Logistics Emirates increases capacity to meet rising cargo demand Dubai national carrier Emirates Airline has taken delivery of two additional aircraft to increase capacity and meet growing demand for its cargo service. The company has signed multi-year leasing deals for two Boeing 747 freighters, which have raised Emirates’ cargo capacity by 15 percent, the airline said in a statement. Emirates SkyCargo transported almost 1.2 […] January 17, 2025
Transport Tenders issued for high speed Abu Dhabi-Dubai rail link Tenders have been issued for the design and construction of central components in a high-speed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Etihad Rail, the national rail company of the UAE, has sent out tenders for designing and constructing civil works and station packages for the line connecting the two cities as part of the […] January 16, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Wizz Air increases flights from UAE to Israel after ceasefire The budget carrier Wizz Air is increasing the number of flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The airline had previously scaled back its Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi service to four flights a week because of the conflict, down from its pre-crisis schedule of two flights a day. […] January 16, 2025
Transport Masdar City starts testing autonomous vehicles Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City has officially started testing autonomous vehicles to promote sustainable urban transportation. The first vehicle undergoing testing is a shuttle-style electric vehicle equipped with advanced sensors, electronic components and upgraded software, which enables it to navigate obstacles, detect other vehicles, and drive independently. The trials begin a series of tests featuring vehicles […] January 16, 2025
Exclusive Transport Tesla to enter Saudi Arabia within months Elon Musk’s Tesla is set to launch in Saudi Arabia this quarter, marking its entry into one of the world’s largest oil-producing nations as it continues expanding across the Gulf, sources familiar with the plans told AGBI. The US electric vehicle maker will open sales through pop-up stores and establish a showroom and service centre, […] January 16, 2025
Retail Sales rise 18% for airport retailer Qatar Duty Free Airport retailer Qatar Duty Free has reported an 18 percent sales increase for 2024. The rise was higher than passenger growth at Hamad International Airport in Doha, which increased 15 percent to 52.7 million. Qatar Duty Free, a subsidiary of Qatar Airways that owns and operates the airport’s shopping and food outlets, did not release […] January 14, 2025
Opinion Manufacturing How China won over the car market in the UAE Japanese, American and Korean brands retreated following the pandemic January 14, 2025
Business of Sport Qatar Airways signs $97m deal to sponsor new rugby tournament Qatar Airways has agreed a $97 million deal to sponsor the new World Rugby Nations Championship. The eight-year deal will cover the qualifying matches and finals for the first four editions of the rugby union tournament from 2026 to 2034. The agreement is the biggest title sponsorship in international rugby, according to The Guardian. The […] January 13, 2025
Logistics Fall of Assad reopens Syria route to Gulf for Turkey’s truckers The overthrow of the Bashar Al-Assad regime is great news for Turkey’s logistics sector, with hopes that the direct land route to the Gulf region through Syria may soon be re-established. While there will be strong demand for logistics in Syria as the country rebuilds after 13 years of civil war, Turkey’s truckers are looking […] January 13, 2025
Logistics ADQ unit explores offer to buy Aramex stake in cash A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company (ADQ), a sovereign wealth fund, intends to submit an offer to buy 100 percent of the shares in Dubai-listed logistics company Aramex not already owned by Abu Dhabi Ports Company. Shareholders accepting the offer of Q Logistics Holding, an indirect subsidiary of ADQ Development Holding, will be […] January 13, 2025
Analysis Aviation Middle East investors turn to airports for safe returns Middle Eastern money is making its way into airports around the world as investment in aviation assets continues to catch the eye. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), the UAE’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is the latest headline-grabber as its estimated $4 billion takeover bid as part of a consortium for Malaysia’s Airports Holdings was confirmed […] January 13, 2025
Analysis Transport Ineos and Porsche diverge on Middle East’s EV potential Ineos Automotive, the UK carmaker backed by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is considering launching its Fusilier electric vehicle in the Middle East after encountering difficulties with governments across Europe. However other industry players such as Porsche remain cautious about the rollout of EVs in the region, with infrastructure remaining a central problem. London-based Ineos spent […] January 12, 2025
Aviation Turkish Airlines carries 83m passengers in 2024 State-owned Turkish Airlines flew 83.4 million passengers in 2024, up 2 percent annually, driven by its global expansion drive. The flag carrier served 31.7 million international passengers, an increase of 6.4 percent year on year, as the number of destinations rose 4 percent annually to 352. Overall, the load factor fell by 0.4 percentage points […] January 10, 2025
Opinion Logistics Gulf logistics has much to be optimistic about in the year ahead A stable economy, supply chain integration and more domestic construction projects will drive growth January 9, 2025
Trade Jet fuel makes UAE Kenya’s second largest exporter The UAE has moved ahead of the US, Pakistan, Netherlands, Tanzania and the UK to become Kenya’s second largest export market, according to latest government figures. The Emirates are second, behind Uganda, after exports from the Gulf state more than doubled, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) said in its latest report. However, the […] January 9, 2025
Aviation Adia-backed bid for Malaysia Airports nears threshold A takeover offer for Malaysia Airports Holdings by a consortium that includes the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) has edged closer to the threshold required to take it private. The group, which includes Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah, BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners and Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund, said it has secured an 84.1 percent stake […] January 9, 2025
Construction ‘Few other nations have dared to attempt this’ Architects and engineers tell AGBI about the positives and pitfalls of Saudi Arabia's push to build it all, 'all at once' January 9, 2025
Aviation DAE acquires Irish aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the Middle East’s largest aviation services company, has acquired aircraft leasing company Nordic Aviation Capital. No details on the terms of the transaction were disclosed. DAE said Nordic Aviation’s fleet in September 2024 comprised 252 owned and committed assets on lease to approximately 60 airline customers in approximately 40 countries. Based in […] January 8, 2025
Infrastructure Iraq expects road and rail project to provide 20,000 jobs Iraq’s planned $17 billion project to build a rail line and motorway up to the border with Turkey aims to create at least 20,000 jobs for citizens, officials said. Transport minister Razzak Al-Saadawi said the Road Of Development project, which is backed by the UAE and Qatar, will include the construction of several industry cities […] January 7, 2025
Transport Passenger traffic at Turkish airports rises to 230m in 2024 Passenger traffic at Turkish airports grew by 7.5 percent year on year to more than 230 million in 2024, according to the country’s transport and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. More than 95 million domestic and 134 million international passengers were served last year, he said. The number of aircraft movements, including landings and take-offs, rose […] January 7, 2025
Transport Turkish bidder offers lower fee for Islamabad airport operations A Turkish consortium aims to take over the operations of Pakistan’s Islamabad airport after offering a concession fee below the minimum threshold, Sadiq ur Rehman, the chairman of the bid evaluation committee, has said. The cash-strapped South Asian country is looking to generate revenue by speeding up its privatisation push, including outsourcing the running of three major […] January 3, 2025
Giga-projects Neom’s air taxi partner Volocopter files for insolvency Volocopter, the German air taxi developer backed by Saudi Arabia’s Neom giga-project, has filed for insolvency, blaming difficulties in securing fresh funding. The company, whose high-profile backers include Mercedes-Benz, Honeywell, Daimler, Intel and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, said its operations would continue during the insolvency proceedings as it seeks new investors. The insolvency raises concerns […] December 31, 2024
