Aviation Dubai airport expects nearly 2m passengers during holiday season Dubai International (DXB) will remain “exceptionally busy” over the remainder of the holiday season and well into the New Year, with nearly two million passengers expected to pass through the airport, state-owned WAM news agency reported. DXB’s average daily passenger numbers have risen almost back to pre-pandemic levels on the back of a strong recovery […] December 28, 2022
Aviation Dubai Aerospace Enterprise signs $800m unsecured term financings Global aviation services company Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd has signed a new senior unsecured term financings for a total of $800 million. The term financings have a weighted average maturity of 5.5 years in two transactions and were each underwritten by a “leading bank in the region”, according to a statement on Tuesday. Firoz […] December 27, 2022
Logistics Adnoc Logistics signs charter deal for LN floating import terminal The maritime logistics arm of state oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Singapore-based Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific (AG&P) have signed a charter agreement to use a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier as a floating storage unit in India. The LNG carrier is owned by Adnoc Logistics & Services (Adnoc L&S). It will be used at […] December 22, 2022
Transport Israeli startup makes inroads with personal flying vehicle An Israeli-made electric vehicle designed to fly commuters on short trips far above streets overcrowded with cars has made its maiden unmanned flight, a milestone the developer says will help it reach the market in the next two years. The test-phase voyage may not look out of the ordinary at first given the huge progress […] December 22, 2022
Saudi invests $2.4bn in DP World’s flagship UAE ports Saudi Arabia-based Hassana Investment Company has invested $2.4 billion in three of DP World’s flagship UAE assets. The investment manager for the General Organisation for Social Insurance, which owns one of the largest pension funds in the world, Hassana has taken a minority stake in Jebel Ali Port, Jebel Ali Free Zone and National Industries […] December 21, 2022
Transport UAE industrial giant to supply solar aluminium for Nissan cars Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest non-oil and gas industry company in the UAE, has agreed to supply solar power-produced aluminium to Japan to make Nissan cars. The agreement with Kobe Steel will see the supply of EGA’s CelestiAL solar aluminium to one of the largest rolling mills in Japan. Automotive body sheet is used […] December 19, 2022
Analysis Aviation Private jet demand to Doha soars despite World Cup price hikes Private jet operators have reported a massive surge in demand for flights to Doha during the World Cup, despite the rise in operating costs caused by the high number of aircraft flying in and out of the Qatari capital. “So far, the World Cup has been an incredibly exciting — albeit intensely busy time — […] December 14, 2022
Logistics Khalifa Port’s owner unveils $1.1bn expansion The AED4 billion ($1.1 billion) expansion of Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated on Tuesday, 10 years after the port opened. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s president, described the expansion as a major national project that “will further enhance the UAE’s position in the global trade”. The launch comes at the […] December 13, 2022
Transport Saudi Arabia issues tender to build low carbon tram Saudi Arabia has issued a tender to build a low carbon tram project to serve the kingdom’s tourism hotspot of AlUla. According to Saudi Tenders, a projects and tenders intelligence platform, the tender went live on Friday and is seeking a company to construct a 46km track as part of plans to develop its eco-tourism […] December 12, 2022
Analysis Aviation Flight searches to Qatar soar from South Korea and Australia Searches for travel to Qatar from nations competing in the World Cup surged in November as fans raced to reserve last-minute flights and accommodation in the tournament’s host country. Enquiries for Qatar on travel aggregator website Wego from internet users in South Korea were up 168 percent in November versus the same period of 2021, […] December 7, 2022
Logistics Sohar Port and Free Zone attracts $27bn in investments Sohar Port and Free Zone have managed to attract investments worth $27 billion, state-owned Oman News Agency reported, citing a top government official. Sohar Free Zone recorded an 11.2 percent growth in exports and a 4.2 percent increase in land occupancy year-on-year. Omar Mahmoud Al Mahrezi, CEO of Sohar Free Zone and deputy CEO of […] December 4, 2022
Exclusive Transport Dubai’s first passenger drones to fly in 2024 A senior Dubai sheikh has signed a deal with a Hungarian aviation firm to manufacture passenger drones in the UAE, with the first aircraft due to roll off the production line in early 2024. Sheikh Rashid Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum’s RAM Investment Ltd will partner with Jakabszállás-based Genevation Aircraft Ltd to build the drones as […] December 1, 2022
Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Saudi plans to create global ‘aerotropolis’ with new airport Saudi Arabia has drawn up a masterplan for King Salman International Airport, a major transport hub expected to span 57 sq km and boost annual passenger numbers from the current 29 million to 120 million by 2030. The new airport in the kingdom’s capital city Riyadh is intended to be one of the largest in […] November 29, 2022
Aviation Dubai Airports ups 2022 annual passenger forecast to 64.3m Dubai Airports has increased its annual forecast for passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) to 64.3 million following its strong performance in the third quarter and the prospects of a stronger surge in the offing in the final three months of 2022, the UAE state-owned WAM news agency reported. Average monthly traffic exceeded the six-million […] November 23, 2022
Opinion Aviation Fly the environment-friendly skies Middle East airlines have led the way in showing how Gulf economies can diversify. Now they have to become pioneers of net-zero aviation too November 21, 2022
Logistics AD Ports acquires Spain’s logistics firm Noatum for $681m State-owned AD Ports Group has fully acquired Noatum, a Spain-based integrated logistics company, for AED 2.5 billion ($680.62 million), UAE’s news agency WAM reported. The acquisition will be fully funded through a new acquisition loan. The UAE-based operator of industrial cities and free zones plans to create a global logistics brand, merging its existing logistics […] November 21, 2022
Logistics Saudi’s shortage of warehouse supply sees rents surge 22% Warehouse rents in Saudi Arabia are soaring thanks to expanding manufacturing and retail activity in the kingdom. The International Monetary Fund in August predicted Saudi Arabia would be one of the world’s fastest growing economies in 2022, expanding 7.6 percent, its biggest increase in a decade. This boom is being felt in the warehousing sector. […] November 15, 2022
Aviation Qatar airport’s final expansion phase to start in early 2023 The final phase of Hamad International Airport (HIA) expansion will start early next year, Qatar Tribune newspaper reported, citing Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker. The expansion will increase the airport’s annual capacity to up to 75 million passengers. Phase A of HIA’s expansion plans is now ready for the much-anticipated FIFA World […] November 13, 2022
Logistics Noon to build UAE’s largest e-commerce fulfilment centre E-commerce platform Noon.com will build the UAE’s largest fulfilment centre in Abu Dhabi as part of an anchor investment into the emirate’s fast-growing e-commerce space, the UAE state-owned WAM news agency reported. The 252,000 square metres facility will be developed in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), fuelling the next phase of growth in […] November 11, 2022
Aviation Emirates confirms order of five new Boeing jets worth $1.7bn Dubai-based Emirates has announced a firm order for five new Boeing 777-200LR freighter aircraft worth over $1.7 billion at list prices. Two units will be delivered in 2024, while the remaining three units in 2025, the airline said in a statement. The agreement takes the airline’s total order book to 200 wide-body aircraft. Sheikh Ahmed […] November 8, 2022
Logistics Apple heads list of key investors in Saudi’s cargo logistics zone Apple will be one of the global anchor investors in Saudi Arabia’s special logistics zone – part of the kingdom’s plan to more than quadruple the amount of cargo processed through its airports by 2030. The Special Integrated Logistics Zone was launched on Monday by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA). The zone […] November 1, 2022
Transport Invygo, Gulf’s largest car subscription startup, raises $10m Invygo, the Gulf’s first car subscription operator, has secured $10 million in new funding, endorsing a trend for businesses to opt for renting over ownership. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Invygo is an app-based service that allows people to choose, drive and swap cars. Founded in 2019, the new funding was led by […] October 31, 2022
