SHIPPING + MARITIME-

New ONE shipping route connects KSA, Egypt with US ports: Japanese container and shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE) is launching the West India North America (WIN) shipping service, connecting ports in KSA, Egypt, Pakistan, India, and Spain with ports in the US, according to a statement. The weekly service will offer a route from Hazira, India to SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal in the US, while calling at Damietta, Algeciras, and Jeddah. The route will be operated by a fleet of nine vessels, with operations launching next May.

The UAE’s DP World and Danish APM Terminals have formed the Zero Emission Port Alliance (ZEPA), an industry-wide coalition that aims to accelerate achieving zero emissions for container handling equipment (CHE) at ports, a statement reports. ZEPA will work to expand the industry-wide adoption of battery-electric CHE as part of an overall plan to reduce port emissions.

DATA CENTERS-

DataVolt to build data center campus in Uzbekistan: Saudi sustainable data center operator DataVolt has signed an MoU with Uzbekistan to develop, invest in, and operate green data centers in the country, according to a statement. Details regarding the location and timelines were not disclosed.

M&A WATCH-

EasyLease acquires stake in Fully Charged: UAE-based mobility solutions company EasyLease, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company, has acquired a 60% stake in UAE-based electric charger manufacturing and installation company Fully Charged for an undisclosed sum, according to a statement. EasyLease aims to work with Fully Charged to increase decarbonization in last-mile delivery across the UAE and the region.

LAST MILE-

Indian commercial EV mobility start-up Planet Electric is looking to bring its first electric cargo vehicleto the Middle East, Planet Electric co-founder Gagan Agrawal told Khaleej Times in an interview. The prototype of the vehicle is currently being built at the company’s factory in Manesar, India, with plans to launch its first electric cargo vehicle in 2024. Planet Electric is looking to raise some USD 5.5 mn to cover the factory build-out, with a capacity of 4k units. “We’ll likely raise much more locally to expand to the Middle East and set up a large factory,” Agrawal said.

AVIATION-

Riyadh Air, Turkish Airlines partner up in codeshare agreement: Saudi Arabia’s newest airline, Riyadh Air, signed a strategic partnership agreement with Turkish Airlines that includes codesharing, the two said in a joint statement yesterday. They will also explore the possibility of developing a loyalty agreement covering both of the airlines’ global networks and implementing broader cooperation in aviation related services, cargo and digital development.

Saudi and Sierra Leone are opening their air travel markets to each other, setting thestage for possible direct flights. The agreement, like the Riyadh Air-Turkish tie-up, was inked on the sidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s meeting in Riyadh.

REGULATION WATCH-

Egypt’s Supreme Council of Ports is implementing several regulatory measuresaimed at boosting maritime and transit trade in the country, according to a statement.Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly approved several decisions worth noting:

  • Unifying transit trade and customs procedures across all ports;
  • Expanding its purview to include logistics and renaming the council to the Supreme Council of Ports and Logistics, as well as renaming the Transport Ministry’s Maritime Transport Sector to Maritime Transport and Logistics Sector;
  • Forming a new specialized central administration for dry and land ports and the warehouse sector under the council’s jurisdiction, as well as a specialized committee for the warehousing sector that can hand out licenses and implement a regulatory framework for the sector;
  • Adopting a proposed plan and timeline for doubling Egyptian exports to Africa by 2025, while discussing a plan to make use of warehouses built by state-owned Al Nasr in the African continent;
  • Creating an interactive maritime map for the Transport and Logistics Minstry’s platform that includes a multimodal transport system;
  • Coordinating with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to put forward a proposal for Egypt’s accession to China’s Silk Road initiative, including integrating the Sokhna-Alex rail link into the initiative.

ALSO WORTH KNOWING-

  • CSP Abu Dhabi Terminalwill join the Portchain Connect network, which streamlines the flow of schedule data to streamlineberth alignment. (Statement)
  • Agility’s Menzies Aviation is performing fully electric turnarounds for Hungarian carrier Wizz Air at Budapest Airport, which will reduce carbon emissions from the ground handling process by some 80% per aircraft. (Statement)
  • Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has launched its first flight to Egypt’s Sphinx International Airport, which will now operate weekly on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (Mubasher)
  • American and Saudi logistics companies met at the American consulate commercial office in Jeddah to discuss avenues for cooperation in Jeddah’s logistics sector. (Statement)
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