Aviation Passenger profit is three times global average at Middle East airlines Middle East airlines are set to generate $27.20 in profit per passenger this year, more than three times the global average, as the region continues to lead the global aviation industry on profitability, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Total net income for Middle Eastern carriers is forecast to exceed $6.2 billion in […] June 2, 2025
Aviation Iraqi Airways to get 18 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft State-backed Iraqi Airways will add new Boeing and Airbus aircraft by 2027 as part of its fleet modernisation. The airline will receive eight B787-8 Dreamliner and 10 737 Max aircraft, bringing the total number of modern aircraft to 31 over the next two years, the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported, citing a transport ministry statement. […] June 2, 2025
Aviation Saudi companies to place orders for Airbus jets Saudi Arabian companies are to place orders for Airbus jets worth billions of dollars as the kingdom balances suppliers in its quest to match the aviation growth of Gulf neighbours, industry sources said. PIF-backed lessor AviLease, which placed an order for 30 Boeing 737 Max jets during a visit to the region this month by US president […] June 2, 2025
Logistics Turkey and China vow to increase trade via rail Middle Corridor Turkey and China have agreed to increase cargo traffic on the Middle Corridor, a railway route connecting Beijing to Europe. Only 300 trains use the corridor per year, the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The decision to increase the tariff follows a diplomatic-level meeting in Beijing this month between Turkish transport and logistics company Pasifik […] May 30, 2025
Aviation Dubai Aerospace to sell 75 aircraft to realign portfolio Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), the Middle East’s largest aviation leasing and engineering company, has agreed to sell 75 aircraft to two unnamed buyers as part of its plan to realign its fleet. A portfolio of 50 Embraer E-Jets will be sold to a specialist lessor, DAE said in a statement on Wednesday. Another 25 out-of-production […] May 28, 2025
Transport Chinese self-driving operator WeRide launches Saudi operations Autonomous driving company WeRide has announced plans to roll out driverless taxis in Saudi Arabia before the end of the year. It is already testing its flagship product the Robotaxi in Riyadh and the upmarket holiday resort of AlUla as well as “other core autonomous driving products”, WeRide said in a press release. The company […] May 28, 2025
Analysis Transport Etihad Rail’s super-fast service tracked by investors The UAE’s Etihad Rail is due to start passenger services next year, promising to slash travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi by as much as 40 percent. Not only could this reshape the daily commute but it could also shift the investment outlook for a clutch of transport-focused companies listed on local bourses. With […] May 28, 2025
Transport Neom-backed Pony.ai to launch robotaxis in Dubai Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving company, will begin trials of its advanced robotaxi fleet in Dubai this year, the company said in a statement. The US Nasdaq stock exchange-listed company, which is backed by an investment arm of Saudi giga-project Neom, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to introduce autonomous transport. […] May 27, 2025
Opinion Aviation The quiet rise of Middle East low-cost carriers The budget air travel revolution is challenging the airline status quo across the region May 26, 2025
Opinion Logistics With sanctions lifted, Syria’s supply chain is cranking back into life The GCC was quick to recognise the opportunities May 23, 2025
Transport Royal Jordanian gets $250m to drive expansion Jordan’s flag carrier Royal Jordanian has secured a syndicated loan of $250 million to finance its expansion plans. Arab Bank led the funding round with the participation of several Jordanian and regional banks. The airline’s CEO Samer Majali said that the financial support will help modernise the fleet, route expansion, set up new ventures and […] May 22, 2025
Aviation Flynas sets IPO price as retail tranche opens next week The retail tranche of Saudi budget airline Flynas’s initial public offering (IPO) will start on May 28 after the institutional tranche was oversubscribed almost 100 times, according to a statement to the Saudi stock exchange. The airline set the IPO price at SAR80 ($21.33) per share – the top end of the range – raising SAR4.1 […] May 22, 2025
Aviation Etihad comfortable with Boeing deliveries as profit rises Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, which posted record profit in the first quarter, said it expects to take delivery of at least 100 planes from US plane maker Boeing over the next five years, helping to equip its route expansion plans. “We’re getting more than 20 planes a year for the next five years,” Etihad Airways […] May 21, 2025
Aviation Ex-Etihad CEO James Hogan takes stake in UK’s Global Airlines James Hogan, the former Etihad Airways chief executive who was at the helm during the airline’s loss-making expansion, is set to become a shareholder in the UK’s Global Airlines, a startup attempting to bring the Airbus A380 back into commercial service. Hogan’s advisory firm, Knighthood Global, will take a stake in Global Airlines and advise […] May 20, 2025
Aviation Qatar Airways announces record profit but risks remain State-owned Qatar Airways announced record profits in the year to March 31 after carrying more passengers and using its seat capacity more efficiently. Net income jumped almost 30 percent to QAR7.9 billion ($2.2 billion) in the 2024-25 fiscal year, an increase of more than QAR1.7billion on the year before. Passenger numbers rose almost 8 percent […] May 19, 2025
Aviation Saudi’s air passenger numbers up, but off target Saudi Arabia recorded a 15 percent rise in air passenger numbers year on year in 2024, below the pace needed to achieve an ambitious target by 2030. Last year 128 million passengers travelled through the kingdom’s airports, according to the General Authority for Statistics. Of these, 69 million were international travellers, while 59 million were […] May 19, 2025
Transport Neom-backed Volocopter delays rollout of air taxis German air taxi company Volocopter, a partner in Saudi Arabia’s Neom giga-project, has delayed the launch of passenger services until next year, as it focuses on emerging from insolvency following its acquisition by new Chinese owners. Borja Blond, CEO of the joint venture between Neom and German manufacturer Volocopter, had said in 2023 that Neom […] May 19, 2025
Logistics Investcorp to spend $550m to expand Oman’s Duqm port Bahrain-based asset manager Investcorp will invest $550 million to expand the Port of Duqm in Oman, as part of a strategy to build a regional infrastructure portfolio. Investcorp Aberdeen Infrastructure Partners (AIIP), a joint venture with UK-based fund manager Aberdeen, will be a shareholder in the project alongside Cap Infra, a consortium comprising the Port of […] May 19, 2025
Transport UAE passenger train service to start operations next year Etihad Rail, the UAE’s national rail project, will start its first passenger service next year. The announcement was made during the visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler’s representative in Al Dhafra Region, the rail operator said in a post on social messaging platform X (formerly Twitter). The passenger rail service will […] May 16, 2025
Analysis Aviation Flydubai CEO says demand exists to quadruple India flights Flydubai believes it has the capacity to quadruple its flights to India, saying the demand is there. However, Delhi’s protectionist aviation policies remain a stumbling block to the Gulf’s biggest low-cost carrier by fleet size, as well as other UAE airlines. Flydubai currently operates 30 flights a week from Dubai to eight Indian cities. “India […] May 16, 2025
Aviation Etihad Airways commits $15bn for 28 Boeing jets Etihad Airways has invested $14.5 billion in 28 Boeing aircraft. Since 2023, the UAE’s national airline has grown its fleet as part of a long-term strategy to double in size by 2030. The agreement includes a mix of Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft, powered by GE Aerospace engines and supported by a services package, […] May 16, 2025
Logistics DP World to invest $800m to develop port in Syria Dubai’s DP World and the Syrian government have signed a memorandum of understanding worth $800 million to develop Syria’s port of Tartous, Syrian state news agency Sana said on Friday, after the lifting of US sanctions cleared the way for the deal. The deal is to develop, manage and operate a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous […] May 16, 2025
