Good morning, nice people. It was yet another busy day at Dubai Airshow, with a flurry of agreements covering everything in aviation. We also have the latest on Humain’s data center infrastructure partnerships with US’ major players. PLUS: A quick look into K2’s efforts to advance autonomous logistics in Abu Dhabi. Shall we?

HAPPENING TODAY-

The Dubai Airshow is on its fourth day and will run through until Friday, 21 November at Dubai World Central. Focusing on a diverse range of subjects — including aerospace technology advancements, sustainable aviation solutions, and cybersecurity — the conference will host some 135k attendees and around 1.4k exhibitors. There will be 192 aircraft on display with USD 101.5 bn orders already booked, according to the event brochure (pdf).

WATCH THIS SPACE-.

#1- UAE’s Madari looks to introduce space data centers by 2026: UAE-based Madari Space and South Korea’s Innospace inked an MoU to explore joint development of space-based data infrastructure, including space data centers in the UAE, Space and Defense reports. It is aiming to launch its first orbital data center by 2026 in partnership with Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and the United Nations for Outer Space Affairs, as demand for secure, AI-powered data processing and storage in low-Earth orbit rises.

We knew this was coming: The Abu Dhabi-based startup’s CEO Shareef Al Romaithi recently announced plans to launch data centers in low-Earth orbit, anticipating rollout by 3Q 2026. Al Romaithi also said Madari has been targeting governments and businesses with space operations for backup data storage alternatives.

SPEAKING OF DATA CENTERS- Advanced chips are finally coming to Saudi, UAE: The US Commerce Department approved sales of advanced AI semiconductors to Saudi and the UAE in a long-anticipated decision coinciding with the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Washington.

The approval authorizes PIF’s AI champion Humain and UAE’s G42 to purchase up to 35k GB300 processors from Nvidia, provided they meet “rigorous security and reporting requirements,” according to the department’s post on X.

#2- Oman could be latest addition to Russia-led INSTC corridor: Oman is mulling plans to integrate itself into the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Oman Daily Observer reports, citing discussions at the Oman-Russia business forum last week.

The pitch: With the Gulf country working to position itself as a regional logistics hub with major investments in the sector, Russia can utilize Oman as a transit hub to access African and Asian markets, Oman–Russia Joint Business Council Chairman Hamed al Dhahab reportedly said. Meanwhile, Russia views Oman as an access point to the region and Africa, as it looks to diversify routes with new overland links in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

INSTC is gaining momentum regionally: Iran’s Aprin dry port received the first scheduled Russian rail freight service on Saturday, marking a milestone for the INSTC. Moscow is also planning to invest EUR 1.6 bn in Iran’s Rasht-Astara railway, a 162 km connection that is set to close the loop for the planned INSTC’s multimodal routes stretching over 7.2k km

#3- Texas-based Golden Pass LNG project, an Exxon-Qatar joint venture, is lining up its first LNG export shipment in February 2026, Bloomberg reports. The timeline is not set in stone yet, but earlier reports indicated the facility would begin production before the end of the year.

REMEMBER- Golden Pass — set to become the ninth operational LNG export facility in the US — is part of a LNG production boom in the US, with the project set to add 18 mn tons to the US annual capacity once completed. QatarEnergy holds a 70% stake in the project, and ExxonMobil retains the remaining 30%.

Gulf investors are going big on US LNG: The Qatari investment in the US LNG is among many from Gulf players, with Adnoc’s investment arm XRG snapping up an 11.7% stake in Rio Grande LNG and Mubadala securing a 24% equity in Texas Kimmeridge’s SoTex earlier this year. Aramco is also exploring a possible stake in Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 after signing a heads of agreement with Sempra back in 2024.

#4- Flydubai plans to return to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in two years, CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith told reporters. The airline is planning to “start small and grow big,” he added. The carrier operated at the airport prior to the pandemic, after which it halted its flight operations, focusing its operations on Dubai International Airport. The airline is planning on operating from both airports in Dubai within two years.

All eyes on DWC: Emirates is earmarking USD 10-12 bn in investments for DWC — and the airport also received an expression of interest for up to USD 3.5 bn from the UK’s export credit agency UK Export Finance to facilitate the airport’s expansion.

IN OTHER AVIATION NEWS- Airbus is eyeing a maxed-out A350. Airbus is mulling plans for a larger version of the A350 carrier — with Emirates hinting at large and more advanced twin-engined jets, Commercial Planemaking Business CEO Christian Scherer said. The giant manufacturer’s interest in the move comes after rival Boeing indicated the possibility of a stretched version of its delayed 777X jet — after selling 65 of its largest model to Emirates on the first day of the Dubai Airshow.

Derby rivalry? Emirates’ USD 38 bn order for 65 Boeing 777-9s isn’t just a fleet expansion — it’s a power move that tilts the long-haul rivalry back in favor of the US planemaker after years of certification delays. This order puts pressure on the French manufacturer, as its A350 cannot match the 777X in capacity, making the A350’s capacity stretch seem less like an optional upgrade and more like a necessity if Airbus wants to keep pace.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices fell this morning amid oversupply concerns after reports of a renewed US push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures fell USD 0.16 to trade at USD 63.67 / bbl as of 03:38 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped by USD 0.17 to USD 59.61 / bbl.

#2- Baltic index continues to move upward: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — gained 2% to 2,260 on Wednesday, on the back of gains across all segments. The capesize increased 3.4% to 3,636, while the panamax index was up by 0.7% to 1,895. The smaller supramax index rose 0.2% to 1,430.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Egypt will host the International Procurement Supply Chain Conference on Saturday, 6 December in Cairo. The event will gather over 1k delegates, more than 400 organizations, and over 30 global speakers to discuss the future of trade through keynotes and panel discussions. The discussions will center on Egypt’s transformation in the logistics sector, the future of smart ports and supply chains, as well as digital ecosystems.

Morocco is hosting the Rail Industry Summit on Tuesday, 9 December until Wednesday, 10 December in El Jadida. The two-day event will gather 130 exhibitors, 250 companies, and over 900 participants from 15 countries. It will feature business meetings, high-level conferences, and workshops focused on new market trends and future strategies.

Saudi Arabia is hosting the Saudi Airport Exhibition on Tuesday, 16 December until Wednesday, 17 December in Riyadh. Upwards of 10k global attendees are expected to participate in the event from over 100 countries. The two-day event will focus on airport-related innovation, and will feature participation from Saudia, SolitAir, and Amadeus.

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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