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Transport

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

AlUla, in the north west of Saudi Arabia, was founded in the 6th century BC

Saudi reveals tram project to drive AlUla tourism ambitions

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans to build a new tram system as they aim to develop AlUla as a major international tourism destination. The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) said the tram will connect all of AlUla’s most important landmarks, archaeological sites, tourist destinations, urban areas and transport infrastructure. The first phase of the system […]

Boat, Vehicle, Transportation

Turkey and Armenia agree to start direct cargo trade

Turkey and Armenia agreed in normalisation talks between special representatives that the neighbours would start direct air cargo trade between each other at the earliest possible date, as they work to mend ties after decades of animosity. Turkey has been working to normalise relations with Armenia in coordination with Azerbaijan since December. The neighbours held […]

UAE drivers rent cars rather than buy since fuel price surge

Rising petrol prices in the UAE are pushing small businesses and private individuals to switch from vehicle ownership to rentals, industry experts said. UAE fuel prices have increased more than 40 percent since the beginning of this year, attributed to tightening global crude supplies after EU sanctions on oil imports from Russia, the world’s third […]

DP World's terminal at Constanta

DP World port deal set to boost UAE’s trade with Romania

Dubai’s DP World has signed a deal to develop infrastructure at the Black Sea port of Constanta, in a move designed to boost bilateral trade relations between Romania and the UAE. The agreement between the Romanian government, Dubai’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) and port operator DP World will also expand cooperation in […]

Abu Dhabi incentives tipped to relieve squeeze on factory space

Analysts have welcomed Abu Dhabi’s plan to launch an incentives package aimed at the industrial sector, including discounts on electricity bills and land purchases. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, unveiled the package last week, ahead of its launch in July. The scheme also includes a […]

Water, Waterfront, Pier

UAE to build port in Sudan as part of $6bn investment package

The United Arab Emirates will build a new Red Sea port in Sudan, as part of a $6 billion investment package, said DAL group chairman Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a partner in the deal which marks the first major foreign investment since the military took power in an October coup. Abdellatif said the package includes a […]

Emirates Airlines are operating almost twice as many flights over 2,500 nautical miles than they were 12 months ago

Re-opening of long-haul routes helps reduce airline losses

Middle East aviation industry losses are expected to narrow to $1.9 billion in 2022 after the region’s airlines lost $4.7 billion last year. According to the latest figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the re-opening of many long-haul routes in particular has been a “welcome boost” to airlines in the Middle East.   […]

Airport, Person, Human

58 million travellers expected at Dubai airport in 2022

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is set to serve over 58 million passengers this year, more than double the amount in 2021, as the UAE’s aviation sector continues to rebound from the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic. The figure was revealed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman […]

IPO expected for Dubai road toll operator

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Wednesday issued a new law establishing road toll operator Salik as a public joint stock company (PJSC), paving the way for a potential initial public offering (IPO).  According to the law, Salik Company PJSC will have a term of 99 years, starting from the date of […]

Business travel lagging behind tourism as Gulf goes virtual

An estimated 115 million more passengers in the Middle East and Africa will fly during 2022 compared to last year if flight booking trends continue at their current pace, according to new research. However, business travel in the region is returning at a much slower pace with medium/long-haul and domestic bookings remaining well below 2019 […]

UAE’s DP World to operate logistics park at Jeddah Port

DP World is to operate a logistics park at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, according to the kingdom’s port authority which on Monday invited media to the contract signing on June 19. The invitation said it was DP World’s first logistics park in Saudi Arabia. DP World, owned by the government of Dubai and […]

World Cup, Russians and business travel help airlines rebound

Middle Eastern airlines reported a 265 percent year-on-year increase in demand in April, according to the latest monthly data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Industry analysts also reported that while demand in the region is still operating at around two-thirds what it was pre-pandemic, the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Russian tourists […]

Turkish delivery company Getir to cut 14% of staff

Turkish fast grocery delivery company Getir plans to cut 14 percent of its staff globally, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Founded in 2015, Istanbul-based Getir operates in around 50 cities across seven European countries, the United States as well as all major cities in its home country. The source said the […]

Kabul Airport

UAE to operate ground services at three Afghan airports

The United Arab Emirates has won a contract to operate ground services at three airports in Afghanistan, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said today on Twitter, confirming an announcement made earlier by the Taliban. Turkey and Qatar were also competing for the contract and had sent technical teams to help airport operations and security after […]

NEOM Bay Airport

First Neom flights set to boost Saudi tourism push

The new city of the future’s Neom Bay Airport will launch Saudi Airlines flights to Dubai and London Neom, arguably Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious development project, has announced a partnership with the country’s national carrier to drive tourism to the $500 billion city of the future. The deal with Saudi Airlines, known as Saudia, will […]

‘Flying taxi airports’ to get the green light in UAE

The UAE is expected to issue draft regulations on so-called vertiports – micro-scale airports that can support the expected growth of vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOLs) – in the first quarter of 2023. Mohammed Faisal al Dossari, senior director, Air Navigation and Aerodromes Department, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said the regulations would […]

First commercial flight takes off from Yemen

Yemen’s national airline operated its first commercial flight in years from the capital Sanaa today, raising hopes for renewal of a United Nations-brokered truce in the seven-year-old conflict that has pitted a Saudi-led coalition against the Iran-aligned Houthis and put Middle East security in peril. Water canons sprayed Sanaa airport’s runway as an airplane of […]

Emirates should be allowed to fly to Berlin, says German exec

The bilateral air service agreement between Germany and the United Arab Emirates should be expanded to allow Dubai’s Emirates airline to operate direct flights to more cities, including the capital Berlin, a senior official from the Middle East office of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) told AGBI. Under the existing air services agreement between […]