TRANSPORT-

UAE inaugurates region’s first green hydrogen refueling station: Adnoc inaugurated the region’s first high-speed green hydrogen pilot refueling station — dubbed H2GO — to test a fleet of zero-emission hydrogen-powered vehicles, according to a statement released on Friday. The pilot project will gather data to explore the long-term viability of running hydrogen vehicles in the UAE, according to the statement.

More details: Operated by Adnoc Distribution, the station is located in Masdar City and will create green hydrogen from water using an electrolyzer powered by clean grid energy, the statement notes. The station will provide hydrogen that will be certified as green from solar sources by the International REC Standard.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

Irena + DP World partner to decarbonize maritime shipping: The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) and UAE-based global port operator DP World signed an agreement to collaborate on scaling up the use of renewable-based fuels and electrifying the shipping and ports sectors, according to a statement released on Friday. The agreement will see the two organizations partner on aligning the current infrastructure, logistics, and processes with the demands of the energy transition, the statement notes.

Hafnia x SteelCorr: Singapore-based Hafnia, one of the world’s leading tanker companies, has partnered with Dubai’s AI start-up SteelCorr DMCC to oversee ship paint maintenance on 57 ships, according to an announcement by the company. The maintenance will be run through SteelCorr’s Digital Paint Report (DPR) app, which is designed for data collection and analysis on paint maintenance, such as through monitoring corrosion levels.

ZONES-

Work is underway to complete 21 out of the 59 logistics centers outlined in Saudi Arabia’s master plan for logistics centersunveiled in August,National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) CEO Sulaiman Al Mazrou told Al Eqtisadiyah. Efforts are also being made with regional authorities and the private sector to establish another 38 zones and have them up and running by 2030, the official added.

Talks with international companies on the implementation of the Riyadh-Jeddah Land Bridge Project are also in advanced stages, Al Mazrou told Al Eqtisadiyah, with work set to begin once the agreements have been finalized. NIDLP is also pursuing plans to link industrial cities with Saudi ports in a larger effort that will see the Kingdom’s northern, western, and eastern regions connected with Riyadh, the official said. The first phase of that effort will encompass Dammam’s Second Industrial City and Sudair Industrial City, he said.

Iran and Oman inked agreements to implement joint projects in their individual freezones and expand trade and economic relations, Tehran Times reports. This came during a meeting between Iran’s Secretary of Feezones High Council, Hojatollah Abdolmaleki, and Oman’s Chairman of Special Economic Zones and Freezones Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, where the two countries also signed four documents for cooperation regarding the energy, economy, investment and freezone sectors.

AVIATION-

Doha’s Hamad International Airport has inked an MOU with global digital communications firm Cisco to advance its digital transformation agenda and improve operations, according to a press release. The agreement looks to develop a roadmap that will enhance customer interactions, bolster security, optimize communications, and boost operational efficiency, the statement said.

London-based architecture firm Foster + Partners was awarded the contract to design a new terminal for Abha Airport in Aseer Province, according to a statement. The airport terminal design will take inspiration from Aseer’s landscape and be built to incorporate traditional Aseeri details, using locally sourced materials. Foster + Partners are seeking to include features that maximize fresh air, greenery and natural light into the terminal’s travel experience. To do so, the terminal will resemble a series of “interconnected human-scale clusters, outdoor courtyards and walkways,” according to Foster + Partners’ design plans.

LOGISTICS HANDLING-

PSCHC in line for more storage space at West Port Said Port:Port Said Container and Cargo Handling Company (PSCHC) is in talks with the Suez Canal Economic Authority for an agreement that would allocate them 500 meters of new space in West Port Said Port, reports Al Mal. The move aims to expand PSCHC’s container storage facility at the port and increase storage capacity to 44k containers, compared to the current 24k. It will also allow PSCHC to reach its target of having 1.5 mn containers move through the port per year, growing significantly from the present 800k.

ALSO WORTH KNOWING-

  • Qatar’s QTerminals is using digital platform Portchain Connect to optimize its operations in Hamad Port, increasing the quality and speed of the berth alignment process. (Statement)
  • Oman LNG has inked a nine-year sale and purchase agreement to deliver some 1 mn metric tonnes per year of LNG to British Petroleum. The free-on-board agreement will commence in 2026. (ONA)
  • TheUAE inked an air transport agreement with Trinidad and Tobagoto streamline direct air links, with the agreement now pending ratification from the two governments. (Trinidad Express Newspaper)
  • Kuwait Airways has resumed year-round twice-weekly direct flights from Kuwait International Airport to Athens International Airport, Greece, following a decades-long hiatus. (GTP)
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