Maersk warns that the worst is yet to come as trade groups call for protections

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What we're tracking today

TODAY: Maersk warns that the worst is yet to come + Aldar Properties expands logistics investments in Europe

Good morning, friends. It’s a busy morning in the regional logistics sector and we have the latest in all Red Sea disruption movements as well as a healthy serving of investment and M&A updates.

PSA-

Abu Dhabi International Airport has been rebranded as ZayedInternationalAirport, Abu Dhabi Airports said on X on Friday.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1-The US sanctions three UAE-based oil traders and shippers: The US Treasury Department has rolled out new sanctions against three UAE-based entities for engaging in the trade of Russian crude priced above the G7-mandated USD 60 per barrel price cap while employing US-based services, according to a Thursday Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) statement. The latest round of sanctions target UAE-based Zeenit Supply and Trading, Talassa Shipping, and Oil Tankers SCF Mgmt FZCO, with a Liberian-registered owner also listed, the statement read. The move sees the sanctioned entities’ US-based assets frozen and prohibits US companies and individuals from engaging with them.

ICYMI- OFAC rolled out its first price cap-related sanctions for the year last month targeting UAE-based shipowner Hennesea Holdings for violations to the G7 mandate. December 2023 saw OFAC tighten its guidelines while hitting out a UAE-based subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned fleet operator Sovcomflot, in addition to a UAE-based and two Hong Kong based “under-the-radar” traders.

#2- The UAE could finance Turkey’s Bosphorus railway: The UAE is currently in talks with Turkey to grant the Turkish government a loan to finance the railway project across Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait, Asharq Business reports on Thursday, citing Anadolu Agency. The Turkish government expects to reach an agreement on the loan during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the Emirates set for this month, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu reportedly said.

This isn’t the first time we hear of the UAE taking part in the project: Abu Dhabi’s ADQ fund reportedly held talks with Turkey in October last year to discuss building the railway, which is planned to be a part of a trade corridor linking Europe to the MENA region and Asia, Bloomberg reported.

#3- Iraq’s Oil Ministry looks to bolster the national tanker fleet: Two Norwegian-made tankers were inducted into the country’s fleet and began operations, with plans to contract a multinational firm to construct more vessels, INA reported on Friday, citing statements by an oil ministry spokesperson.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Baltic Index up across the board: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index marked a four-week-high on Friday, buoyed by higher rates across all vessel segments, Reuters reported on Saturday. The overall index — which factors rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax vessels — gained 4.9% to 1545 points, up 4.7% w-o-w and marking its highest since 11 January, the newswire said. Trading saw the capesize subindex rally 8.4% to 2381 points, its highest in four weeks. The panamax and suezmax segments were up 2.4% and 3 points to 1509 and 1053 points, according to the newswire.

#2- Oil prices surged once again on Thursday, as Israel rejected a ceasefire offer and a weaker greenback made crude purchases cheaper for traders holding other currencies, Reuters reported on Thursday. Benchmark Brent inched up 0.4% to USD 79.56 by 07.30 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also rallied 0.4% to USD 74.17. Stronger-than-forecasted drops in US gasoline and middle distillate inventories also propped up the market, the newswire said.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Egypt’s trade deficit declined 24.15% y-o-y to USD 36.9 bn in 2023, according to Trade and Industry statements here, here and here. Egypt’s non-oil exports for the year topped USD 35.6 bn, while non-oil imports declined 14% y-o-y to USD 72.5 bn, the statements said. Turkey was Egypt’s top export partner in 2023, accounting for USD 2.94 bn of the country’s export, Al Sharq Al Awsat reported citing a Tuesday statement by Egypt’s trade and industry minister Ahmed Samir. KSA and the UAE were Egypt’s second and third-largest export partners, accounting for USD 2.7 bn and USD 2.2 bn of exports, Samir said.

#2- Bahrain’s trade deficit surged 618% y-o-y to BHD 1.1 bn in 2023,Bahrain News Agency (BNA)reported last week, citing Information &eGovernment Authority (iGA) trade figures. National exports fell 21% y-o-y to BHD 3.9 bn, while re-exports increased by 5% y-o-y to settle at BHD 756 mn. Meanwhile, imports dropped 1% over the same period to BHD 5.8 bn, the report said.

#3- Morocco’s net customs revenues topped MAD 84 bn in 2022,up 18.6% y-o-y, Moroccan News Agency (MAP) reported last week, citing the Kingdom’s General Treasury (TGR). Gross revenues increased 18.7% to MAD 84 bn over the same period, with 239 mn MAD going towards account refunds, rebates and tax refunds, TGR said. Net revenues from customs duties and value added tax (VAT) on imports bumped up 16.7% and 28.5% on a yearly basis to MAD 13.8 bn and MAD 54.4 bn, TGR also said.

#4- ACC notes boost to Jordanian exports in January: The value of certificates of origin for exports issued by Amman’s Chamber of Commerce (ACC) posted a 9% y-o-y increase to JOD 108 mn in January 2024, Petra reports, citing the chamber’s statistics. The number of certificates for the month totalled 1778, down 24.3% y-o-y. Iraq accounted for the lion’s share of January’s exports, totalling some JOD 61 mn, followed by the UAE (JOD 10 mn), Egypt (JOD 8 mn), KSA (JOD 6 mn), and Switzerland (JOD 3 mn), the report said.

#5- KSA’s notes SAR 128 bn worth of non-oil exports to Africa between 2019 and 2023, SPA reported on Thursday. Chemical and polymer products were the country’s leading non-oil exports to the continent, with a value exceeding SAR 83 bn, followed by construction materials (SAR 10 bn) and packaging (SAR 9 bn), SPA said.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host The World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference from Monday, 26 February to Thursday, 29 February in Abu Dhabi. The event will gather ministers from around the world to assess the operation of the multilateral trading system and make key decisions regarding the future tasks of the WTO.

The UAE will host theTradeTech Forum on Tuesday, 27 February in Abu Dhabi. The forum will see some 180 trade leaders and experts discuss the technologically advanced trade environment and a showcase of trade tech solutions.

The UAE will host The Logistics Middle East Award on Wednesday, 6 March in Dubai. The awards ceremony brings together industry experts to celebrate the sector’s biggest accomplishments over the previous 12 months.The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, 19 January.

KSA will host a special World Economic Forum event from Sunday, 28 April through to Monday, 29 April in Riyadh. The event will focus on global collaboration and energy.

The UAE will host The Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit from Monday, 20 May to Wednesday, 22 May in Abu Dhabi. The event will see industry leaders come together to discuss sustainable mobility and tapping into groundbreaking advancements in electric vehicles while engaging with key decision-makers.

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

Maersk warns that the worst is yet to come as trade groups call for more commercial shipping protections

“We’ve not seen the level of threat peak, to the contrary,” warned Maersk CEO in a televised interview with Bloomberg TV last Thursday centered around maritime security in the Red Sea. Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc continued, “the amount or the range of weapons that are being used for these attacks is expanding and there is no clear line of sight to when and how the international community will be able to mobilize itself and guarantee safe passage for us.”

Traders call on more countries to join Red Sea security efforts: Trade associations from across the globe have signed an open letter (pdf) urging more governments to assume a more proactive role in efforts to safeguard international commercial shipping in the Red Sea, CNBC reported on Thursday. The open letter, representing major trade groups from the US, Canada, Bangladesh, Brazil, Portugal, Africa, India, Taiwan, and Poland, calls on states to “join, support, or align,” maritime security efforts in the region, including US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian. “It is imperative that countries that have not yet joined or aligned with this vital mission do so immediately,” the letter said, adding that Red Sea disruptions represent a “global problem,” that threatens global trade.

But the US-led naval task force is taking flak on the home front: Congressmen recently grilled US President Joe Biden for his unilateral decision to dispatch a naval force that primarily protects foreign-flagged vessels, CNBC wrote. France has also ceded to internal political pressure and has prioritized the protection of French-flagged vessels. Nevertheless, US trade is highly reliant on non-US-flagged vessels, with 97% of the country’s exports and imports carried by foreign-flagged vessels, particularly those from Liberia, Panama, and Hong Kong, CNBC wrote citing MDS Transmodal data.

Red Sea disruptions have seen a sharp uptick in Suezmax tankers moving westward from the Persian Gulf to ballast in Atlantic, leading to a glut in tonnage in the West African landing zone and seeing a sharp decline for freight rates for tankers loading in West Africa, S&P Global reported last week, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. February 6 saw rates for the 130k metric tons (mt) shipments from West Africa to the UK and Continental Europe stand at USD 16.98 per mt, down from January’s two-month record of USD 23.61 per mt, S&P Global said citing Platts data. The downward trend was further compounded by falling demands on the route and the US Gulf Market. “The market’s taken an absolute battering,” S&P Global said, citing a London shipbroker. Meanwhile, rates for tankers operating the 140k mt Persian Gulf to Mediterranean route are near a four-year record, standing at USD 22.93 per mt on 6 February, S&P Global also said.

Egypt can absorb part of the impact to Suez Canal’s revenue,Egypt’s Finance Minister Mohamed Maait told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai yesterday. Growth in other fields will recap some of the losses in Suez Canal revenues due to the disruptions, and Egypt will look to the private sector to fund projects, the newswire cited Maait as saying.

Kuwait-Oman Duqm refinery, dubbed OQ8 and inaugurated last Thursday, has ramped up to its 230k barrel a day full capacity, and looks to boost storage infrastructure to bank on its strategic location away from the Red Sea chokepoint, Bloomberg reported last week. The facility currently runs on Omani and Kuwaiti crude and produces diesel and jet fuel for export. Its location on the Arabian Sea provides it with easy access to the Indian Ocean and along alternative routes that look to bypass the Red Sea. The refinery’s operators intend to ramp up storage to accommodate tens of mns of barrels in a bid to leverage its location, Bloomberg said. “There’s a lot of strategic potential,” CEO David Bird told the outlet in an interview.

OTHER DISRUPTION NEWS WORTH KNOWING-

Drewry’s composite World container index (WCI) was up 90% y-o-y on Thursday, despite falling 1% w-o-w to USD 3786 per 40 foot container, according to an update to supply chain advisory’s Drewry ’s WCI on Saturday.WCI was also 167% above the pre-pandemic 2019 average of USD 1420 per 40 foot container and 30.9% higher than the USD 2686 10-year average, which factors in a spike in rates seen during the pandemic period, the update said.
Maersk has added a new service via the Cape of Good Hope, dubbed ME8, to strengthen supply chains between the Middle East and Europe, with the weekly service slated to kick off on Wednesday. The route will connect GCC ports, including Doha, Dammam, and Jebel Ali, with Mediterranean ports including Port Said, Barcelona, and Algeciras, boosting cargo capacity between the GCC and the Mediterranean, and strengthening connections within the Mediterranean basin. (Statement)
Some 60% of ships that normally transit the Suez Canal have diverted around the southern tip of Africa. (Al Arabiya)
Russia says it thwarted an attack on “civilian transport ships” in the Black Sea by Ukraine. Russian forces destroyed one submersible drone with artillery and disabled others through electronic warfare, with no damages to Russian vessels, the newswire said citing the Russian statement. The Black Sea represents a key trade route for Russian and Ukrainian grain and energy exports but shipments have come under increasing pressure after Russia unilaterally withdrew from a UN-brokered safe trade agreement in July. (Reuters)

UAE-based East Africa Gateway is reportedly eyeing a Tanzania port acquisition

Adani Group’s UAE-based subsidiary is eyeing a container terminal in Tanzania: UAE-based East Africa Gateway, a subsidiary of Indian port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, has reportedly agreed to acquire Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (Ticts), which operates a container terminal at Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam, Economic Times Infra reported, citing a public note from Tanzania’s Fair Competition Commission (FCC). The value of the agreement was undisclosed.

What we know: East Africa Gateway is looking to uptake the entire equity of TICTS, FCC reportedly said, with the antitrust regulator reviewing the sale to determine whether it will harm competition. If the transaction were to be approved it would mark APSEZ’ third international port acquisition, with the company’s portfolio currently including Israel’s Haifa Port — purchased from the Israeli government in a USD 1.15 bn transaction last year — and a terminal that is being developed at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port.

The FCC will reportedly review and investigate the potential acquisition to ensure that it would not harm competition in the sector, ET Infra quotes the FCC as saying. Adani Ports and SEZ has already been running four container handling berths at Dar es Salaam port, under a five-year agreement with Ticts, the newswire writes.

Could AD Ports be involved? AD Ports inked an MoU with Adani Ports and SEZ back in 2022 to invest in logistics infrastructure in Tanzania — including in maritime services, port operations, rail infrastructure, digital services, and an industrial zone.

Aldar Properties invests AED 407 mn in logistics and warehousing assets in Europe

UAE real estate developer Aldar Properties is investing AED 407 mn (USD 111 mn) in logistics and storage assets in Europe through global investment firm Carlyle, according to an ADX disclosure (pdf) released on Thursday.

Where the funds are going: While the developer did not provide a breakdown for the investments, portions of the investments are going towards:

The EUR 540 mn Carlyle Europe Realty (CER) fund, which targets real estate acquisitions in Europe;
A majority stake in Carlyle’s co-investment platform, which manages a portfolio of 14 warehouses in the UK with 900k sqft of leasable area;
Aportfolio of self-storage facilities and development sites in Western Europe, in which it has invested alongside Carlyle and other investors.

Aldar has been boosting its logistics + European portfolio: Aldar invested USD 1 bn in European commercial real estate private credit in December as part of a partnership with Abu Dhabi wealth fund Mubadala and Ares Management, which also saw it pledge USD 100 mn in investments into Ares and Mubadala’s European private real estate credit strategy. The developer also acquired UK developer London Square for AED 1.07 bn in the same month. Aldar also recently earmarked AED 1 bn to expand its logistics portfolio in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

All part of a diversification strategy: “Asset and geographic diversification are core tenets of our growth strategy, and logistics is becoming an important asset class for Aldar,” Aldar CEO Talal Al Dhiyebi said previously.

About Carlyle: The global investor manages a USD 426 bn asset portfolio, spanning across private equity, credit, and investments, with 585 investment vehicles under its belt, according to its website.

Egypt’s SCZone greenlights development of a USD 224 mn data center

Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) has approved plans for a USD 224 mn data center situated in Sokhna Industrial Zone, according to a statement released last week. The initiative represents the first data center project of its kind in SCZone, the statement said.

Details: The project will be established on an 80k square meters (sqm) space and will have a 2.5k server rack capacity. The first phase of the investment will see the outlay of USD 148 mn, followed by USD 76 mn in the second phase.

The center is a boon for export services: The project will see exports to neighboring markets and international technology outfits and boost the strategic value of the zone which sees subsea internet cables transiting across the Suez Canal.

The SCZone had a good year: The zone raked in EGP 4.3 bn in revenues in 2H 2023, up 70% y-o-y. It also approved an EGP 37.3 bn draft budget for FY 2024 – 2025, the statement also said.

Red Sea Global and Naqel Express partner up on logistics services

KSA tourism developerRed Sea Global(RSG) has awarded a contract to Saudi Post subsidiary Naqel Express for labor and logistics services, according to a statement released last week. No financial details or timelines were disclosed in the statement.

More details: The agreement seesNaqel Express running long-haul and local transportation services for RSG’s tourist developments along KSA’s Red Sea coast, while also providing labor, logistics equipment, and supply chain technologies, the statement said. Naqel Express’ operations will only make use of biofuel and electrically-powered vehicles.

About RSG: The Public Investment Fund (PIF) owned developer has a portfolio which includes three leading tourist destinations along KSA’s Red Sea coast, and is working on additional projects along the Red Sea, according to its website. The company’s investments and operations emphasize carbon neutrality and has established five solar farms with 760k photovoltaic panels to power phase one of its tourist developments, the statement also said.

ICYMI- Red Sea Global previously unveiled plans to refurbish and build a new international terminal at Saudi’s Al Wajh Airport, in addition to reshuffling Saudia flights from Al Wajih to Red Sea International Airport.

Aramex’s income dropped 22% y-o-y in 2023

UAE-based freight forwarding and logistics outfit Aramex saw its bottomline fall 22% y-o-y to AED 129.3 mn in 2023, according to an earnings release (pdf). The company’s topline also declined 4% during the same period to AED 5.7 bn.

On a quarterly basis: Aramex’s net income more than doubled in 4Q 2023, soaring 127% y-o-y to AED 76.8 mn. Revenues for the same period saw a marginal 1% y-o-y decline to AED 1.53 bn.

The story behind the numbers: Aramex’ reduced yearly performance was mainly attributed to financing costs for an acquisition loan taken in 4Q 2022, the company said. Aramex also cited falling rates in the global freight forwarding market as bringing about reduced performance in its international operations, despite an uptick in revenues in the company’s international express operations on the back of new clients. Domestic performance was impacted by currency fluctuations, the company also said.

Aramex is offering workarounds to shipments impacted by Red Sea disruptions: The company has deployed a “large trucking fleet” to load shipments from Asia at Dubai, UAE and Dammam, KSA, while doing the same for shipments from Europe via Port Said, Egypt, Aramex CEO Othman Aljeda said.

Qatar inks agreement to boost trade ties with Turkey + Iran and Iraq ink trade agreement

Qatar + Turkey ink JETCO Protocol: Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Qatar’s Commerce and Industry Minister Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Abdullah Al Thani have signed a Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO) agreement to boost commercial ties between their nations, Bolat said on X last Thursday. The protocol covers cooperation in various areas including customs procedures and green transformation initiatives. The roadmap looks to increase bilateral trade to over USD 5 bn. The upcoming Turkey-Qatar Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement will further increase efforts towards this goal, Bolat said.

Iran + Iraq ink agreement to boost trade: Iranian Interior Minister Adnan Al-Waeli and Iraqi head of the Border Ports Authority Omar Adnan Al-Waeli have signed an agreement to streamline trade procedures and enhance border security, Iraqi News Agency reported on Wednesday. The measures include transferring data on passengers and goods from the Iranian side to Iraqi ports to ensure procedures are completed in a timely manner, as well as setting regulations on axle weights to ensure Iraqi roads are not damaged by heavy loads. The agreement also looks to establish direct communication between border authorities in the two countries.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

Dubai + UK customs discuss cooperation on border security: Director General of Dubai Customs Ahmed Mahboob Musabih met with the UK customs’ head of International Communication Network Bob Mathieso to discuss boosting cooperation to combat organized crime and ensure the protection of legitimate trade. The two sides also held a workshop titled Illicit Trade and Border Protection to exchange expertise and raise awareness about risks and threats. (Statement)
Bahrain + KSA sign MoU to boost economic ties: Saudi Economy and Planning Minister Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim and Bahrain’s Finance and National Economy Minister Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa have signed an MoU to deepen cooperation in the finance sector. (Bahrain News Agency)

Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority partners with Leonardo to upgrade airport services, MIS to boost Dammam data center capacity, QatarEnergy chooses Nakilat to own and operate tankers

AVIATION-

Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority has inked an agreement with German company Leonardoto carry out three projects at Kuwait International Airport, Kuwait News Agency reports. The projects, with a combined cost of USD 26 mn, involve providing training, warranty, maintenance, and technical support services at the airport. The projects also include supplying the airport with a weather data system to boost air navigation safety.

X2E is diversifying its fuel value chain: Omani-British green energy venture X2E is set to invest USD 1.6 bn into alternative fuel projects over the next two years, Founder and CEO John Jones told Zawya Projects in an interview last week. The company plans to initiate projects for the production of biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and Camelina oil.

What is Camelina oil? A newcomer to the alternative fuel scene, camelina oil is now being considered for use in biodiesel and jet fuel production after studies found it releases fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than other feedstock crops. The oil produces 40% to 60% less emissions than petroleum diesel and the plant has a relatively short growing season and a higher tolerance to cold, arid conditions.

DATA CENTERS-

MIS to increase capacity of two data centers in Dammam for SAR 155.4 bn: Saudi IT integrator Al Moammar Information Systems (MIS) has signed an agreement with financial service provider Saudi Fransi Capital to increase the capacity of two of its data centers in Dammam, Saudi Arabia for SAR 155.4 bn, according to a disclosure statement on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) yesterday. MIS will develop, design, and manage facilities for some six data centers on behalf of the Kingdoms Private Investment Fund (PIF), according to the statement.

Khazna launches 31.8 MW data center in Abu Dhabi: Khazna Data Centers has inaugurated a data center for AI development in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, featuring an IT load capacity of 31.8 MW, according to a company statement.

Etisalat& + Telecom Egypt + Telin to connect region with Intra Asia + India: Carrier services Telecom Egypt, Telin Indonesia, Etisalat&, and an unnamed Indian operator have signed an MoU to form a consortium to implement the ICE IV Project to develop a data center to data center system connecting the Middle East, Intra Asia, and India, according to a press release on Wednesday. The group will deploy open cables and subsea ROADMs to link Oman, Egypt, the UAE, India, Singapore, and Indonesia over 11k km.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

QatarEnergy has tapped Qatar’s shipping and maritime companyNakilat to own and operate up to 25 conventional LNG vessels, according to a statement. Nakilat will assume the ownership and operation of the ships through Time Charter Parties (TCP) with Qatar Energy affiliates. This marks the first award in the second phase of QatarEnergy’s LNG Fleet Expansion Project as part of a plan to expand its fleet to 100 vessels, CEO of QatarEnergy Sherida Al-Kaabi said in the statement.

E-COMMERCE-

Emirates Post + Qatar Post ink e-commerce agreement: Emirates Post and Qatar Post have entered into a strategic partnership to streamline e-commerce shipping operations between the UAE and Qatar, according to a statement released on Thursday. Goods purchased online in the UAE will be delivered to Qatar through Qatar Post’s CONNECTED platform. Emirates Post will be in charge of handling shipping to Qatar, while Qatar Post will manage customs clearance and local delivery.

SUPPLY CHAINS-

Nigeria is eyeing an alternative gas route to Europe via a pipeline to Morocco amid diplomatic tensions with Niger, S&P Global reports. The proposed 5.6 km pipeline would deliver 3 bn cubic feet per day of natural gas, and would serve to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy. Nigeria had previously planned on the USD 13 bn Trans-Saharan gas pipeline passing through Niger to Algeria, but the future of the project is now uncertain amid heightened diplomatic tensions following the 2023 coup in Niger. Nigerian Gas Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo met with Moroccan Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Minister Leila Benali on 24 January where they discussed the pipeline project.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

Morocco’s electric trains are now renewables powered: Morocco’s National Railway Office is currently powering 90% of its electric train fleet on renewables — up from 25% in 2022. The office is targeting full carbon-neutrality by 2035. (MAP)
Haditha-Baiji-Baghdad railway line reopened: Iraq’s Transport Ministry has restoredfunctionality to the Haditha-Baiji-Baghdad freight railway line. (Statement)
Qatar Airways launches flights to Uzbekistan:Qatar Airways will launch four weekly flights to Tashkent, Uzbekistan starting 2 June 2024, and will increase the frequency of its flights from Doha to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport to four times a day starting 1 June, bringing its weekly flights to 28. (Statement | Aviation24)
Kenya Airways launches Somalia-UAE cargo route: Kenya Airways has begun operating weekly direct cargo flights between Mogadishu, Somalia and Sharjah, UAE. The airline plans to increase the flights to twice a week starting April. (Press release)
Bahrain considering 24-hour port operations: Bahrain’s Transport and Communications Ministry is considering launching 24-hour container handling operations at Khalifa bin Salman Port. (Alayam)

Jeff Bezos offloads Amazon shares, Maersk delivers strong earnings for 2023, Panama Canal will not roll out more transit restrictions before April

Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos has sold nearly 12 mn shares in the e-commerce outfit he founded, in a transaction valued at USD 2 bn, Reuters reports, citing a Friday company filing. Bezos intends to offload 50 mn shares in Amazon, the newswire added, citing a company statement last week.

A.P. Moller-Maersk delivered strong financial results for 2023, making revenues of USD 51.1 bn, according to its earnings release published on Thursday. Although the company’s volumes increased across most of its products, rates, especially ocean rates, continued to drop amid challenging market conditions. “The current market remains one of robust volumes, but while the Red Sea crisis has caused immediate capacity constraints and a temporary increase in rates, eventually the oversupply in shipping capacity will lead to price pressure and impact our results,” CEO Vincent Clerc said. The uncertainty with regards to the duration and degree of the Red Sea disruption was reflected in the 1Q and FY guidance range.

ALSO-Maersk is weighing plans to acquire Deutsche Bahn logistics’ arm DBSchenker, which was put up for sale in 2023, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing comments made by Clerc on an investor call. “It would not be responsible of us not to look into it,” Clerc said, noting that whether or not Maersk chooses to go ahead with the transaction, its effects will result in changes to the logistics “landscape.”

German state-owned bank KfW has sold some 50 mn shares of its stake in DHL for EUR 2.17 bn, as the German government pursues plans to offload shares in companies to finance upgrades to its railways via state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn, Reuters reported last week. KfW’s stake in DHL has declined to about 16.5% from 20.5%, but the bank remains DHL’s largest shareholder, the newswire said. The German government is planning to raise some EUR 4 bn by selling its holdings in companies, the newswire said citing finance ministry documents it had seen.

The Panama Canal does not plan to impose further vessel transit restrictions until April, Deputy Administrator Ilya Espino told Reuters last week. If rain levels arrive as expected in May, the authority plans to lift the 24 authorized transits per day cap and gradually increase daily slots to its traditional 36 transits per day, Espino said.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

World’s biggest container maker cashing in on hydrogen:China International Marine Containers Group, the largest manufacturer of shipping containers in the world, saw a jump in revenues to CNY 1 bn last year from its hydrogen business, indicating that the green fuel is gaining steam commercially. (Bloomberg)

Calendar

FEBRUARY

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

12-14 February (Monday-Wednesday): Sustainable Aviation Futures MENA, Dubai, UAE.

12-14 February (Monday-Wednesday): The Arab Postal Leaders Forum, Oman.

12-14 February (Monday-Wednesday): The International Search & Rescue Conference &Exhibition, Abu Dhabi.

12-15 February (Monday-Thursday): Future Warehouse & Logistics, Dubai, UAE.

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

22-24 February (Thursday-Saturday): International Freight Forwarders Conference, Dubai, UAE.

26-29 February (Monday-Thursday): World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

27 February (Tuesday) :TradeTech Forum, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

28 February (Wednesday): Industrial and Building Technology event, Dubai, UAE.

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

MARCH

3-5 March (Sunday-Tuesday): Sustainable Green Blue Infrastructure Conference 2024 (Marlog), Green Plaza Mall, Egypt.

4-8 March (Monday-Friday): Logistics & Transport Management 2024, Dubai, UAE.

5-6 March (Tuesday-Wednesday): ShipTek International Conference & Awards 2024, The Address Dubai, UAE.

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

6 March (Wednesday):The Gulf Ship Finance Forum, Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre, UAE.

6 March (Wednesday): The Logistics Middle East Awards, Dubai, UAE.

7 March (Thursday): Truck and Fleet Conference 2024, Dubai, UAE.

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

20 March (Wednesday): Construction work scheduled to begin on the 162 km Rasht-Astara Railway in Iran.

APRIL

27 April- 1 May (Saturday-Wednesday): Iran Expo 2024, Tehran International Permanent Fairground, Iran.

28 April – 29 April (Sunday – Monday): World Economic Forum, Riyadh, KSA.

29 April- 2 May(Monday-Thursday): GLA Global Logistics Conference, Dubai, UAE.

30 April- 2 May(Tuesday-Thursday): Autonomous E-mobility Forum, Doha, Qatar.

April: Driftx. Abu Dhabi, UAE.

MAY

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

2-4 May(Thursday-Saturday): The International Conference on Logistics Operations Management: smart, sustainable and green logistics (GOL), Marrakesh, Morocco.

3-5 May (Friday-Sunday):2024 IEEE 15th international conference on Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Sousse, Tunisia, Tunis.

7-9 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

14-15 May (Tuesday-Wednesday): Seamless Middle East, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE.

14-16 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Airport Show, DWTC, Dubai, UAE.

20-22 May (Monday-Wednesday): The Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS), Abu Dhabi, UAE.

21-23 May (Tuesday-Thursday): WAGA 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

JUNE

2-4 June (Sunday-Tuesday):IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit, Dubai, UAE.

19-21 June (Wednesday-Friday): World Freezones Organization’s Annual International Conference and Exhibition, Bari, Italy.

OCTOBER

6-8 October (Sunday-Tuesday): Routes World 2024, Bahrain.

7-9 October (Monday-Wednesday): AFSIC – Investing in Africa, London.

22-24 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Asean Ports and Logistics 2024, Johor, Malaysia.

NOVEMBER

11-14 November (Sunday-Thursday): ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi.

13-15 November (Wednesday-Friday): The Bahrain International Airshow, Sakhir Airbase, Bahrain.

DECEMBER

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

20 December (Wednesday): The 5th Iran-Senegal Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, Dakar.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

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

1Q 2024: Egypt’s Transport Ministry to launch pre-qualification tender for Cairo-Alex freight railway.

1H 2024: Civil Construction subcontracts for construction firms in Oman for implementation of the Abu Dhabi – Suhar rail link to be announced.

2H 2024: Bahri’s barges for Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) to begin initial and commercial operation.

King Salman Energy Park is set to become operational.

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.

AD Ports-operated Safaga Port’s multi-purpose terminal will become operational.

Phase 3 of APM Terminals Tangier MedPort to be complete and operational.

1Q 2025: Sadr Park’s Logistics Center in Riyadh to be completed.

1Q 2025: Phase twoof Jafza Logistics Park to be completed.

2027

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

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