PIPELINES-

OQGN snags Area 61’s gas transmission pipeline: Omani state-owned OQ Gas Networks (OQGN) has signed an asset transfer agreement with Oman’s Energy Ministry to acquire the 36-inch gas transmission pipeline in concession Area 61 (Ghazeer, Phase Two) for OMR 39.9 mn, according to a statement (pdf). The asset –– which will be added to the company’s regulated asset base –– will extend OQGN’s network by 65 km.

ROADS-

Sharjah ruler Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi approved a AED 90 mn project to upgrade a five-kilometer stretch of Sharjah Ring Road near Etihad Rail Station, optimizing traffic flow along Mleiha Road — where traffic has recently doubled — and expanding University City Bridge, The National reports. The plan is in its final design stages, with construction set to wrap up within a year.

REMEMBER- The emirate also announced last week plans to build of an AED 60 mn bridge next to Martyrs’ Monument to improve traffic flows from Mleiha Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and from Sheikh Khalifa Street towards Mleiha Road.

AVIATION-

Ammroc, Egypt’s AOI partner on aircraft manufacturing + defense: The UAE’s Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Center (Ammroc) inked three MoUs with Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) to improve cooperation across aircraft components, engine manufacturing, and helicopter system maintenance, according to a press release.

The details: Ammroc will collaborate with three AOI entities — the Aircraft Factory, the Engine Factory and Digital Manufacturing Center, and the Helwan Factory for Advanced Industries — to develop production capabilities and enhance systems for fixed-wing aircraft and autonomous aerial systems, manufacture and treat engine parts, and expand MRO services for helicopter platforms. The agreements also aim to establish training and knowledge transfer programs and set up new production lines.

ZONES-

WuXi tapped to boost Qatar’s biopharma sector: Qatar Freezones Authority has inked an MoU with China’s biotech platform WuXi Biologics to strengthen Qatar’s biopharma ecosystem, according to a statement. The agreement will explore the establishment of an integrated research and manufacturing hub for the region.

RAIL-

Iran’s first train bound for Uzbekistan has departed fully loaded with Iranian freight, the Director General of Foreign Trade Shahriar Naghizadeh told IRNA on Sunday. Prior to this development, Iranian shippers sending commodities via Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations were required to unload and reload their shipments onto CIS-owned trains or trucks. The train — consisting of 40 carriages — is heading to Uzbekistan’s Bukhara by way of Turkmenistan.

Lots of firsts for Iran’s cross-border rail connectivity: Iran’s Aprin dry port received the first scheduled Russian rail freight service in November, marking a milestone for the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC). The train carried Russian paper and pulp products on top of 62 containers, passing through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan before reaching Iran in a twelve-day trip.

Iran’s rail ambitions continue to advance: Last month, Tehran signed a multilateral agreement with China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey to expand cross-border freight flows. It is also working with Russia to complete a EUR 1.6 bn rail link, the 162-km Rasht-Astara railway linking Russia, India, and Azerbaijan.

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