Tunisia in 'advanced talks' with Saudi Arabia, UAE for financial aid

Middle East Eye ^ | 17 October 2021 | MEE and agencies

[SunkenCiv]

Tunisia’s Central Bank is in “advanced talks” with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to obtain financial aid for the cash-strapped country, a senior banker has confirmed.

Abdelkarim Lassoued, the head of financing and foreign transactions at the Tunisian regulator, told local Shams FM radio on Friday that an agreement with the two Gulf states may be reached soon.

He added that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were also ongoing, without giving details on the amount of aid being discussed.

The North African country has seen years of political deadlock since its 2011 revolution, with fractious coalitions and short-lived governments proving unable to resolve pressing social and economic crises.

The situation took a turn for the worse in July when President Kais Saied carried out a coup, dissolving parliament and assuming extraordinary powers...

The Tunisian presidency said in August that Saudi Arabia had pledged to provide assistance to Tunisia, in a sign of support for Saied against his Islamist opponents.

In July, Saied dismissed the prime minister and suspended the elected parliament in moves his critics call a coup, and he has since brushed aside much of the constitution, which he said he would amend.

A new government was named on 11 October, with Prime Minister Najla Bouden, appointed by Saied last month, confirming the appointments and saying the government's top priorities would be to tackle corruption.

[SunkenCiv]

Tunisian President Kais Saied reviews honour guards at an Evaculation Day commemoration ceremony in the northern town of Bizerte on 15 October 2021 (AFP)

AFP

[DIRTYSECRET]

There’s always China.

[SunkenCiv]

• Tunisia Militants Behead Shepherd Near Algeria Border [12/20/2020]
• What’s in a Name? How the Legacy of Slavery Endures in Tunisia [11/09/2020]
• House Votes to 'Enhance the Border Security' of Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia -- Not the USA [11/06/2019]
• Tunisia: Kais Saied wins presidential election -- exit polls [10/13/2019]
• First Openly Gay Candidate Running for President in Muslim-Majority Tunisia [07/12/2019]
• 7 get life in prison for Tunisia's 2015 terror attacks [02/09/2019]
• Tunisia lifts ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims [10/13/2017]
• Tunisia: social media erupts over bill that would allow Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men [08/22/2017]
• A BDS Lesson from Tunisia [07/18/2017]
• Hamas Engineer assassinated in Tunisia working to attack Israeli gas platforms [12/27/2016]

[lizma2]

Will they negotiate puppy money?

[StormEye]

"Tunisia’s Central Bank is in “advanced talks” with Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to obtain financial
aid for the cash-strapped country, a senior banker has confirmed."

Good! Let muslims pay the bills of other muslims and
provide financial support for other Islamic nations.

[Berosus]

I take it Tunisia doesn’t have oil?

[SunkenCiv]

Apparently not much, heh.

[SunkenCiv]

They might, but the only denomination is houndred dollar bills.