Opinion Aviation Etihad has designs on the US market The big UAE airlines look set to compete over US skies August 11, 2023
Transport Israel’s El Al in ‘serious’ talks to buy Airbus jets El Al Israel Airlines is in “serious” talks with Airbus to buy as many as 30 A321neo jets, El Al’s CEO said, in what would be an historic change of supplier as it looks to replace its short-haul fleet. Israel’s flag carrier is also in talks with traditional supplier Boeing to buy 737 MAX aircraft, […] August 11, 2023
Business of Sport Riyadh Air and Atlético Madrid sign sponsorship deal Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier Riyadh Air has signed a sponsorship deal with Spanish football club Atlético Madrid, giving the airline a major advertising boost ahead of its planned launch of operations in 2025. Riyadh Air said it will be the main sponsor and official airline partner of the club as part of a multiyear […] August 10, 2023
Transport Aramex earnings plunge 57% in Q2 on softening volumes The net profit of Dubai-based courier company Aramex fell to AED18.96 million ($5.16 million) in the second quarter of 2023, down 57 percent compared to AED44.56 million in the same period last year. Revenue slipped on a global industry trend of softening volumes, declining eight percent year on year to AED1.39 billion. This was partly […] August 10, 2023
Industry Yahsat in Airbus talks to build new satellites Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) is in talks with Airbus to start work on two new satellites as it looks to build on a 5 percent rise in net profit for the first half of 2023. Group CEO Ali Al Hashemi said the Abu Dhabi-listed company has signed an authorisation-to-proceed letter with the European […] August 8, 2023
Transport Oman Air set for operational overhaul as losses mount State-owned Oman Air will undergo a restructuring process to reduce ongoing losses and debt accumulation. The plan includes four main pillars: financial sustainability, corporate governance, commercial aspects and human capital. The airline’s board has approved the restructuring programme, state-run Oman News Agency reported, citing Said Hamoud Al Ma’awali, minister of transport, communications and information technology […] August 8, 2023
Transport UAE firm to open $136.2m spare parts hub in Jafza UAE-based Neweast General Trading has leased land at Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) to set up the largest spare parts distribution hub in the Middle East and Africa. The company plans to invest AED500 million ($136.2 million) to transform the 165,000 sq m space at the free zone. Construction of the new hub is on […] August 8, 2023
Analysis Logistics Call for shipping polluters to pay for their emissions UAE multinational logistics company DP World has called for a global taxation on polluters in the shipping industry to pay for their emissions. The maritime services giant says new targets revealed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in July do not go far enough. At the 80th meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee […] August 4, 2023
Aviation Abu Dhabi airport reports 67% spike in passenger traffic State-owned Abu Dhabi International Airport has reported solid passenger and cargo growth in the first six months of 2023. The airport, the base of Etihad Airways, handled 10,258,653 passengers in the first half, an increase of 67 percent compared with the same period a year ago. Total flight movement reached 67,835 in the first six […] August 4, 2023
Aviation Kuwait Airways CEO expects delay in Airbus deliveries Kuwait Airways faces possible delays of up to 12 months to receive some Airbus aircraft, its CEO said on Wednesday. The government-owned carrier signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Airbus in 2022 for 31 planes, 18 of which it has already received. Maen Razouqi said in an interview that any financial impact as a result […] August 3, 2023
Transport Oman-Etihad Rail signs pact to transport steel exports Oman and Etihad Rail Company has agreed a deal to transport steel on its rail network between the sultanate and the UAE. The developer and operator of the $3 billion railway line, has agreed to carry steel products from Oman-based Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel’s (Jindal) steel complex to the UAE. The steel producer will transport […] August 3, 2023
Analysis Transport Electric car sales on the charge due to UAE policy The UAE is forecast to encounter a 32 percent increase in sales of passenger electric vehicles this year as the government launches a national policy to support the sector’s growth. Sales are expected to reach almost 22,000, up from an estimated 16,442 in 2022. Longer-term calculations suggest the total number of EVs will exceed 370,000 […] August 2, 2023
Aviation Indonesia buys drones worth $300m from Turkey Indonesia has bought 12 new drones from Turkish Aerospace worth $300 million, its defence ministry said, the latest in a series of purchases aimed at modernising the country’s ageing military equipment. The deal comes after Indonesian President Joko Widodo in July warned his cabinet to maintain a “healthy” budget as he highlighted outsized spending by […] August 1, 2023
Transport Egypt gets $110m French funding for tramway project The French Development Agency (AFD) has signed a €100 million ($109.87 million) finance agreement with the Egyptian government to develop the El-Raml tram in Alexandria. The new project aims to develop the old tram and build a new 900-metre-long station between Al-Raml and El-Manshia, Daily News Egypt newspaper reported citing a ministry of investment statement. […] August 1, 2023
Opinion Aviation Ryanair in the Middle East? Never say never The Middle East will be much more interesting for Ryanair over the next few years July 31, 2023
Aviation Qatar Airways to buy 203 new planes despite profit fall Qatar Airways is set to acquire 203 new aircraft despite reporting a 21 percent drop in net profit in the fiscal year to the end of March. The state-owned airline’s 2023 annual report, published this week, showed that its capital commitments for the purchase of aircraft and engines has increased from QR242 billion to QR255 […] July 28, 2023
Logistics DHL buys Turkish firm to tap into e-commerce sector DHL Group has bought Turkish parcel delivery company MNG Kargo, as the German logistics giant looks to tap into Turkey’s fast-growing ecommerce industry. “E-commerce remains one of the biggest growth drivers for logistics services and especially for parcel volumes,” CEO Tobias Meyer said. “We, therefore, continuously work to expand our footprint.” DHL will buy MNG […] July 26, 2023
Logistics UAE and Pakistan to develop cargo terminal in Karachi The UAE and Pakistan will sign an agreement to develop a bulk and general cargo terminal at East Wharf, Karachi Port. Pakistan has set up a negotiation committee last week to finalise a deal with the UAE, giving Dubai 85 percent control over the East Wharf of the seaport, The Express Tribune reported. The cabinet […] July 25, 2023
Transport UK keeps Turkey’s high speed railway on track with $865m backing The UK government’s export credit agency has underwritten $865 million of financing to support construction of a 286km high-speed electric railway in southern Turkey. With financing provided by UK Export Finance (UKEF), Turkey’s Rönesans Holding will finish construction of the Mersin-Adana-Gaziantep High Speed Railway on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Transport. The deal is […] July 25, 2023
Aviation Saudia international passengers up 52% in H1 Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) reported a 52 percent year-on-year rise in international passenger traffic in the first half of 2023, climbing to 7.4 million passengers. The growth was partly driven by the state-owned airline extending its reach to four continents. Saudia operated a total of 37,600 international flights, marking 30 percent growth. In total the […] July 24, 2023
Analysis Logistics Getting married? Your flowers probably flew Emirates With the global wedding season in full bloom and demand for fresh-cut flowers blossoming, Emirates’ advanced logistics capabilities and strategic location are helping it capitalise on this market. The Dubai airline’s commercial freight division Emirates SkyCargo transported 3,590 tonnes of time- and temperature-sensitive fresh-cut flowers in May this year alone – a 20 percent year-on-year […] July 23, 2023
Opinion Aviation Middle East airlines are taking control of their destiny Carriers in the region increase their networks July 20, 2023
