Egypt has begun integrating the resorts along the northern Mediterranean coast into a single year-round tourist and investment destination. The new model will be based on the Yalla Sahel initiative, which aims to connect existing and developing resort areas through a shared digital platform, an events calendar, and tourism services.
The project was unveiled in July 2026 in Sidi Abdel Rahman. It was spearheaded by Egyptian entrepreneur Naguib Sawiris. Major developers, tourism companies, telecommunications operators, and Egyptian government agencies have joined the platform.
Yalla Sahel is not a standalone construction project. Rather, it involves creating a unified brand for Egypt’s northern coast, which is expected to gradually transition from a short summer season to year-round operations.
Traditionally, the region known in Egypt as the Sahel sees its highest volume of visitors in July and August. Many residential complexes, restaurants, and retail and entertainment venues operate at limited capacity or are closed entirely for most of the year.
The initiative’s organizers hope to change this model by developing event-based tourism, digital services, transportation, and infrastructure for year-round living.
On the Yalla Sahel platform, users will be able to book apartments, villas, and chalets; purchase tickets to beaches, concerts, and other events; and select tourism services.
The service covers New El Alamein, Ras el-Hekma, Sidi Abdel Rahman, Marassi, Marina, Fouka Bay, Hacienda, and Almazah Bay. Property owners will also be able to list their properties for short-term rentals.
A separate component of the project will be the TELLR digital concierge, through which tourists can obtain information about restaurants, hotels, events, entertainment, and transportation between resorts.
The state-owned company Telecom Egypt intends to provide the project with telecommunications infrastructure and digital solutions. The authorities view the northern coast as an emerging international tourism, residential, and investment hub.
To extend the tourist season, there are plans to hold concerts, festivals, sporting events, and cultural activities not only in the summer but also during other times of the year. EgyptAir, TikTok, and regional airlines are participating in the promotion of this destination.
New Alamein will become the key city of the new Egyptian Riviera. According to data from Egypt’s official tourism portal, the city is being developed on an area of approximately 50,000 acres and is projected to have a population of more than 3 million residents.
Residential neighborhoods, hotels, universities, administrative buildings, and recreational facilities are being built in New Alamein. The city features a waterfront stretching about 14 km, home to restaurants, shops, a movie theater, a beach club, and concert venues.
Egyptian authorities are positioning New Alamein as the first fully-fledged, year-round city on the northern coast, designed not only for tourists but also for permanent residents.
Another important center will be Ras el-Hekma, where a large-scale project involving capital from the United Arab Emirates is underway. Together with New Alamein, Sidi Abdel Rahman, and other resorts, it is expected to form a continuous belt of tourist and residential development along the Mediterranean Sea.
The transition to a year-round model could boost demand for property purchases and long-term leases, as well as increase investor interest in hotels, retail properties, restaurants, and service companies.
For property owners, a longer season means the opportunity to increase occupancy rates and reduce their reliance on income from just the two summer months.
At the same time, the region’s development will require the construction of schools, medical facilities, transportation infrastructure, and affordable housing for permanent resort workers.
The project’s success will depend on whether Egypt can transform seasonal residential complexes into full-fledged cities with permanent jobs and sustainable demand for services.
Egypt hopes that the new Riviera will enable the country to attract more tourists from Europe and the Gulf states, increase real estate investment, and reduce the strain on traditional Red Sea resorts.
According to “Serbian Economist”, Serbia is gradually becoming one of Ukraine’s most prominent Balkan trading partners. According to data from the Experts Club analytical center, in the first half of 2026, Serbia ranked 33rd among the country’s 50 largest trading partners, with bilateral trade totaling $345.9 million.
Serbian exports to Ukraine totaled $243.2 million, while Ukrainian exports to Serbia amounted to $102.7 million. In June alone, trade between the countries totaled $55.8 million. The balance currently favors Serbia: Ukraine’s bilateral trade deficit reached $140.5 million.
The trend toward Serbia strengthening its position became apparent as early as late 2025 and early this year. In the first quarter of 2026, Serbian exports to Ukraine doubled compared to the same period last year, while Ukrainian shipments to the Serbian market increased by 5%. About 900 Serbian companies are involved in trade between the two countries, of which approximately 670 purchase Ukrainian products.
One of the factors contributing to the development of these ties was the full restoration of Serbia’s diplomatic presence in Kyiv. The embassy, which had suspended operations in 2022, returned to the Ukrainian capital at the end of 2024 and officially resumed operations in new premises in the fall of 2025. The mission is currently headed by Ambassador Andon Sapundži.
The opening of the embassy alone does not determine the volume of trade, but a permanent diplomatic mission facilitates contacts between companies, chambers of commerce, and government agencies. It can also help organize business missions, resolve logistical and consular issues, and prepare new intergovernmental agreements.
The next important step could be the resumption of free trade negotiations and achieving a breakthrough on this issue. For Serbia, Ukraine remains a large market with high demand for food, industrial products, equipment, and reconstruction supplies. For Ukrainian companies, Serbia could become not only a sales market but also a logistics hub for expanding into other countries in the Western Balkans.
Data on all of Ukraine’s major trading partners is available here — https://www.experts.news/posts/analiz-naybilshykh-torhovelnykh-partneriv-ukrayiny-v-pershomu-pivrichchi-2026-roku
АО «Укрзализныця» (УЗ) подписала контракт на изготовление еще 92 новых пассажирских вагонов, среди которых 83 будут купейными с возможностью эксплуатации как в формате купе, так и СВ, а еще девять будут иметь безбарьерные купе, говорится в сообщении компании в среду.
«В рамках нового контракта ПАО «Крюковский вагоностроительный завод» изготовит для «Укрзализныци» 92 вагона», — сообщила компания в Telegram.
Предполагается, что поставки вагонов будут осуществляться в течение 2027–2028 годов.
В компании отметили, что стоимость одного купейного вагона составляет 68 млн грн, а вагона с безбарьерным купе – 72 млн грн, при этом закупка будет осуществляться за счет средств, предусмотренных в государственном бюджете.
«К производству вагонов традиционно будут максимально привлечены украинские предприятия, поставляющие комплектующие и оборудование», – говорится в сообщении.
«Укразализныця» также пояснила, что обновление парка в настоящее время является важным для компании, поскольку из-за постоянных российских атак пассажирские вагоны регулярно получают повреждения; в частности, за прошедшие выходные было зафиксировано два таких случая.
«Кроме того, часть вагонов постепенно выбывает из эксплуатации в связи с истечением нормативного срока службы. Новые вагоны позволят обеспечить стабильные перевозки и создать дополнительные места для пассажиров», — подчеркнули в компании.
В «Укрзализныце» напомнили, что в 2026 году компания уже получила 21 новый пассажирский вагон украинского производства, к изготовлению которых было привлечено 166 украинских предприятий, осуществлявших поставки комплектующих и технологических решений.
Всего «Укрзализныця» заключила контракты на поставку 358 новых пассажирских вагонов, из которых 187 уже перевозят пассажиров.
The portfolio of new life insurance contracts written by companies in Ukraine for January–June 2026 exceeded last year’s results by 5%, generating a total of 664.7 million UAH, according to the website of the National Association of Insurers of Ukraine (NASU).
“A key feature of this period was the positive trend in stable cash flows. Ukrainians continue to show active interest in savings-oriented financial solutions,” the report notes.
In addition, regular premiums paid by customers under existing long-term policies increased by 12%. At the same time, significant progress was observed in the single-premium segment, which grew by 20%.
NASU also notes that during the reporting period, life insurance payouts rose by 33%, surpassing the 1 billion UAH mark. Of this amount, 66% consisted of payouts upon policy maturity (payouts for the “survivorship” risk), which is 41% more than a year earlier.
“This surge is entirely predictable: financial institutions are consistently fulfilling their commitments under traditional agreements concluded more than two decades ago. Upon receiving their preserved capital along with accumulated investment income, Ukrainians often reinvest this money in new insurance products,” the report states.
NASU also reports that for the first half of 2026, the ranking of life insurers by premiums collected is as follows: MetLife Insurance Company – 1.599 billion UAH (1.436 billion UAH); TAS Insurance Company – 525.7 million UAH (431.4 million UAH); “Grave Life” – 308.7 million UAH (283 million UAH); “PZU Life” – 205.3 million UAH (189.2 million UAH); “Arks Life” – 175.5 million UAH (168.9 million UAH).
Ranking by payouts: “MetLife” – 358 million UAH; TAS Insurance Company – 267.5 million UAH; “Grave Ukraine Life Insurance” – 240.3 million UAH; PZU Life – 43.1 million UAH; “Arks Life” – 37.3 million UAH.
As previously reported, as of July 1, 2026, there were 10 life insurance companies operating in Ukraine.
In the first half of 2026, 259,853 thousand deaths were recorded in Ukraine, which is 4% more than during the same period last year.
This is the first officially recorded increase in the number of deaths in the last five years, OpenDataBot reported on July 22, citing information from the Ministry of Justice.
As is traditional, the highest number of deaths was recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk region—28,386 thousand cases. This region accounted for nearly one in nine deaths in Ukraine.
In Kyiv, 20,121 thousand deaths were recorded over the six-month period. Compared to the first half of 2025, the figure in the capital increased by 11%—the largest increase among all regions.
For comparison, 249,002 thousand deaths were recorded in Ukraine during the first half of 2025, and 250,972 thousand in 2024.
DEMOGRAPHY, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, KYIV, MORTALITY, POPULATION
Traffic in downtown Kyiv will be temporarily restricted on Thursday due to security measures involving foreign delegations, according to the State Security Service.
“On July 23, due to security measures involving foreign delegations, temporary traffic restrictions will be in effect in the central part of Kyiv,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
