SHIPPING + MARITIME-

QatarEnergy has inked a contract with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for 18 supersize LNG newbuilds, each with a capacity of 271k cubic meters, Sky News Arabia reports. The Q-Max vessels will be delivered by CSSC vessel manufacturer subsidiary Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Splash reports. QatarEnergy finalized a charter contract earlier this month for 19 additional LNG vessels with several Asian ship owners in a move to boost its LNG output. The firm chartered six vessels from CMES LNG Carrier Investment, six vessels from Shandong Marine Energy, and three vessels from MISC Berhad.

Iran has delivered three 90k-ton domestic-built tankers to Venezuela, Tasnim reports. This is not the first time the two countries have engaged in such transactions. Iran delivered an Aframax tanker, the Yoraco, to Venezuela in 2022, Reuters reported at the time.

TRADE-

GCC aluminum exports set to rise after Western ban on Russian metals: Experts are forecasting a boost in aluminum exports from GCC countries to US and European markets following bans by the US and the UK on Russian metal trading and imports, The National reports. The GCC, led by the UAE, is a key producer of primary aluminum, contributing 9% to global production in 2023. The UAE accounts for 44% of GCC output. “There are more opportunities for GCC producers to gain market share with the diversion of metal away from Western Europe and the US amid new sanctions,” said Zaid Aljanabi, an analyst at commodities research firm CRU Group. The US Treasury Department, in coordination with the UK, has introduced two new prohibitions aimed at reducing Russia's revenue from aluminum, copper, and nickel exports.

DIGITALIZATION-

Iraq plans to deploy an electric monitoring system to track containers and vehicles, Iraq’s General Authority of Customs head Hassan Al Akaily told Iraqi News Agency (INA). The system, set to be deployed by year-end or at the start of 2025, will include electronic locks for containers that open using facial recognition, INA writes.

PROJECTS-

Oman invites tenders for consultations on a new road project: Oman’s Transport, Communications and Information Technology Ministry is accepting tenders for consultancy services to study the rehabilitation of the existing Wadi Al-Aq Road, according to a statement released earlier this week. The latest date for purchasing tender documents is 9 May with the submission window closing on 4 June.

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