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TODAY: Trade to get spotlight treatment at COP28 for the first time + Pakistani businesses can now source LNG cargoes from Qatar

Good morning, lovely people. It’s the accidental electric and autonomous vehicle issue today, with several stories coming out of the UAE from those two departments.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Agility’s Menzies Aviation continues expansion spree:Agility’s Menzies Aviation has expanded into Eastern Europe with a fresh majority stake acquisition inCargo Handling Services at Sofia International Airport in Bulgaria. It also formed a JV to Bangalore International Airport to expand air cargo services at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru.

HAPPENING TODAY-

WATCH THIS SPACE-Trade will get special attention at this year’s COP28 summit: International trade will be given prominence during COP28 later this year, marking the first time trade will be discussed “as a specific theme” at the annual climate conference, according to a statement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) last week. The WTO Secretariat is invited by the UAE Economy Ministry and the UAE Climate Change Special Envoy’s Office to co-lead the COP28 Presidency Committee on trade, bringing together the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the International Chamber of Commerce, the World Economic Forum, and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development to help outline discussions on trade during the program. It will be subject to a dedicated day set for 4 December under the COP28 Presidency Thematic Program.

Kurdistan has been handing over some 50k-60k barrels per day (bbl / d) of oil to Iraq’s state owned marketer SOMO since mid-June as a means to comply with new Iraqi regulations, Kurdistan24 quotes Kurdish Regional Government President Diwan Omed Sabah as saying. This comes after several back and forthdiscussions, and delays that halted some 450k bbl / d in oil exports from Kurdistan to Turkey.

REMEMBER-Iraq halted crude exports from the Kurdish region after a court ruled in its favor in a nine-year arbitration dispute against Turkey over Kurdish oil exports.

The Kuwaiti National Petroleum Company has made its first 35k-ton shipment of 95 octane motor fuel and low-sulfur fuel oil to European markets, Kuwait News Agency(KUNA) reports. The shipment was exported from Mina Al Ahmadi and loaded on the “Pacific Sarah” oil tanker.

Pakistani businesses can now source LNG directly from Qatar under a new policy announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,Business Recorder reports. “Because LNG rates at present are very low, the federal government has developed a policy under which private companies shall directly purchase LNG cargoes from Qatar,” Sharif said. “The government would provide all facilities at the Karachi Port,” he added.

Addressing Pakistan’s gas shortage: State-owned Pakistan LNG has thus far been responsible for buying, importing, storing and distributing LNG to buyers in Pakistan, though the outlet reports it has failed to procure enough cargoes over the past months. The country has not procured any spot cargoes of LNG for about a year, since global prices rose following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has since been facing a severe shortage of gas, Reuters reports.

DATA POINT #1- Customs transactions handled by Dubai Customs rose 10% y-o-y to 14 mn in 1H 2023, Emirati news agency WAMreports. Customs declarations totaled 12.3 mn — making up 88% of the total number of customs transactions.

DATA POINT #2- Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport saw a 6.8% y-o-y increase in cargo handled to 31.1k tonnes in 1H 2023, The Jordan Times reports, citing data from Airport International Group. Aircraft movements also spiked 18.1% y-o-y to 37.3k during the same period. The airport alsowitnessed a 33.9% increase in the number of passengers handled to 4.3 mn.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDARS- The Enterprise Finance Forum is taking place on 18-19 September at the St. Regis Hotel in Cairo. This flagship forum is the latest in our must-attend series of invitation-only, C-suite-level gatherings that allow senior members of our community to openly and frankly discuss critical issues in key sectors of the economy.

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DID YOU MISS THE ENTERPRISE EXPORTS AND FDI FORUM? Tune in to the Enterprise Podcast and listen for yourself: The Enterprise Podcast is back with another installment of our forum series, where we bring you audio recordings of what was said on stage at the Enterprise Exports and FDI Forum,which took place in May.

WANT TO LISTEN? Head to: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast | Anghami. We’re releasing a new episode every Sunday morning.

IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE- We ask some of the biggest multinationals and suppliers operating here — namely, in logistics, e-commerce, and FMCG — what it is they’re looking for in a local partner, product or service and what are some of the pain points they’ve had to deal with. We were joined on that panel by Khaled Morsy, CEO of DB Schenker Egypt, Omar Elsahy, General Manager at Amazon Egypt, Tarek Kamel, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Egypt and Sudan.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE’s Finance Ministry is holding a digital public consultation on its website that began last Wednesday and runs until 2 August,as part of the UAE’s corporate tax freezone regulations,Emirati news agency WAM reports.The consultation aims to gather feedback from freezone-based companies, WAM added.

The Second Summit Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum will take place in Saint Petersburg, Russia this Thursday and Friday. The event will build on discussions in the last iteration of the summit, which took place in Sochi in 2019. It will also look to develop ties between Russia and partner countries in Africa, as well as African organizations such as the African Union.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Al Sabah will visit Iraq by the end of the month,state-owned Iraqi News Agency reports, citing statements from the Kuwaiti ambassador to Iraq, Tariq Al Faraj. Al Faraj met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid yesterday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and resolve outstanding issues.

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

Agility’s Menzies Aviation enters Bulgarian market with fresh acquisition + forms JV to handle cargo at major Indian airport

Menzies Aviation expands in Eastern Europe with fresh acquisition: Kuwaiti Agility’ssubsidiary Menzies Aviation acquired a majority stake in Cargo Handling Services (CHS) at Sofia International Airport (SOF) in Bulgaria, according to a press release. CHS will adopt the Menzies brand and its standards and systems following the acquisition, according to the statement. The acquisition expands Menzies Aviation’s presence in Europe to 50 airports across 17 countries, the statement said, without clarifying the exact size of the stake that Menzies acquired.

What they said: “Strategically, this investment supports our ambitions to accelerate growth by expanding our air cargo business and entering emerging aviation markets. We’re looking forward to working with our new partners and, in the long-term, increasing our market share at Sofia Airport,” Miguel Gomez Sjunnesson, executive vice president Europe at Menzies Aviation, said.

About CHS: Established in 2016, CHS offers various cargo services at SOF, including warehousing, import and export handling, mail handling, and temperature-controlled storage. Sofia International Airport, situated 5km from Bulgaria’s capital, is the country’s largest international airport, serving 21 airlines with connections to major European business hubs.

The latest in a string of acquisitions: The company plans to increase its current 250 locations to 300 by 2024 or early 2025, with a long-term vision of reaching 450 locations. Its expansion strategy focuses on southern and eastern Europe, the UK, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In May, Menzies Aviation formed a joint venturewith MYAirline to establish a ground services company at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and acquired Aircraft Services and Consulting in Panama to strengthen its presence in Latin America. Menzies also obtained a 50.1% stake in Groundforce, TAP Air Portugal’s aviation services subsidiary, in April.

ALSO FROM MENZIES- The Agility subsidiary will also handle cargo operations at a major Indian airport: Menzies Aviation and Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) formed a joint venture to expand air cargo services at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) in India, according to a statement. This partnership grants the newly formed entity, dubbed Menzies Aviation (Bengaluru) Private Limited (MABPL), exclusive rights to handle domestic cargo operations and international cargo services at BLR Airport for the next 15 years. This period began from the end of May, the statement added.

The details: MABPL will handle imports and exports at the existing on-site cargo facility that can handle a capacity of 210k tonnes, with plans to increase capacity by an additional 40k tonnes in phases by the end of this decade. MABPL will also become the sole operator at a new domestic cargo facility, once it is completed, initially handling 250k tonnes of cargo with potential to expand to 400k tonnes, in line with BIAL’s goal of accommodating up to 1.6 mn tonnes of cargo annually across its facilities.

What they said: “This long-term agreement with BIAL significantly expands our cargo operations at this strategically important transport hub, which represents the gateway to South and Central India,” Charles Wyley, executive vice president of Middle East, Africa and Asia at Menzies Aviation, said.

WeRide looks to roll out 100s of self-driving vehicles in the UAE by 2025

Chinese autonomous driving outfit WeRide is planning to roll out hundreds of self-driving vehicles in the UAE by 2025,The Nationalreports. The company currently operates a fleet of 10 autonomous vehicles — including 8 robotaxis and 2 robo buses — in the country, but received a license to trial its range of vehicles in the UAE, including its line of autonomous trucks, earlier this month.

WeRide is also making inroads into KSA: The company last year collaborated with the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) on tests of a robo bus route in Saudi Arabia. Later that same year, WeRide also inked an agreement with KSA’s Ajlan & Brothers Holding Group to promote self-driving vehicles in the kingdom.

The UAE is leading the charge on autonomous driving: The country recently inked an MoU with Swedish electric and autonomous trucking startup Einride that will see fast tracked deployment of 200 self-driving vehicles alongside 2k EVs to operate along a 550 km freight grid. Dubai is angling to have 25% of all of its road trips automated by 2030 as part of a government-backed strategy.

British mobility startup to invest USD 40 mn in expanding delivery EVs in the UAE

One Moto secures USD 40 mn to roll out delivery EVs in the UAE: British sustainable mobility startup One Moto Technologies has secured USD 40 mn in lease financing to accelerate the leasing of electric delivery vehicles throughout the UAE, according to a statement. The financing round was led by sustainability funding platform Pyse, the company said.

Where the funds are going: The investment will allow One Moto to expand its offering of electric delivery vehicles to customers to some 50k vehicles by 2025, and further cement its network across the UAE, digital platform SME10x notes.

Plug and play: One Moto’s motorcycles will not need charging infrastructure beyond the standard 3-pin socket, CEO Adam Ridgway told SME10x, and the bikes deployed in the UAE come with swappable battery banks. One Moto’s vans also use standard type-2 chargers, which can be installed within any company facilities if needed. The company is working with various UAE EV charging companies to supplement the demand, Ridway added, and noted that One Moto’s R&D team is developing “groundbreaking charging” for all EVs, which the company will announce in 4Q 2023.

About One Moto: The London-headquartered sustainable mobility startup offers a wide fleet of delivery vehicles including motorcycles, e-bikes, scooters, delivery and grocery vans, according to its website. It is currently present in the UK, UAE, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, Bahrain, Jordan and Chile.

Qatar appoints ambassador to the UAE following years-long rift + Iran, Serbia talk boosting trade ties

Qatar appoints ambassador to the UAE for the first time since mid-2017: Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani has appointed Sultan Salmeen Al Mansouri as the country’s ambassador to the UAE, following a six-year-long rift, according to a statement from the Emir’s office. Qatar has been on a drive to mend its relations with a KSA-led bloc — which includes Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain — that had imposed an embargo against the state in 2017 after alleging that the country had ties to terrorism. The country exchanged ambassadors with KSA and Egypt in 2021, but has yet to nominate an ambassador to Bahrain.

Iranian + Serbian officials discuss trade: Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi stressed the need for stronger commercial ties with Serbia in a meeting with Serbia’s Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlić, Iran’s state owned IRNA reports. Orlić also expressed interest in developing deeper trade ties with Iran, particularly in industry and agriculture, the news agency said.

ALSO WORTH KNOWING-

Iran’s Agriculture Deputy Minister Seyed Nekouei and Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu inked an MoU to boost cooperation and trade in the agriculture sector. (Tasnim)

More than 10k vessels could be scrapped, as per IMO’s new carbon targets

More than 10k vessels are at risk of being scrapped if they fail to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new carbon targets, Hellenic Shipping News reports. Shipowners must upgrade their carbon intensity indicator technology (CII) to comply with the IMO’s reduction targets, which stipulate that ships cut emissions by 20% by 2030, and 70% by 2040, with the aim of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Iraqi Airways plans to expand its fleet by 2027 + AD Ports Group forms consortium to roll out marine fueling stations in Abu Dhabi. PLUS: More from FedEx Express, Japan Airlines, Oman and IMO

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

New consortium looks to roll out marine refueling and retail concepts in Abu Dhabi: AD Ports Group subsidiary Abu Dhabi Maritime, ADNOC Distribution, and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) have inked an MoU to explore marine fuel and retail offerings to enhance Abu Dhabi’s maritime services, according to a statement. The agreement will see the trio investigate three proposed avenues for collaboration: an ADNOC fuel station at Rabdan Marina, fuel stations at future marinas within Abu Dhabi, and floating fuel and grocery vessels, the statement said.

New biofuel + SAF project in Egypt: The Egyptian Company for Solid Waste Recycling (ECARU), Qalaa Holdings and France’s Axens signed a cooperation protocol to conduct technical and economic studies for second-generation biofuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production project, according to a statement (pdf) by Qalaa Holdings. The project will be implemented in two phases, with the first focusing on the production of the advanced bioethanol, and the second focusing on SAF, the statement said. The studies will be carried out in seven months, with potential for exports of the second-generation biofuel later, the statement added.

World’s first liquified hydrogen carrier arrives in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman toured Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ liquified hydrogen carrier at the Jeddah Islamic Port last week, the Saudi Gazette reported last week. The 116 meter, 19 meters wide ship has a 1.25k cubic meters storage capacity storing hydrogen at -253°C.

AVIATION-

Iraqi Airways eyes fleet expansion + looks to lift EU ban:Iraqi Airways aims to add 31 new aircraft to its fleet by 2027, Iraqi outlet Rudaw cites Iraqi Director of Media and Government Communication Maitham Al Safi, as saying. The airline is also holding talks to encourage the EU to lift the ban imposed on it, Rudaw said. Iraqi Airways has already received its first of 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, according to a ministry statement. The airline also received four out of 16 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, according to the statement. The total aircraft that the carrier has contracted with Boeing will expand its fleet by 26 aircraft.

LAST MILE-

FedEx is slashing priority delivery times in KSA + UAE: FedEx subsidiary FedExExpress has improved the transit time for its International Priority (IP) services in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, according to apress release. Shipments originating from the UAE and Saudi Arabia to the US can be delivered within 2-3 business days, while deliveries to Europe can be transported in two working days and those transported to Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa can arrive within 2-4 business days.

ALSO WORTH KNOWING-

Japan Airlines will launch a direct daily service between Tokyo and Doha starting in the summer of 2024, marking the airline’s first direct flight to the Middle East. (Press release)
Oman’s Transport, Communications and Information Technology Ministry has begun the work to connect the Al Batinah Expressway with theKhazaen Economic City, including setting up entry and exit points. (Oman Observer)
The International Maritime Organization inked an MoU to set up a regional office in Egypt to help boost technical cooperation with Arab countries. (Statement)

UPS labor dispute could lead to further supply chain disruptions

Potential UPS strike could disrupt the movement of some 19 mn packages a day: A potential strike by 340k unionized workers at United Parcel Service (UPS) could set back the progress made in addressing inflation and supply-chain disruptions in the US, Bloombergreports. If no labor agreement is reached by 1 August, the walkout could disrupt shipments of 19 mn daily packages and allow competitors like FedEx to raise prices to limit the amount of packages redirected into its network.

The demands: UPS workers want better pay, particularly for part-time workers, with demands to raise wages above USD 20 per hour, as well as better working conditions. The union president mentioned that there is a significant gap of about USD 6-7 per hour between the two parties’ proposals, according to Bloomberg.

Calendar

JULY

17-28 (Monday-Friday): The fourth round of negotiations between the GCC and the UK for a trade agreement will take place in London.

24-25 July (Monday-Tuesday): ICSG Istanbul, Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Convention & Exhibition Centre, Istanbul.

AUGUST

Oman will award Ras Al Hadd Airport consultancy contract.

28 August (Monday): Registration for Emirates Postal Group’s Logistics Unleashed competition concludes.

SEPTEMBER

4-8 September (Monday-Friday): Logistics and Transport Management, Dubai.

5 September (Tuesday): The Leaders in Logistics KSA Summit, Crowne Plaza Al Waha, Riyadh.

6-7 September (Wednesday-Thursday): Sustainability LIVE London, Business Design Centre, London.

11-14 September (Monday-Thursday): The Libyan Moroccan Forum for Trade and Business, Tangiers, Morocco.

18-19 September (Tuesday-Wednesday): Enterprise Finance Forum, St. Regis Hotel, Cairo.

20-22 September (Wednesday-Friday): Transport Evolution Africa Forum and Expo, Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC Complex (Durban ICC), South Africa.

20-23 September (Wednesday-Saturday): MTB Workboats, Hyatt Regency Dubai, Dubai.

25-27 September(Monday-Wednesday): Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Middle East & Africa, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, UAE.

26-28 September (Tuesday-Thursday): ProcureCon, Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower, Spain.

September-November: Emirates Postal Group’s “Logistics Unleashed” competition, UAE.

OCTOBER

Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) goes on a roadshow to South Korea.

3-4 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): IATA World Sustainability Symposium, Madrid, Spain.

3-5 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Smarter Mobility Africa Summit, South Africa.

10-12 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Autonomous E-mobility Forum, Doha, Qatar.

24-25 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): Future Fuels Europe, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

26-29 October (Thursday-Sunday): International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine, Conrad, Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

30 Oct-2 Nov (Monday-Thursday): IAPH World Ports Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

30-31 October (Monday-Tuesday): Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit, London, UK.

September-November: Emirates Postal Group’s “Logistics Unleashed” competition, UAE.

NOVEMBER

1 November (Wednesday): Smart Maritime Network Dubai Conference, Conrad Dubai, UAE.

9-15 November (Thursday-Wednesday): Intra-AfricanTrade Fair, Cairo, Egypt.

13-17 November (Monday-Friday): Dubai Airshow, Dubai World Center, UAE.

14-15 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Supply Chain & Logistics Arabia, Narcissus, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

14-17 November (Tuesday-Friday): IATA Slot Conference, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE.

15 November (Wednesday): Leaders in Logistics UAE Summit, Dubai.

21-23 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Intermobility Expo 2023, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE.

21-23 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Touchdown Middle East, Gulf Hotel, Bahrain.

23 November (Thursday): Global Supply Chain and Logistics Summit, Grand Millennium Hotel Business Bay, Dubai, UAE.

30 November-3 December (Saturday-Tuesday): Handling Expo, Egypt International Exhibition Center, Cairo, Egypt.

September-November: Emirates Postal Group’s “Logistics Unleashed” competition, UAE.

DECEMBER

10-11 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Invest in Logistics, St.Regis Almasa Hotel, New Administrative Capital, Egypt.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2H2023:Construction of Neom’s first hydrogen fueling station will kick off.

2H2023: Expansion of Baghdad International Airport to begin.

3Q 2023: Design and supervision contract for Oman’s proposed Musandam Airport to be awarded.

2024

1Q 2024: Construction of phase 3 of Agility’s logistic park in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to be completed.

1H 2024: Work is scheduled to begin on the 162 km Rasht-Astara railway in Iran.

FEBRUARY 2024

12-13 February (Monday-Tuesday): Breakbulk Middle East conference, Dubai Trade Centre.

12-15 February (Monday-Thursday): African Air Expo, Cape Town.

28 February-1 March (Wednesday-Friday): MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition 2024, Dubai.

MARCH 2024

5-6 March (Tuesday-Wednesday): MRO Middle East, Dubai Trade Center, Dubai, UAE.

12-14 March (Tuesday- Thursday): IATA World Cargo Symposium, Hong Kong International Airport.

MAY 2024

2-3 May (Thursday-Friday): Geneva Dry, Geneva, Switzerland, Hotel President Wilson.

DECEMBER 2024

10-12 December (Tuesday-Thursday): Middle East Business Aviation, DWC, Dubai, UAE.

2024

The Bahrain International Airshow will kick off to mark a decade of success

2025

Mid-2025: Iraq will complete phase one of the construction of the Grand Faw Port.

DHL and Aramco’s logistics and procurement hub in Saudi Arabia will commence operations.

2027

4Q 2027: Oman’s Musandam Airport construction to be completed.

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