AVIATION-

#1- Spain’s Sener tapped to upgrade masterplans for five airports: Airports operator Matarat Holding awarded the Spanish engineering firm Sener a contract to update the master plans for the Yanbu, Tabuk, Al-Baha, Al Jouf, and Al Gurayat airports, Sener said in a statement. The contract will see Sener analyze traffic, tourism potential, facility needs, and environmental impacts while forecasting future demand and investment needs. An airport’s master plan aims to chart a framework for its short- and long-term development needs. The contract value wasn’t disclosed.

#2- Riyadh Air received an operational certificate from the General Authority of Civil Aviation for its first Boeing 787-9 RX7000 full-flight simulator, according to a press release. The simulator, which comes ahead of the plane’s scheduled commercial launch this year, will support pilot training by offering a realistic and responsive environment for skill development.

STARTUP WATCH-

Homegrown digital coupon and gift card solutions platform Foz raised SAR 2 mn (USD 533k) in a pre-seed funding round, which the startup will use to expand its services in the Kingdom and regionally, Waya reports. The funding will also back the company’s plans to expand its local and international partnerships to scale up its offerings.

About Foz: Foz offers businesses cost-effective marketing tools, such as digital coupons with discounts that could reach over 50% on various products and services, helping companies boost their sales and attract new customers.

LOGISTICS-

UAE-based logistics firm Aramex deployed its automated robotic sorting system at Jeddah Islamic Port, Arab News reports. The system, which has three feeding lines, feature 120 robotic guided vehicles that can process up to 4k shipments per hour, giving it a daily capacity of 96k shipments. Aramex, which launched its regional HQ in the Kingdom in March, plans to launch a drone delivery project by the end of February.

AUTOMOTIVE-

EVIQ partners with BYD to expand Saudi EV charging: The Electric Vehicle InfrastructureCompany (EVIQ), a JV between the PIF and the Saudi Electricity Company, partnered with BYD’s agent in Saudi Arabia Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility to build public high-speed EV charging stations at BYD Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility locations across the Kingdom, according to a press release. The collaboration also includes offering charging packages to BYD customers for easier access to charging services.

ICYMI- EVIQ plans to deploy over 5k chargers across the Kingdom by 2030.

ENERGY-

Saudi Arabia sealed a contract with Iraq to supply it with 1 GW of electricity as part of Iraq’s broader plan to import 3.2 GW of electricity from neighboring countries this summer, Zawya reports, citing remarks given by Iraqi Electricity Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Mousa to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. The plan will see Iraq secure its electricity needs with support from Iran, Turkey, Jordan, and the GCC grid in a bid to address power shortages.

TELECOMS-

Zain KSA has become a strategic sponsor for Italy’s FC Internazionale Milano, offering home packages with special edition Inter-themed 5G routers, according to a press release. The six-month agreement will provide Inter fans with advanced 5G experiences through routers featuring the club’s logo.

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