馃嚬馃嚦TunisiaNorth Africa
Parliament continues review of National Council for Tunisians Abroad bill
via Business News3 min read
The Committee on External Relations, International Cooperation, Affairs of Tunisians Abroad, and Migration continued its review of the proposed bill to establish a National Council for Tunisians Residing Abroad on Monday, June 22, 2026. The committee heard from the president of the National Council of the Order of Physicians and the dean of Tunisian engineers. The discussions focused on strengthening ties between the state and Tunisian professionals abroad, leveraging their expertise for national development, and addressing brain drain. The committee president, Riadh Jaidane, stated the initiative aims to improve communication with the diaspora, address their concerns, and enhance their contribution to development projects. The dean of Tunisian engineers praised the initiative as a significant step to strengthen ties and increase contributions to economic, scientific, and social development. He proposed direct representation for engineers within the council through the Order of Tunisian Engineers, the creation of a permanent commission for engineering and technology skills, and a national digital platform to connect with Tunisian professionals abroad. He noted that Tunisian engineers abroad hold key positions in strategic sectors like energy, infrastructure, industry, aeronautics, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and renewable energies. He emphasized that emigration can be a strategic asset if there is a legal and institutional framework to involve these profe
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Mohamed Ali Nafti, Tunisia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad, met with his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf, Minister of State, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs, on June 22, 2026, in Amman. The meeting, held on the sidelines of an Arab ministerial gathering, focused on Tunisian-Algerian cooperation. Discussions centered on preparing for the upcoming Tunisian-Algerian Follow-up Commission, scheduled for next month. Key areas of cooperation reviewed included trade, industry, and energy. The ministers also addressed improving consular services and facilitating the movement and residency of Tunisian and Algerian nationals across the border. Beyond bilateral issues, Nafti and Attaf exchanged views on regional and international matters, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening consultation and coordination between Tunis and Algiers to address common challenges and regional developments. This meeting highlights the ongoing cooperation between the two countries, aiming to consolidate their partnership in economic, energy, and security sectors, while also facilitating exchanges between their citizens.
Must ReadAn explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan gas complex on Sunday evening resulted in 13 deaths and 66 injuries, according to an updated toll provided on Monday, June 22, 2026, by Qatari Minister of Energy Saad Al-Kaabi. The minister stated that none of the injured were in critical condition and emphasized that the incident was accidental, not an act of sabotage or hostility. Qatari authorities attributed the explosion to a technical malfunction during the restart of operations in the industrial city of Ras Laffan, which hosts the world's largest liquefied natural gas LNG production center. The blast occurred at the local gas supply facility of Barzan, followed by a significant fire that was later brought under control by emergency teams. The Barzan facility is crucial to Qatar's energy supply, with a production capacity of 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of marketable gas per day for power plants, desalination plants, and local industries. It also produces ethane, condensates, liquefied petroleum gas LPG, and sulfur for local and export markets. QatarEnergy owns 93% of the project, with ExxonMobil holding 7%. The Ras Laffan complex had previously sustained damage from Iranian attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure in response to the Israeli-American offensive, leading to a suspension of gas production from March 2 and a 17% reduction in export capacity by March 18. Despite the recent explosion, Saad Al-Kaabi affirmed that the incident would not affect Qatar's exports to the rest of th
Tunisia's food trade balance recorded a surplus of 943.4 million dinars by the end of May 2026, an increase from 745.7 million dinars during the same period last year, according to data from the National Observatory of Agriculture Onagri. This 26.5% progression resulted in a coverage rate of 127.1%, up from 125.7% a year prior. The improvement is primarily attributed to a 43.9% rise in olive oil exports, which generated 3.05 billion dinars, despite a 14.4% increase in cereal imports. Exported olive oil volumes reached 247,700 tons, a 49.9% increase, though the average export price decreased by 4% to 12.31 dinars per kilogram. Excluding olive oil, food exports declined by 9.7%. While average export prices for olive oil, tomatoes, and citrus fruits decreased, prices for fishery products and dates increased. On the import side, cereal prices generally continued to fall, with durum wheat down 13.6%, soft wheat down 7.7%, and corn down 5.2%, while barley prices rose by 3.1%. Sugar prices increased by 11%, and vegetable oil prices decreased by 2.1%. Food remains the only major surplus sector in Tunisia's foreign trade, contributing to offsetting the overall trade deficit, which reached 10.42 billion dinars by May 2026, an increase from 8.37 billion dinars a year earlier. Food exports represented 15.7% of total exports, and food imports accounted for 9% of total imports. The food trade surplus helped compensate 9.1% of the overall trade deficit.