LOGISTICS HANDLING-

National shipping company Bahri and the Saudi Port Authority Mawani are partnering to establish a 95k sqm logistics center at Jeddah Islamic Port, according to a statement. The center is expected to offer services including container maintenance, repair, cleaning, bonded storage, and haulage services will be offered at the logistics center. An operational launch is expected by the first half of 2025.

IN OTHER NEWS- Bahri and KSA’s investment holding firm Aljan & Bros (ABHG) have renewed an MoU to discuss establishing a joint venture (JV) in vessel building, according to a statement released last week. The agreement will be extended with the previous terms and conditions, initially signed in December 2022, and will be automatically extended upon expiry unless Bahri or ABHG give notice prior to termination, the statement adds. Bahri will act as the JV’s commercial and technical manager and will manage the JV’s fleet and day-to-day commercial operations.

FREIGHT-

Four Winds is set to launch new freight routes as alternatives to the Red Sea amid ongoing tensions in the shipping route, according to a statement released on Friday. The company will offer services from ports in the Kingdom, Dubai, and Jordan, providing transit from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai to Jeddah in five days, Riyadh in three days, and from King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to Jeddah in three days, and Riyadh in two days.

AVIATION-

French aeronautic equipment manufacturer Figeac Aero has inaugurated a 4k sqm aerospace production facility in Casablanca, Morocco World News reports. The MAD 140 mn facility — operated by Figeac Aero’s Moroccan and French teams in partnership with aerospace manufacturer Safran Nacelles — will produce components for LEAP-1A engine nacelles, a core component of modern aircrafts. The project “marks a new era for the aerospace industry in Morocco, as it allows the production of even more sensitive and complex parts,” Moroccan Aerospace and Space Industries Association President Said Benhajjou said after the opening.

PORTS-

The Oman Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Sezad) has inaugurated key infrastructure projects worth OMR 177 mn at Duqm Port, a freight services and customs terminal and a fishing port, Oman Times reported on Thursday. The has opened a one-stop shop building, a truck registration office, an office for issuing transit permits, an inspection station, and a medical clinic.

INFRASTRUCTURE-

Iraq has completed 60% of a submerged tunnel that is part of its project to connect Grand Faw Port and Umm Qasr Port to Turkey, Hurra reported on Thursday, citing Reuters. The tunnel — which is 2.44k m long, 1.2k m of which will be underwater — is part of Iraq’s Development Road Project, which seeks to boost cross-continental trade movement and connectivity in the region.

REMEMBER- Iraq launched a USD 17 bn project to link Grand Faw Port in Iraq’s southern Basra province to Turkey in the north through rail and road infrastructure last March.

LAST MILE-

The UAE’s Emirate SkyCargo’s e-commerce delivery solution Emirates Delivershas launched a new route connecting Kuwait to the UAE, according to a statement released on Thursday. Customers in Kuwait are now able to make purchases from websites in the UAE, the UK, and the US, with a delivery period of three to five days for items from the UAE.

About Emirates Delivers: The service, launched in 2019, gives customers a distinct shipping address in the UAE, the UK, and the US, which allows users to arrange for their purchases to be sent to the Emirates Delivers facility, according to a Thursday press release. The platform can store customers’ items for up to 30-days before shipping, allowing shoppers to combine products from different vendors.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

  • Qatar wants a PPP land transport system: The Qatar Chamber is calling for establishing a land transport firm in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) system. The company would foster trade transparency, localize the transport industry, and boost operational efficiency locally and regionally, the statement said. (Statement)
  • More grain silos for Saudi: KSA’s Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) has inked a SAR 591 mn investment agreement with United Feed Co to construct 30 grain silos. The silos are set to have a combined storage capacity of 450k tons. (Statement)
  • Akasa Air launching flights to Doha: Indian airline Akasa Air is launching international flights with Doha as its inaugural destination, with four direct flights a week from Mumbai starting 28 March 2024. (Press release)
  • FlyDubai expands European services: UAE budget airline FlyDubai is launching four direct flights a week from Dubai International Airport to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in France from 2 August 2024. The carrier is also launching weekly flights to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania in October 2024. (Statement)
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