FAIRFAX, United States of America, May 4, 2026/APO Group/ –Winners in the seventh annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced. The awards are sponsored by RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at https://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

The 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 15 nations including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Türkiye and United Arab Emirates. More than 1,400 nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of 155 professionals worldwide (https://apo-opa.co/4cMbWRI), acting as judges on five juries to recognize innovative apps, achievements, entire organizations, public relations, customer service, human resources, individual professionals, live and virtual events, management, sustainability, technology, thought leadership, and more.

Winners of multiple Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie®  Awards include Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, UAE; Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, UAE; ADNEC Services, UAE; ADNOC Drilling, UAE; Al Dhafra Region Municipality, UAE; Byrne Equipment Rental, UAE; Capital 360 Event Experiences, UAE; CarrefourSA, Türkiye; Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, UAE; Dubai Customs, UAE; Eastern Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia; Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE), UAE; Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, UAE; FLO Group, Türkiye; GSTC, Saudi Arabia; Hail Region Municipality, Saudi Arabia; Samsung Saudi; Le Chene, UAE; National Partnerships and Capacity Development Agency, Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia; NEOVA KATILIM SİGORTA, Türkiye; NMDC Energy, UAE; Ooredoo Kuwait, Kuwait; Qatar Foundation, Qatar; Qatar Vision Production Company, Qatar; QNET, Hong Kong; Quill Communications, UAE; Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON), Saudi Arabia; Saudi German Health UAE, UAE; TCS Dubai, UAE; Tosyalı Holding, Türkiye; Türkiye Sigorta, Türkiye; Ülker Bisküvi Sanayi A.Ş., Türkiye; and VakıfBank, Türkiye, among others.

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the InterContinental Hotel, Istanbul, Türkiye on Friday, 11 September.  Tickets for the event will be on sale this summer.

“We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2026 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 11 September in Istanbul, Türkiye. The quality of nominations received this year was exceptional. The program has grown considerably every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region.”

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 4, 2026/APO Group/ –As Egypt increases mining’s contribution to GDP from about 1% today to 6% by 2030, the country is revamping its policies and infrastructure to create attractive opportunities for global partners. In line with this strategy, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference and exhibition – The Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa, scheduled for October 14–16, 2026 in Cape Town – will highlight emerging investment and partnership opportunities across Egypt’s mining value chain.

 

A country spotlight at AMW 2026 will bring together Egyptian regulators, project developers and international investors for discussions on the future of the sector while facilitating deal signings, partnerships and new project development opportunities.

Speaking to the event organizers ahead of the event in February 2026, Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA), said Egypt intends to showcase opportunities in legislative reform, investment incentives, government–investor collaboration and mineral beneficiation during the conference.

National Geomapping Anchors Egypt’s Exploration Expansion Strategy

AMW 2026 will showcase investment opportunities within Egypt’s upstream sector as the country focuses on improving its geological insights to unlock untapped mineral resources. In March 2026, the country approved the rollout of a national geomapping initiative in partnership with Xcalibur Smart Mapping, marking the country’s first comprehensive aerial geological survey in more than 40 years.

While Egypt already holds estimated gold reserves exceeding 9 million ounces, along with approximately 660 million tons of iron oxide resources and extensive phosphate deposits, the geomapping exercise is expected to unlock new mineral deposits and position the country as an emerging exploration hotspot in North Africa.

Efforts are underway to unlock Egypt’s new drilling hotspots, with exploration activity – particularly in gold and silver – already accelerating investment flows into Egypt’s upstream mining sector. Companies including Barrick Gold, Shalateen Mineral Resources Company and Lotus Gold Corporation are advancing gold exploration across the Arabian-Nubian Shield, supporting the country’s strategy to expand gold output and capitalize on strong demand and prices in 2026. The government’s approval of 53 exploration and exploitation licenses in late 2025 further highlights its commitment to unlocking new investment opportunities in the exploration segment.

Digital Mining Platform to Accelerate Investment

Another major initiative expected to be showcased at AMW 2026 and aimed at strengthening Egypt’s investment climate is the launch of a digital mining platform and cadastre system, expected in the first half of 2026. The platform will enable investors to access geological data, evaluate exploration prospects and submit permit applications through a streamlined digital process, reducing administrative bottlenecks and accelerating project development timelines.

Building a Downstream Minerals Processing Industry

Beyond exploration and extraction, Egypt is prioritizing the development of downstream mineral processing infrastructure to capture greater value from its resources. Several projects are already underway, including a financing agreement with the African Export-Import Bank to establish an integrated gold value chain that supports domestic gold processing. MRMIA and mining companies Phosphate Misr and WADICO, together with China’s Xingfa Group, are evaluating phosphate ore, quartz and silica sand resources while studying the development of an industrial processing project in the Golden Triangle mining region. These projects and many other emerging opportunities within the downstream sector will be unpacked at AMW 2026.

AMW to Catalyze the Next Phase of Growth

As Egypt positions itself as a regional mining hub through regulatory reform, geological surveys, digital licensing systems and international partnerships, AMW 2026 will play an important role in advancing this progress. The event will connect global investors with Egyptian regulators and project developers, helping unlock new investment flows and partnerships that can drive the next phase of growth for Egypt’s evolving mining sector.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Marie-May Jérémie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources for Seychelles will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town. Her participation underscores the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s small-island energy transition agenda.

Minister Jérémie’s presence at AEW 2026 comes at a critical time as Seychelles accelerates efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. The event provides a platform to attract investment, strengthen policy alignment and showcase bankable projects, positioning the country as a viable destination for private-sector participation in island energy systems.

In May last year, international finance institution the World Bank approved the Renewable Energy Acceleration Program, a seven-year initiative aimed at modernizing the grid and increasing renewable energy penetration to 15% by 2030. The program focuses on unlocking private capital while strengthening transmission infrastructure to accommodate variable renewable energy sources.

Project development is gaining traction in the country, particularly in innovative technologies suited to Seychelles’ land constraints. The 5.8 MW Seysun Lagoon floating solar PV project, developed by independent renewable power producer Qair, is under construction and expected online in 2026.

Alongside renewables, Seychelles continues to pursue upstream opportunities to diversify its economy. The government approved new exploration entrants in 2025 and extended exiting petroleum agreements, while securing an infrastructure partnership with China. Multilateral estimates suggest over $800 million in investment will be required over the next 25 years.

Regulatory reform is central to this transition, with Seychelles introducing an independent power producer framework to open the market to private developers. Standardized power purchase agreements, grid access reforms and strengthened public-private partnership structures are being implemented to improve transparency, reduce risk and accelerate project bankability across solar, storage and emerging wind opportunities.

“Minister Jérémie’s participation highlights the strategic importance of island nations in Africa’s broader energy transition,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments. Her insights will be critical to advancing dialogue on resilient, low-carbon energy systems across the continent.”