DATA CENTERS-

Al Moammar Information Systems Company (MIS) sealed a framework agreement to add up to 112 MW in capacity to Saudi Data Center Fund 1’s existing data centers, it said in a Tadawul disclosure. The 36-month agreement could also see MIS establish new data centers for the fund. The financial details of the agreement will be announced once Saudi Data Center Fund 1, represented by Saudi Fransi Capital as its manager, hands in development notices.

MIS + Saudi Data Centers Fund 1 go way back: The fund was established in 2021 when MIS and Saudi Fransi Capital inked a SAR 1.2 bn agreement to develop, design, and manage data centers through the private investment fund. The agreement laid out plans for six data centers with a combined 24 MW capacity.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

Hamad Port gets new MSC service: Qatari port operator QTerminals has added the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) Chinook Clanga service to Hamad Port — following the arrival of its container ship MSC Charleston, according to a statement. The service offers routes connecting to Asian and North America’s West Coast ports.

ICYMI- QTerminals launched an MSC service — MSC Clanga — from Hamad Port in April, targeting trade links between China, Singapore, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

CARGO-

Lufthansa Cargo has launched a new weekly service between Frankfurt and Beirut, according to a statement. The new service — operating once a week on Thursdays — widens Lufthansa Cargo’s reach to upwards of 50 destinations in the Middle East and Africa, including Lufthansa Group belly capacities. The route will facilitate transporting goods such as automotive parts, meds, and high-tech products.

TRADE-

#1- Sectors to watch under the UAE-EAEU Cepa: A new trade pact between the UAE and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will expand market access for industries including metals, petrochemicals, processed foods, polymers, and consumer goods, Eurasian Economic Commission Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev told Emirati state news agency Wam. Over 85% of goods will see tariff reductions, with Emirati exports like polyethylene, cosmetics, and home appliances gaining wider entry to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) markets, while goods from the bloc such as dairy, steel and aluminium, and transport products will face fewer barriers entering the UAE.

IN CONTEXT- The UAE ratified a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the EAEU last month, after concluding trade talks earlier in December. The agreement also targets cooperation in sectors like renewable energy, logistics, and construction across the bloc’s five member states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

#2- The UAE and Azerbaijan signed an economic partnership agreement aimed at boosting investment flows and cooperation across renewables, tourism, logistics, and construction services, according to a statement and state news agency Wam. The two countries’ non-oil trade hit USD 2.4 bn in 2024, up 43% y-o-y, while the UAE’s investments in the country exceed USD 1 bn.

The two countries’ leaders also discussed further potential projects in the renewables sector yesterday, according to the statement. The UAE and Azerbaijan have strong energy ties, with the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) investing USD 50 mn in Adnoc’s gas pipeline unit, Adnoc Gas Pipeline Assets, earlier this year, and Masdar planning a 240 MW Absheron-Garadagh onshore wind farm in Azerbaijan as part of a a pipeline of 10 GW of clear energy capacity in Azerbaijan.

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