TRADE-

Iran + Cuba eye stronger trade ties: Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash and Cuban Transport Minister Eduardo Rodriguez Davila have agreed to establish sister ports to boost shipping and trade between their countries, IRNA reported on Saturday. The two countries are looking to boost cooperation in maritime, air, and rail transportation as well as to streamline the export of Cuban products and cargo using Iranian ports and shipping services.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

Another shipping service comes to King AbdulAziz Port in Dammam: Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has added a new shipping service, dubbed TPA, that boosts links between King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and a number of ports in China and the Pacific Ocean, according to a statement released on Thursday. The new service will link the port to Malaysia’s Kelang, Vietnam’s Kai Meb, China’s Hong Kong, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Bantian, Taiwan’s Taipei and Kaohsiung, Iraq’s Umm Qasr, and the UAE’s Jebel Ali via weekly trips with capacities up to 6k TEUs, the statement added.

DATA CENTERS-

Digital payment services provider Arab Financial Services (AFS) has launched a new data center in Egypt, according to a statement released on Thursday. The move will allow AFS to provide trusted payment services to a wider range of businesses, banks, and financial institutions, the statement said. The data center features a primary disaster recovery site. “Our new Cairo data center represents a strategic leap forward. It provides a robust and scalable foundation for our existing merchant acquiring business, while simultaneously serving as a platform for our comprehensive issuer payment processing services in Egypt. This investment underscores our commitment to the dynamic Egyptian market,” AFS CEO Samer Soliman said.

ALSO- Egypt inaugurated a new Data and Cloud Computing Center in Ain El-Sokhna Road, according to a statement. The center is the first in Egypt and North Africa for the analysis and processing of big data, and leverages artificial intelligence, saving time and funds to boost investment prospects. The hub also applies big data and AI to the analysis of government data, and functions as a national center for disaster recovery.

CARGO-

ADIO + REGENT partner on cargo transport: The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is teaming up with electric seaglider pioneer Regent to develop and construct all-electric seagliders for cargo transportation at the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster in Masdar City, according to a statement released on Thursday. REGENT's seagliders are capable of serving routes of up to 180 miles (300 km) with existing battery technology and up to 500 miles (800 km) with next-gen batteries.

LOTS OF FLIGHT ROUTE UPDATES THIS MORNING-

  • Gulf Air resumes Iraq flights: Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air is resuming flights between Bahrain and Iraq after they were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. (Statement)
  • KSA is also boosting flights to Iraq: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation plans to kick off direct flights from Dammam to the Iraqi city of Al-Najaf, starting 1 June 2024. (SPA)
  • Qatar Airways Cargo opens animal center: Qatar Airways Cargo has launched a state-of-the-art animal center and has relaunched its Next Generation Live product, in a bid to improve live animal transport. (Press release)
  • Gulf Air boosts China routes: Gulf Air is set to start four direct flights a week to Shanghai starting 28 May and Guangzhou starting 29 May. (Statement)
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