DAE buys and leases back four Saudia freighters

DAE takes the jets, Saudia keeps flying

DAE bags four Saudia freighters: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise signed a purchase-and-leaseback agreement with Saudi flag carrier Saudia covering four Boeing 777F aircraft, which will remain with Saudia under long-term leases, according to a press release. Deliveries are scheduled between October 2026 and May 2027, with the transaction value undisclosed.

The structure does some of the heavy lifting. The new widebody freighters will support the Saudi carrier’s expansion of cargo operations, while the sale-and-leaseback lets it continue using the aircraft while avoiding the full upfront capital burden and shifting residual-value exposure to the lessor.

The aircraft themselves aren’t newly purchased. Saudia Cargo announced the four Boeing 777-200 freighters last month, with the first due in 4Q this year and the remaining three through 2027. The additions are set to roughly double its dedicated freighter fleet, with each aircraft able to carry up to 102 tons.

New data center in Dammam

Solutions by STC landed an SAR 364 mn contract to build out Center3’s data center in Dammam, covering engineering, construction, testing, commissioning, and handover over 18 months, according to a Tadawul disclosure. The two STC units are related parties; STC owns 79% of Solutions and 100% of Center3, and the financial impact is expected to begin showing in 1Q 2027.

Same companies, bigger check every time: Solutions signed an SAR 150 mn, three-year infrastructure agreement with Center3 in 2024, then an SAR 261.9 mn, five-year hosting-services contract in 2025.

DP World launches European auto rail network

DP World puts European cars on rail: DP World completed its first finished-vehicle rail movement from its Zeebrugge hub in Belgium to Aiud, Romania, opening a new automotive corridor between Western and Southeastern Europe, according to a statement. The pilot is slated to become a regular service in 2H 2026 with two trains a month, while DP World is looking to eventually connect Aiud with other European gateways such as Slovenia’s Port of Koper.

The route connects two pieces of an automotive network that the company has already been building. Its Zeebrugge Finished Vehicle Hub can store 7k vehicles and links into rail, barge, and maritime services, while its EUR 21 mn Aiud hub opened in 2024, with 82k sqm of intermodal space inside a 180k sqm logistics park and direct access to Romania’s national rail network and A10 motorway.