STORAGE + WAREHOUSES-

DHL expands MEA footprint with innovation center + Dubai South warehouse: DHL Supply Chain is building a new EUR 120 mn Dubai South warehouse near the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport under a 38-year term agreement, according to a press release published on Thursday. The 55k sqm warehouse will be multi-user and serve a range of sectors. Construction is set for 1Q 2026, with completion slated for summer 2027, and the agreement includes additional office space.

ALSO- The group opened its expanded Middle East and Africa (MEA) Innovation Center in Dubai. The 1.7k sqm center is one of four worldwide and will serve as a hub for meetings and workshops for startups, clients, and partners working on emerging technologies and logistics solutions.

IN CONTEXT- The new developments are part of DHL’s broader regional growth efforts, with plans to invest over EUR 500 mn in the Middle East between 2024 and 2030.

AUTONOMOUS LOGISTICS-

Aramex taps Lodd for VTOL cargo aircraft: UAE end-to-end logistics provider Aramex inked an MoU with local advanced air mobility leader Lodd Autonomous to explore the inclusion of its next-generation hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo plane — named Hill — into Aramex’s regional delivery network, according to a statement released on Thursday. The pair will test the integration of Hill over two pilot phases — the first involves delivering parcels from Aramex’s Musaffah facility in Abu Dhabi to two temporary drone delivery points, while the second expands to include three additional areas using a longer-range drone platform.

About Hill: The VTOL has a payload capacity of up to 250 kg and a range of up to 700 km — engineered to withstand varied terrains and tight delivery schedules.

PORTS-

Oman’s Dhalkut port lands a new operator: Oman’s Transport Ministry signed a three-year agreement with Oman’s Abu Sultan Enterprises to develop, manage, and operate Dhalkut port in Dhofar, Times of Oman reported last week. Abu Sultan Enterprises has six months to perform maintenance, draft a financial-commercial model, and propose a long-term strategic plan for port expansion.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

QatarEnergy uptakes two more LNG carriers: State-owned QatarEnergy has acquired two LNG carriers from a JV of Japan’s NYK Line, Malaysia’s MISC Berhad, China LNG Shipping, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, according to a press release published on Thursday. The newbuilds are equipped with fuel-efficient engines that cut fuel consumption and lower GHG emissions — a boon to QatarEnergy’s shipping capacity and a boost to its LNG operations.

Filling up its orderbook: The vessels are the seventh and eighth in a 12-vessel order — built by the JV for QatarEnergy, with the vessel Sharq being the first of three in this series to be managed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha. The JV also handed over Al Zuwair last August

with a capacity of 174k cbm.

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