Egypt says that it and Qatar are talking about starting a $7.5 billion “partnership package”

Egypt’s cabinet said in a statement that Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Qatari colleague talked about starting a $7.5 billion “partnership package” on Thursday.

Egypt and Qatar agreed in April to work on a package of direct Qatari investments. This comes as Cairo tries to get money from its Gulf neighbors to pay off its huge foreign debts and budget shortfall.

“Specific projects will be announced in the coming weeks,” Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters at a press meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, who is in Egypt on a visit.

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates made a $35 billion deal last year to build a city at Ras El Hekma on Egypt’s north coast. This gave Cairo much-needed money.