Good morning, folk. We’re heading into the weekend with a brisk read, featuring M&A, trade, and ports updates from Turkish and UAE players. Let’s dive right in.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- DP World, Hapag-Lloyd renew Brazil port pact: UAE port operator DP World has extended its agreement with global shipping line Hapag-Lloyd over container handling operations in Brazil’s Port of Santos for 10 more years, according to a press release. The agreement is a foundation for future expansions at the port by both parties, the release said.

DP World + Santos go way back: The company first landed in Santos in 2010 with the construction and expansion of its terminal for container and general cargo. The company has since invested in the port to expand its capacity and diversify the types of cargo handled. Last year, the Emirati giant signed an agreement with Brazil’s leading railway operator Rumo to establish a new terminal for grains and fertilizers at Port Santos — aiming to boost the port’s handling capacity by some 12.5 mn tons per year, including 9 mn tons of grain and 3.5 mn tons of fertilizer.

#2- Turkey, Syria, Jordan to revive Hejaz Railway: Turkish, Syrian, and Jordanian Transport Ministers have agreed on a draft MoU to re-establish the historic Hejaz Railway after a 13-year hiatus, Turkish outlet Anadolu reports, citing Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu. The Turkish side is set to build 30 km of missing infrastructure within Syrian territory to bolster Ankara’s connection to the Red Sea via the Port of Aqaba. Jordan will examine the potential to operate locomotives in Syria and look into maintenance and repair, Uraloglu reportedly said.

We’ve heard about this recently: Reviving the historic railway was reportedly on the agenda of last week’s tripartite transport minister meeting. The proposal also included reopening the Bab Al Hawa-Cilvegözü crossing, conducting joint technical studies for a railway network, and boosting the overland freight route leading to Eastern Europe from Jordan’s Aqaba port via Turkey.

#3- Space42 to launch cloud system for autonomous mobility ops: UAE space tech firm Space42 — in partnership with G42 subsidiary Core42’s Sovereign Public Cloud and Microsoft Azure — is launching the UAE’s first Sovereign Mobility Cloud, according to an ADX disclosure (pdf). The platform, which will be dedicated to powering smart mobility and autonomous vehicle operations, will enable data sharing between government and industry stakeholders. It will support key activities in the field, such as HD mapping, traffic management, fleet operations, and digital twins — virtual models of real-world objects.

REMEMBER- Microsoft, which will co-invest in the system and provide expertise, recently partnered with state AI player G42 on its Map Africa project.

This comes at a crucial time for the UAE’s autonomous mobility ambitions, with Abu Dhabi Mobility expanding its self-driving taxi rollout and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority rolling out open-road pilot testing for driverless taxis in Jumeirah and Dubai Silicon Oasis, with a commercial launch targeted for 1Q 2026, Gulf News reports. Around 60 vehicles are currently involved — 50 from Baidu and 10 from WeRide — operating with safety drivers under RTA-issued permits.

#4- SCZone wants to boost its top line by 20%: Egypt’s General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) is looking to raise its revenues by 20% in FY 2025-26, SCZone’s chief Walid Gamal El Din said in a statement to Asharq Business. Revenues hit EGP 11.6 bn the past fiscal year, at a growth rate of 38% y-o-y, Gamal El Din said. SCZone has already reached 50% of its annual target for inaugurated factories, and is currently in talks with local and foreign developers to prepare land plots for expansion.

DATA POINT –

DXB tops list of regional low-cost hubs: Dubai International Airport (DXB) ranked fifth worldwide and first in the Middle East among low-cost carrier hubs, according to OAG Aviation’s Megahubs 2025 report (pdf). DXB also placed 15th globally in overall connectivity ranking — up from 16th last year — thanks to Emirates’ 38% share of flights. Budget carrier flydubai accounted for 28% of flights at the airport.

MARKET WATCH–

#1- Oil prices slipped this morning as buyers pulled off new purchases amid unclear market signals on the balance of supply and demand, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures went down by USD 0.26 to reach USD 69.05 / bbl by 03.50 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also fell by USD 0.27 to trade at USD 64.72 / bbl. The drop came after crude prices rallied to their highest point in seven weeks during an earlier trading session.

#2- Baltic index rallies: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — was up 40 points to 2,240 on Wednesday — its highest in two months — on the back of bigger vessel segments. The capesize surged 104 points to 3,573, while the panamax index gained 25 points to 1,824. The smaller supramax index shed 3 points at 1,483.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Turkey will host the Global Freight Summit on Sunday, 28 September until Wednesday, 1 October in Istanbul. The summit will host over 330 attendees and more than 250 firms for policy and knowledge and strategies exchange between forwarding partners.

The UAE will host the African, Middle East, and Islamic Finance Aviation 100 Awards on Monday, 29 September until Wednesday, 1 October in Dubai. The event aims to highlight and reward the most remarkable transactions closed by airlines and aviation manufacturing and leasing firms.

The UAE will host the Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference on Tuesday, 30 September until Thursday, 2 October in Abu Dhabi. The event will be hosted by Etihad Rail and is set to welcome over 200 global speakers and upwards of 20k industry attendees to share innovative solutions and develop partnerships.

Saudi Arabia will host the Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress on Wednesday, 1 October and Thursday, 2 October in Dammam. It will host over 200 registered exhibitors and some 15k attendees from over 90 countries to discuss AI-powered fleet optimization, shifts in global trade, and intelligence-driven infrastructure.

The UK will host the Marine Environment Protection Committee Extraordinary Session from Tuesday, 14 October until Friday, 17 October at the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) HQ in London. The session is set to see the intergovernmental body formally adopt its Net-Zero Framework — rolling out new fuel standards for ships and a global pricing mechanism for emissions.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.

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