Switzerland resumes trips to Sharm El-Sheikh after four-year hiatus

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Updated 03 October 2020
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Switzerland resumes trips to Sharm El-Sheikh after four-year hiatus

  • Recently Egypt welcomed about 250,000 tourists from 15 countries

CAIRO: The Swiss company, Edelweiss Air, will start offering trips to Sharm El-Sheikh again after a hiatus of four years.

The company is scheduled to operate one flight a week after stopping its operations to Sharm El-Sheikh in 2016.

The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the plane was welcomed with spraying water and its passengers were welcomed with flowers.

“The public relations team has provided all the necessary facilities and expedited arrival procedures, and the application of precautionary measures and social distancing, in order to preserve the safety of travelers and workers,” the ministry said in a statement. 

Recently Egypt welcomed about 250,000 tourists from 15 countries according to Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled Al-Anani. He stressed that no coronavirus cases were discovered in any tourist who visited Egypt recently.

He added that all international reports confirm the transparency of the precautionary measures followed by Egypt.

Al-Anani praised the commitment of Egyptian tourist establishments to precautionary and preventive measures in accordance with international standards.

He emphasized that the priority for the Egyptian government is to preserve employment, Egypt’s tourism position and existing investments in this sector.

He pointed to the importance of continuing cooperation between the government and the private sector to set promotional policies and tourism plans, which would restore the tourism movement from different markets.

Last Wednesday, the Egyptian Cabinet agreed to continue the exemption from paying visa fees for tourists visiting the governorates of South Sinai, the Red Sea, Luxor and Aswan until April 30, 2021. This is to encourage tourists to visit Egypt in light of the global crisis, and to reduce accommodation and ground services fees. 

There is currently a 20 percent decrease on ground services and a 50 percent decrease on accommodation fees at airports in the governorates of South Sinai, the Red Sea, Luxor and Aswan until April 30, 2021.


Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485 

Updated 21 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged up on Sunday, gaining 34.32 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 10,484.59. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR2.59 billion ($690 million), with 168 listed stocks advancing and 87 declining. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also gained 100.37 points to close at 23,454.65. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index advanced by 0.13 points to 1,377.44. 

The best-performing stock on the main market was Nama Chemicals Co., whose share price increased by 9.98 percent to SR22.38. 

The share price of Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. rose by 9.15 percent to SR23.85. 

Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co. also saw its stock price climb by 8.42 percent to SR57.95. 

Conversely, the share price of Canadian Medical Center Co. dropped by 6.37 percent to SR6.03. 

The stock price of Kingdom Holding Co. also declined by 3.16 percent to SR8.28. 

In the parallel market, Alfakhera for Mens Tailoring Co. was the top performer, with its share price advancing by 16.40 percent to SR8.80. 

On the announcements front, Theeb Rent a Car Co. said it had signed a long-term vehicle leasing services contract valued at SR110.4 million with Hungerstation Co. 

Under the deal, Theeb will lease 2,000 vehicles to HungerStation for a period of four years starting from 2026, according to a Tadawul statement. 

The statement added that the vehicles will be delivered in batches within the first six months from the contract start date, taking into consideration global logistical circumstances and procedures beyond the control of both the agents and the company. 

The contract is expected to have a positive impact on the company’s financials from the first quarter of 2026. 

The share price of Theeb Rent a Car Co. declined by 0.79 percent to SR37.80.