencies, the website said, though there is also a fear of fines being imposed by Saudi authorities - particularly if their visas expire.

According to the report, the travel agencies have approached the Saudi authorities that deal with Umrah pilgrims to resolve the crisis, but their requests remain unanswered.

Egyptians visit Gaza with eye on reconstruction


A high-ranking Egyptian security delegation arrived in the Gaza Strip on Sunday to meet with the Hamas movement, with reconstruction at the top of the agenda, the Arabi21 news site reports.

"The Egyptian security delegation of the intelligence service consists of four people, including Major General Hammam Abu Zaid, and the other three are new personalities that have come to the Gaza Strip for the first time," a Palestinian security source told the website. They are likely to be engineers, according to Arabi21.

Another security source said eight Egyptian media personnel travelled to the enclave through the Rafah border crossing in order to carry out media coverage of the Egyptian projects.

An official at Gaza’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing said the Egyptian work will be in three residential areas, according to Arabi21.

Egypt intends to raise taxes


With price rises causing discontent, the Egyptian government intends to tweak its tax laws and increase taxes another way, the London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi reports.

Two bills have been submitted by the government, the paper writes. The first is related to VAT, and the second is related to stamp tax and the development of state resources.

The stamp tax bill would see a five percent fee imposed on the value of the final product for soft drinks, and a two-percent fee on durable goods.

The law also stipulates the imposition of a 100 Egyptian pound fee upon leaving the country. This excludes foreign tourists, however. The law also includes imposing fees on tickets to theatres, cinemas and parks.

Parliament was forced to postpone the final discussion of the bills after severe criticism by some MPs, commentators and analysts, some of whom are affiliated with the government.

Opposing the bills is the Socialist Popular Alliance Party. It said that "the solution is to impose progressive and wealth taxes".

Seventy percent of Moroccan youth wish to migrate


Seven out of 10 young Moroccans wish to migrate from their country, the highest rate in the Arab world, according to a report carried out by the National Observatory for Human Development in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.

These youth wish to leave, expecting "greater happiness if they managed to migrate”, according to Morocco’s al-Massa newspaper.

Al-Massa writes that the report indicates Moroccan youths face political, economic and social challenges, driving many to attempt crossing to Europe.

The report found that Moroccan youth are reluctant to marry and begin a family. The percentage of young Moroccans expressing a reluctance to marry has risen from 42 percent in 2011 to 70 percent in 2019, it said.

The report suggested the need to "reconsider Morocco's social and economic priorities in light of dual health and economic shock, and to identify potential obstacles to its development in future”, al-Massa writes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×