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Transport

Aviation and transport news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

Abu Dhabi’s non-oil trade rises 8% as economy expands

Non-oil foreign trade through Abu Dhabi ports grew 8 percent to AED282 billion ($77 billion) in 2023 from AED260 billion in 2022, as the UAE’s economic diversifation plans continue to bear fruit. Imports grew by 19 percent year on year, reaching AED136 billion, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, quoting Abu Dhabi Customs data. […]

Alstom's upgraded passenger transit system will help reduce emissions at King Abdulaziz International Airport

Alstom to upgrade driverless transit system at Jeddah airport

French train maker Alstom will upgrade the automated and driverless passenger transit system at King Abdulaziz International Airport, as the Jeddah airport aims to receive 114 million passengers by 2030. As part of the contract, Alstom will design, engineer, supply, integrate, test and commission a complete system upgrade of its Innovia automated people mover (APM) at the airport’s terminal […]

A man wades through a flooded street in Dubai. Some areas of the UAE received more than a year's worth of rain in one day Video length: 03:08

UAE president orders review after flooding

The UAE’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has ordered an urgent review of the country’s infrastructure after historic levels of rainfall brought the Gulf state to a standstill, with some areas seeing more than a year’s worth of rain in one day. The president has contacted authorities “to quickly work on studying the […]

Visitor numbers to Lebanon for the first 10 months of 2023 were up 21% on 2022 but there is currently 'no significant traffic' from the West

Beirut airport arrivals drop as Westerners stay away

The daily arrival rate at Lebanon’s only functioning international airport is down by 4 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year, according to Marwan Haber, the head of Middle East Airline’s (MEA) commercial division. Speaking at the Horeca hospitality conference in Beirut on Tuesday Haber said 95 percent of arrivals were […]

The Turkish Airlines deal with Rolls-Royce and Airbus will be announced later this month

Turkish Airlines nears $20bn deal with Airbus and Rolls-Royce

State-backed Turkish Airlines is expected to sign an agreement with UK’s Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and European planemaker Airbus to manufacture $20 billion worth of aircraft components locally. The deal will be announced in Istanbul later this month, Bloomberg reported, quoting Turkish officials who were aware of the agreement. Last December the Turkish national carrier announced […]

The number of international passengers at DXB reached nearly 87 million in 2023, rising 32% from the previous year

DXB remains world’s busiest international airport

Dubai International (DXB) has maintained its status as the world’s busiest international airport, beating London and Amsterdam, the Airports Council International (ACI), an association of world airports, said in a new report. DXB has secured the top place for the 10th consecutive year, with the number of international passengers reaching nearly 87 million in 2023, […]

A container vessel passes through the Suez Canal. Global supply chain volatility is falling, according to the latest data

Transportation costs fall as Suez disruption eases

Global transportation costs fell last month to their lowest level since December as the diminishing impact of Suez Canal disruption led container rates to decline.  Latest data shows no discernible impact on supplies from either the Red Sea attacks or from reduced capacity on the Panama Canal, with businesses adjusting to longer delivery schedules. The […]

Passengers at Beijing Capital International Airport. Air China will fly from the airport to Riyadh three times a week.

Third Chinese airline to launch flights to Saudi Arabia

Air China is set to begin flights to Riyadh in May, becoming the third Chinese airline to establish a route to Saudi Arabia. It joins China Southern and Eastern Airlines in connecting China with the kingdom.  Air China’s Airbus A330-300 will serve the Beijing-Riyadh route three times a week. The expansion in capacity between the […]

Egypt's logistics corridors will link its Red Sea ports with those on the Mediterranean coast

Egypt building seven logistics corridors says minister

Egypt is building seven integrated logistics corridors as part of its plan to become a regional centre. The logistics corridors are under construction and will connect production facilities with ports, Egypt Today newspaper reported, quoting transport minister Kamel El Wazir. The corridors are located in Sokhna/Alexandria, Arish/Taba, Cairo/Alexandria, Tanta/Mansoura/Dameitta, Gargoub/Salloum, Cairo/Aswan/Abu Simbel, and Safaga/Qena/Tartour, the […]

Saudi ports Jeddah

Volumes up at Saudi ports in spite of Red Sea attacks

Container volumes at Saudi Arabia’s ports were up last month compared to March 2023 despite continuing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, data from the kingdom’s ports authority shows. The Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, oversees 10 ports. These include facilities in Jeddah, Yanbu and Jazan on the country’s Red Sea coast, and […]

Ras El-Hekma international airport will support Egypt's new metropolis, located 350 km northwest of Cairo

Egypt allocates land for airport at ADQ’s metropolis

The Egyptian government has allocated two plots of land for the development of Ras El-Hekma international airport by UAE sovereign wealth fund ADQ. The land plots in Matrouh, a governorate in the north-west of Egypt, were handed over to the country’s civil aviation ministry, Ahram Online newspaper reported. The airport development is part of the […]

The international transport network of Ekol Logistics had a revenue of €470m in 2023

DFDS acquires transport network of Turkey’s Ekol

The Danish shipping and logistics company DFDS is to acquire the international transport network of Turkey’s Ekol Logistics for 1.9 billion crowns ($277 million). The acquisition will add road transport to its Mediterranean ferry network, DFDS said. DFDS’s chief executive, Torben Carlsen, said his company believed Turkey’s role as a manufacturing hub for Europe “will become […]

Oman Airports expects a delayed recovery compared to other GCC countries due to Oman Air’s ongoing transformation

Oman Airports profit up 45% in 2023 on higher revenue

The combined net profit of Oman Airports surged 45 percent to OR18.5 million ($48 million) in 2023, compared to almost OR13 million in 2022. Consolidated revenue increased by 39 percent year on year to OR150 million last year, as subsidiaries reported higher income. Oman Airports Management Company generated over OR124 million, Oman Ground Handling contributed […]

The increase in flights from the UAE to Saudi Arabia was driven by growing demand from Umrah performers

UAE airlines increased Saudi flights during Ramadan

Weekly flights from the UAE and Saudi Arabia rose 13 percent to 383 in March, compared to 338 in February. The increase was driven by growing demand from Umrah performers during the last 10 days of Ramadan, which started last month, state-run Wam news agency reported, quoting the General Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) statistics. Flydubai […]

Ryanair Morocco

Morocco denies subsidising Ryanair domestic flights

Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism has denied claims that it is subsidising the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair’s expansion across the country. Ryanair will open domestic flights throughout Morocco from the summer as part of its $1.4 billion investment in the North African country. It had been reported that the Moroccan National Tourism Office would be providing […]

Travelers at Beijing Daxing International Airport. China Southern Airlines (CZ) is making its debut in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia and China strengthen ties with extra flights

Saudi Arabia is strengthening its ties with China with the launch of new passenger and cargo flights between the two countries. Beginning on April 16, China Southern Airlines (CZ) will operate four commercial passenger flights and three cargo flights connecting Beijing Daxing and Riyadh, according to a report on the Saudi Press Agency website. This […]

An artist's impression of the new Casablanca cruise terminal to be operated by a consortium led by the UK's GPH

UK’s Global Ports to operate Casablanca cruise terminal

A consortium led by British cruise operator Global Ports Holding (GPH) has secured preferred bidder status for operating a new cruise terminal in Casablanca. The consortium was awarded a 15-year concession agreement with Morocco’s state-owned Agence Nationale des Ports (ANP). The consortium and ANP are working towards finalising the concession terms, the London stock exchange-listed […]

Alexandria train station. Egypt's Green Line will connect the city to the Mediterranean coast, the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea

Egypt chooses British Steel for Green Line rail track

British Steel, the UK steel products producer, has secured a multi-million-pound deal to supply parts for a new rail route stretching across Egypt. In total 9,500 tonnes of track will be delivered for Egypt’s Green Line, its first fully electrified mainline and freight network from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The exact value of […]