STORAGE + WAREHOUSES-

AD Ports subsidiary Noatum Logistics inaugurated its first robotically assisted refrigerated warehouse in Lisbon, according to a statement. The 12k sqm reefer cold storage facility — located in Lisbon’s North Logistics Platform — will feature temperature-controlled storage as well as robotic cross-docking, picking, labeling, customs, weighing, and more. The move aims to address the growing demand for cold chain refrigeration in Portugal and tap the wider West Mediterranean region.

Location, location, and location: The hub is located in close proximity to the city’s international airport, port, and key road networks — a crucial plug to West Mediterranean trade routes. It will offer an expanded host of integrated end-to-end solutions to a suite of cold chain sector industries, including food and beverage, healthcare, and pharma.

A growing Europe network…: The integration of the new facility boosts Noatum Logistics’ global network of warehouses to 47 in current operation. Noatum acquired 100% equity ownership of Spanish Finished Vehicles Logistics (FVL) outfit Sesé Auto Logistics for EUR 81 mn last year. Sesé Auto Logistics operates in most European countries with a fleet of over 200 trucks in Spain, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

DP World subsidiary Drydocks World has co-founded an international coalition of leading shipyards working to fast-track the maritime sector’s green transition, according to a statement. The group — dubbed the Global Green Shipyard Alliance (GGSA) — aims to streamline the integration of clean technology, boost environmental performance, and enforce ESG standards across its global operations.

Who’s involved? Spanish Astilleros Shipyard Group, German Bredo Dry Docks GmbH, and IMC Shipyard Services Group —- with bases in Singapore, China, and Thailand — are the alliance’s founding members alongside Drydocks World.

AVIATION-

The Saudi Transport and Logistics Ministry announced its plans to expand Hail International Airport, the Saudi Gazette reports. This comes as part of a broader plan to leverage the airport’s proximity to 11 Arab capitals (60 minutes away) and Central Europe (200 minutes away) and transform Hail into an integrated logistics center — a plan that includes a 374k sqm logistic hub.

TRADE-

#1- Algeria to build export-bound new sugar factory: Algeria’s state-owned Madar Holding has allocated USD 1 bn to invest in a factory to produce sugar from beets with a slated production capacity of 1 mn tons annually, CEO of Madar Charaf-Eddinne Amara told Asharq Business. Construction on the factory will begin within the next few weeks in Ouargla Province in southern Algeria and will take three years to complete. Production from the factory will be designated for export.

#2- EGA + Sunstone boost anode manufacturing, exports: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and China-based independent pre-baked anode producer Sunstone inked a joint development agreement to develop an export-oriented anode manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi, according to a statement. The new plant — set to be located in the Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (Kezad) — is slated to have a capacity of 300k tonnes of anodes annually. Construction is scheduled to launch during 2026 — with operational launch expected to begin in 2028. EGA is looking to replace its anode imports, striving to instead become the second country in the world, after China, to export anodes globally.

#3- UAE-based Julphar to ramp up pharma exports: Emirati pharma manufacturer Gulf Pharmaceuticals Industries (Julphar) is set to pour AED 300 mn over the next five years into the UAE’s pharm sector to expand manufacturing and localize advanced technologies, CEO Basel Ziyadeh told Wam. The move seeks to streamline the local supply chain to boost non-oil pharma exports exiting the Emirates. Julphar currently exports over 80% of its production to nearly 40 global markets. It invested around AED 100 mn over the past three years to strengthen its manufacturing infrastructure and capacity.

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