Press Releases

Middle East International Services	Commerce	Almusaafer	Higher Education
	Language Services	Arabic Course	Resource Center
	Home Contact Us

Press here to return to:
[Home Page]
[What is New]
Recent Press Releases...

*****************************************

EGYPT TRIES TO REVIVE TOURISM

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Egypt has cut domestic air fares in half and abolished visa fees in a bid to revive its multibillion-dollar tourist industry - an industry shattered by the massacre of 58 tourists last month.

The government announced yesterday it has also canceled all fees on services imposed at Egyptian sea ports and airports.

It said Egyptian and consulates stopped charging visa fees for a three-month period that began Monday. State-owned EgyptAir has reduced domestic air fares by 50 % - also for a three-month period.

*****************************************

Morocco

Fourth Annual World Sacred Music Festival to Feature International Performers

Leading musicians of world calibre will gather in Fez, Morocco from May 23 - 30, 1998, to share sacred music from the spiritual traditions of both East and West. The concert program will feature a diversity of soloists and ensembles, ranging from the Gospel and sacred repertoire by Barbara Hendricks and Steffen Scheja, USA to the Master Musicians of Gamelan of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Among the 22 scheduled groups are:

Ustad Dilshad Khan and Begum Parveen Sultana of India, the Laude novella of Sweden, and Huseein Al Adhami & the AlKindi ensemble of Irak. The Discantus-Female Choir of Gregorian Chants of France. The Whirling Dervishes of Konya Turkey; Uzbek vocalist Munadzhat Yulchieva of Uzbekistan will sing Central Asian Sufi chants. The Issawa Sufi drummers of Morocco and the Anuna-Ireland sacred music and chants of Celtic Christian tradition (V to XVI century). Accompanied by a group of traditional Andalusian Music of Granada, Spain.

The Seventeen concerts in the 1998 World Sacred Music Festival will take place at historic sites in the ancient city of Fez, Morocco. Home to Muslims, Jews and Christians for centuries, Fez has proven to be an ideal location for this annual event. Hundreds of pilgrims from around the world -- including a delegation from the United States -- attended the 1997 World Sacred Music Festival
Scheduled performance venues include a 15th century Moorish palace, the reception courtyard of the Royal Palace, and the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis.

According to Mr. Mohammed Kabbaj, Festival President and Morocco Minister of Finance, "the greatest challenge at the end of this century is to give birth to real communication and a living solidarity among civilizations and cultures."

Press Contact: Hamid Mernissi
Director of communication, 1-800-267-0036
www.morocco-fezfestival.com
******************************************

Public Announcement
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

EGYPT
November 17, 1997

On November 17, the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, issued the following message:

At approximately 9:50 am on November 17 there was a terrorist attack at the Hatshapsut temple in Luxor directed against tourist. We have not received official reports of casualties involving Americans. The Embassy has sent a team of security and consular officials to Luxor to ascertain the security situation and to assist American citizens who may have traveled there.

All official U.S. government travel to upper Egypt, defined as the Minya government and south, has been canceled until security situation there has been clarified and further notice provided. The American Embassy also recommends that private citizens not travel to upper Egypt (defined as the Minya governate and south) until this Public Announcement expires. The American Embassy also recommends that all American citizens in Egypt exercise caution throughout the country.

For further information on travel to Egypt, please consult the latest Consular Information Sheet for Egypt dated October 1, 1997

This Public Announcement expires February 17, 1998

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

November 3rd 1997
A news conference was held at the Seattle Art Museum about Egypt Tourism.

Dr. Yahya Abdul Kader of the Egyptian Tourist office in Los Angeles hosted the evening.

A slide show presented treasures from archeological excavations in Egypt.

***************************************************************

November 4th 1997
National Travel Exchange Trade Show was held at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center.

Dr. Yahya Abdul Kader presented the Egyptian Tourist Authority and shared his space with Al-Musaafer.

*************************************************************

Treasures from Archeological Excavations in Egypt to Travel to Seattle Art Museum

Searching for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture and Artifacts from the University of Pennsylvania Museum
Oct. 15 1998 - Jan. 10, 1999

Seattle -- For 6,000 years, the religion, rituals and lifestyle of the ancient Egyptian civilization have fascinated people around the world. An exhibition of 138 objects, Searching for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture and Artifacts from the University of Pennsylvania Museum, reveals the treasures of more than a century of archeological excavations in Europe. The objects, which date from the third millennium BC to the Greco-Roman period, will be on view at the Seattle Art Museum Oct. 15, 1998 - Jan. 10, 1999.

Objects in the exhibition have been excavated by University of Pennsylvania archeologists, who have long been leaders in interpreting ancient Egyptian civilization. They have worked with such important monuments as the palace of King Merenptah -- the only excavated ancient Egyptian royal palace on view anywhere -- and the massive 4,300-year-old funerary chapel honoring the nobleman Kaipure, which recently has been conserved and forms the architectural centerpiece of the exhibition.

Searching for Ancient Egypt provides a comprehensive survey of ancient Egyptian culture through details about their daily life and insights into the beliefs that compelled them to build for eternity. Visitors to the exhibition will have a first-hand look at the timeless works of art that are the fruits of amazing archeological excavations: royal portraits, coffins covered with hieroglyphics, mummy masks, sculptures of distinguished Egyptians, mirrors, jewelry and wine jars used in everyday life.

Searching for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture and Artifacts from the University of Pennsylvania Museum is organized by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in conjunction with the Dalls Museum of Art. The accompanying catalog, designed by Marquand Publishers in Seattle, includes essays by world-renowned Egyptologists.

***************************************************************

* Friday Sept. 19
Cairo gunman kill 10 in attack on a tourist bus in front of the Cairo Museum Yesterday.

* The Port Authorities in Egypt confirmed that tourism to Egypt is going in its natural path, especially tourists coming from Germany.

* According to reports from European Capitals, none of the flights destined to Egypt have been canceled. 27 flights carrying more than 6,000 tourist landed today in Hurghada.

* Mr. Safwat Sherif, minister of information stated on a radio interview that this crime is not considered a terrorist act as the foreign media rushed to say.

* Ministry of Tourism confirmed that the incidence was a lone criminal act performed by a lunatic, who escaped from the mental hospital al-Khankeh

* It was confirmed by the Egyptian Authorities that foreign tourists are not being targeted.
********************************************************************

***************************************************************************

**************************************************************************

1997 Tourist Promotion Luncheon to be Held at Beverly Hills Egyptian Tourist Authority Office

November 4, 1996

The ETA Beverly Hills office will be holding a luncheon with the objective of developing a promotional travel plan for 1997, through joint participation via meetings, seminars, trade shows and advertising campaigns. This is planned for Thursday November 7, 1996 at 12pm at the ETA Beverly Hills (California) office.

Among the invited guests is the Al-Musaafer team which hopes to see how it could cooperate with the attendees and ETA offices in its effort to promote the Egyptian tourist sector. As well as being excited about demonstrating the website, the team will continue to enhance viewable material based on the luncheon.

**************************************************************************

Al-Musaafer received the following message from the Egyptian Tourist Authority in Canada

October 15, 1996

Thank you for including us in the Internet.
While wishing you all the best, I would like to assure you our cooperation.

Best regards.
Sabri Abdel Nabi
Director for Canada

***********************************************************************