TODAY: DP World could lock in a concession terminal at India’s Kandla Port + bear on the loose on Iraqi Airways flight

Good morning, friends. Just as we predicted, the newsflow this week is keeping us on our toes, with plenty of big updates from across the region.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Kazakhstan is in talks with a Dubai-based container shipping firm over an agricultural exports route linking it to the Middle East and beyond , via Iranian and Emirati ports. Over in Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah Port has inked strategic partnerships with two fuel service providers to operate at the port.

HAPPENING TODAY-

Bear on the loose: Iraq’s Transport Ministry is currently investigating how a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold onboard an Iraqi Airways plane at Dubai International Airport, following a probe by the prime minister, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office. The investigation will look into how this caused a negative impact on the aircraft’s performance, flights, and passenger services, according to the statement. The Iraqi airline has since issued an apology for causing almost an hour delay to the flight, cited by the National.

WATCH THIS SPACE #1- DP world is set to finalize a concession agreement for the Tuna-Tekra container terminal in India’s Kandla Port today , India’s ET Infra reports, citing a ministry official.Deendayal Port Authority, a state-owned entity responsible for supervising the Kandla port in Gujarat,awarded Dubai-based DP World’s Indian arm, Hindustan Ports, the concession for the construction of a USD 519.13 mn container terminal at Tuna Tekra earlier this year in February, according to Reuters. The agreement had faced delays due to a court case challenging the environmental clearances, ET Infra reports.

About the terminal: Once complete, the terminal will include a 1100-meter-berth and will have the capacity to accommodate vessels transporting over 18k TEUs, according to a company statement. The terminal will have a total capacity of 2.19 mn TEUs.

In context: DP World has been looking to strengthen its position on India's western coast, as its existing terminal contracts near expiry, according to ET Infra. DP World’s two terminal contracts at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, the second-largest container terminal in India, are set to reach the end of their 30-year terms in 2028.

DATA POINT- Bahrain International Airport (BIA) handled 177k tons of cargo in 1H 2023 , a 6.34% y-o-y drop, Bahrain News Agency reports. The airport did however see improved air traffic, with a 19.8% y-o-y increase to 44.1k aircraft movements, BNA said. Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Gulf Air handled 38.3k tons of cargo in 1H 2023.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR- The Enterprise Finance Forum is taking place on 18-19 September at the St. Regis Hotel in Cairo. This flagship forum is the latest in our must-attend series of invitation-only, C-suite-level gatherings that allow senior members of our community to openly and frankly discuss critical issues in key sectors of the economy.

TAP OR CLICK HERE if you want to express interest in attending. We’ll be sending out the first batch of invitations soon.

Do you want to become a commercial partner? Ping a note to Moustafa Taalab, our head of commercial, or fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST-

MISSED THE ENTERPRISE EXPORTS AND FDI FORUM? The EnterprisePodcast has you covered : The Enterprise Podcast’s forum series has been bringing you audio recordings of what was said on stage at the Enterprise Exports and FDI Forum,which took place in May. Throughout, we learned lessons from some of Egypt’s biggest exporters on how Egypt can export its way out of a crisis. We heard everything from how to build an exports and FDI strategy, to identifying a foreign partner and tapping into a global supply chain.

WANT TO LISTEN? Head to: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Anghami | Omny.

IT’S THE FINAL EPISODE- Our final panel of the day was, naturally, the most forward looking. Our panelists discussed how the companies — be they in age-old industries or emerging ones — have adapted to changes to better position their businesses for an uncertain future. We were joined by Nadia El Tawil, investment officer at pan-African private equity firm AfricInvest, Mostafa Bedair , CEO of Giza Seeds and Herbs, and Abdallah Sallam, CEO of Madinet Masr.

OUR FORUM SERIES CONTINUES NEXT SUNDAY WITH THE ENTERPRISE CLIMATE FORUM- Fresh off the heels of a successful COP27, we held our first forum to dive deep into the fundamentals of what we think is the world’s most important industry. The conversations ranged from exploring the business opportunities for Egyptian entrepreneurs, companies and startups in climate, to demystifying green hydrogen, and how we finance our green transition. And we did it all in the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.