Kenya Airways Cargo boosts freight links with Sharjah Airport, Qatar Airways Cargo looks to upgrade perishables cargo services, OPAZ rolls out cutbacks to land lease fees at Duqm

AVIATION-

Kenya Airways Cargo is set to launch four direct weekly flights from Nairobi to the UAE’s Sharjah Airport, according to a statement released on Saturday. The move should help establish the Sharjah Airport as an international cargo hub and further strategic business growth between the Middle East and Africa, the statement said.

Qatar Airways Cargo is looking to advance and expand its perishables transport business, with plans to invest in new facilities, reefer equipment, and drones, the airline’s head of cargo products Miguel Rodriguez told Fruitnet last week. The recent opening of a 12k square meter import facility in Doha, paired with investment in a fleet of reefer trucks, will support Qatar Airways Cargo’s growth in refrigerated air freight services and increase its transit capacity, Rodriguez added. “So our biggest challenge to support our customers better is sometimes the lack of capacity,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes, we need to reshuffle the network and add additional flights, or we need to do charters. So we have a quite dynamic network. And we work very closely with our network planning team, together with our passenger network planning team.”

LOGISTICS HANDLING-

Emirati air and travel service provider Dnatawill use autonomous drones in its Dubai cargo operations to reduce processing time and accuracy, Wam reported on Friday. The move should slash processing times by 20% and improve shipment tracking accuracy to over 99%, boosting operational efficiency at Dubai International and Dubai World Central airports. The drones, using software provided by Gather AI, can map environments, collect inventory data, count cases, measure temperature, and scan barcodes.

ZONES-

Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Freezones has announced a new set of usufruct fees for industrial land in Duqm, according to a statement released on X. Medium industries will see a 41% reduction in fees, from OMR 0.850 per sqm to OMR 0.5 per sqm per year. Heavy industries will see a 50% reduction from OMR 0.5 per sqm to OMR 0.250 per sqm, with the discount limited to the next five years. The price for light industries will remain the same at OMR 1 per sqm.

ROADS-

King Salman Park’s Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Tunnel is officially complete, SPA reported last week, citing a press release. The 2.4-km-long tunnel will ease congestion and connect different sections of the park, the King Salman Park Foundation said, adding that it boasts advanced traffic management systems, safety protocols, and emergency services.

TRADE-

Afreximbank subsidiary Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) has welcomed Egypt as a member, according to a Thursday press release. The signing of the Establishment Agreement should boost trade cooperation between Egypt and other African countries. Egypt's incorporation into FEDA's membership significantly broadens the scope of FEDA's initiatives, which primarily focus on offering sustainable capital to African economies, the statement said.

The UAE has inaugurated the Cambodia-UAE Commercial Center at Emirates Palace, which is operated by UAE-based Oneroad Group and aims to link Cambodian agricultural produce, tourism, and investment with Middle East markets, according to a press release published on Saturday. The platform seeks to expand bilateral trade and investment under a CEPA inked earlier this year between the two countries.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

• New bunkering at Sohar: Oman’s Sohar Port and Freezone has inked an MoU with TFG Marine to develop an international bunker fuel supply operation within the freezone. (Statement)
• Acme to provide Yara with green ammonia: Norway’s Yara International has inked an agreement with India's Acme Group subsidiary GHC to acquire green ammonia from its Oman plant. (Bloomberg)
• China Southern Airlines introduces new Doha route: Qatar Airways’ codeshare partner China Southern Airlines is set to operate four weekly direct flights from Guangzhou to Doha starting 22 April 2024. (Statement)
• Emirates to resume Cambodia services: UAE carrier Emirates will resume its daily Phnom Penh service via Singapore effective 1 May. (Statement)
• Etihad Airways adds new services to Turkey + India: The UAE’s national airline EtihadAirways is expanding its network with three weekly seasonal flights to Antalya starting 15 June and four weekly flights to Jaipur starting 16 June. (Statement)
• Qatar Airways restarts flights to Osaka Kansai: Qatar Airways resumed its daily direct flights to Osaka, Japan on 1 March. (Statement)
• Ooredoo opens new branch in Qatar: The Qatar Freezones Authority and Ooredoo have unveiled the latter’s new branch at Business Innovation Park’s (BIP) Investor Relations Center in the Ras Bufontas freezone. The new branch should enhance the accessibility and range of ICT solutions offered to current and potential investors and businesses in the freezone. (Statement)