Good morning, friends. We have a meaty issue this morning with updates from around the region. Ports, warehousing, air traffic, and trade are all on the menu this morning. Shall we?

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Luxembourg-based air freight operator Cargolux has chosen Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport as its HQ for air freight operations in Saudi, Aleqtisadiah quotes Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al Jasser as saying. He did not provide further details on when operations would be launched or the fleet set to be used by Cargolux. Authorities are also planning to establish logistics freezones at Dammam and Jeddah airports similar to the one at Riyadh Airport, Al Jasser said.

#2- Brookfield Asset Management acquired a controlling stake in Dubai-based Gulf Islamic Investments’ (GII) realty platform for an undisclosed sum, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The transaction is the Canadian asset manager’s first in the Middle East logistics sector. The company holds some USD 8 bn assets in private equity and real estate in the Middle East, making it one of the largest foreign investors in the region.

What is Brookfield getting? The transaction grants Brookfield access to GII Dubai’s 1.5 mn sqft of warehousing space in the UAE, including warehouses in Jebel Ali Freezone and National Industries Park that are already leased out to tenants.

#3- Morocco’s National Airports Office (ONDA) is ramping up expansion works at Marrakesh’s Menara Airport to boost its air traffic, SNRT reported. The move also comes as Morocco prepares to jointly host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. ONDA has selected an undisclosed engineering consultancy firm to oversee the project and will accept tenders to select a contractor soon, the outlet said. The project looks to expand existing terminal structures, double ramp access to the runway, as well as boost holding areas for aircraft.

BACKGROUND- Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) launched a tender this month to buy an undisclosed number of new aircraft. RAM’s fleet expansion looks to support the country’s goal to pull in some 17.5 mn tourists by 2026 and 26 mn tourists by 2030.

#4- Turkey is eyeing a multi-bn USD agreement with US energy giant ExxonMobil for the long-term supply of LNG, Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar told The Financial Times earlier this week. Turkey is pushing for a “new supply portfolio,” and intends to secure up to 2.5 mn tonnes of LNG a year via Exxon through an arrangement that could potentially last up to a decade, Bayraktar told FT. A current long-term contract with Russia is set to expire in H1 2025, with another with Iran expiring the following year, Bayraktar added. The agreement’s commercial details are still being discussed with Exxon with the potential for 2.5mn tonnes of LNG heading to Turkey at the cost of about USD 1.1 bn, the FT said, citing prices assessed by data outfit Argus.

#5- Global airline carriers are lobbying the EU to scale down plans requiring the industry to track non-CO2 emissions and disclose their impact on global warming, The Financial Times reported earlier this week, citing a letter it has seen. The EU is planning to enforce emissions tracking and reported requirements for flights taking off from within the bloc beginning January 2025. Non-CO2 emissions cannot be tracked with accuracy and that the science needed to measure such emissions and assess their impact is still immature, IATA director general Willie Walsh said. “The proposal risks creating a regulatory burden that will require airlines to provide large amounts of data for all flights, with an insufficient potential for positive environmental impact,” Walsh added. Environmental groups have countered claiming the IATA is only citing scientific uncertainty as a way to shield airlines from environmental regulations, the FT said.

SPEAKING OF EMISSIONS- Red Sea disruptions and subsequent reroutes around the Cape of Good Hope are causing ships to emit mns of additional tons of carbon, Bloomberg reports, citing data from procurement consultancy Inverto. The detour has incurred an added 13.6 mn tons of CO2 emitted over the past four months, equal to emissions from some 9 mn cars over the same period. The spike in emissions endangers decarbonization pathways mapped out by shipping companies across supply chains.

ON A RELATED NOTE- The Middle East is spearheading the adoption of sustainable and autonomous e-trucking technology, with the sector’s growth in the region potentially pushing others to implement such technologies on a larger scale, CEO of Swedish freight mobility outfit Einride Rober Falck told the National on the sidelines of the WEF meeting. Autonomous freight shipping is likely to be scaled in volume first in the Middle East, Falck said. While Einride has no vehicles, clients, or smart grids in KSA, it maintains a strong presence in the UAE and inked an agreement with Abu Dhabi earlier this year to deploy 1k all-electric heavy-duty trucks and 100 self-driving vehicles, along with charging infrastructure.

DISRUPTION WATCH-

A Malta-flagged container ship that was enroute from Djibouti to Jeddah was attacked by three missiles yesterday,Reuters reports, citing British security firm Ambrey. UKMTO also reported an explosion close to the vessel, but added that the vessel and the crew aboard it were safe.

Emirati natural gas player Dana Gas has temporarily suspended its operations at Kurdistan’s Khor Mor gas field, according to a disclosure (pdf). The move is prompted by safety concerns in the wake of a Friday drone attack that resulted in four fatalities, eight injuries, and minor damage to facilities. The company is cooperating with the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraq’s Baghdad-based Federal Government in investigations of the incident and to boost security measures at the site to allow the resumption of operations, the disclosure added.

Iranian truck owners in Tehran, Sistan-Baluchistan, Kerman, Ilam, and Asaluyeh have gone on strike to protest reductions to their fares and fuel quotas, Iran International reported earlier this week, citing videos it had obtained. The protesting truck owners have disrupted traffic in Tehran and have stopped loadings at cement factories, while also threatening to expand the scope of their protests if their demands are not met, the outlet said.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices fell this morning as Israel-Hamas peace talks in Cairo continue to ease security concerns in the region, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures fell 0.11% to USD 88.30 a barrel while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dipped 0.16% to USD 82.50 a barrel. "The ongoing negotiation for a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has led market participants to further unwind the geopolitical risk premium in oil prices, while the upcoming Fed meeting also drives some near-term reservations," market strategist at IG Yeap Jun Rong told the newswire.

Asian buyers may be looking at higher crude prices from the Kingdom in June, Reuters reports, citing traders. Saudi Arabia is reportedly mulling a USD 0.70-0.90 per-barrel hike that would bring the prices of most of its crude grades to a five-month high.

In context: The price hikes come as market supply remains tight, Reuters notes, with prompt prices exceeding futures. The traders Reuters surveyed expect official selling prices of Arab Light, Arab Medium, and Arab Heavy to spike, “supported by tight supply amid OPEC+ cuts and robust fuel oil margins.”

#2- Global LNG freight rates have held steady so far this year, despite fluctuations in spot vessel availability in the Atlantic and Pacific basins,Platts reports. The number of available spot vessels in the Atlantic basin varied, reaching a peak of 13 to 14 vessels in April, the highest recorded between 2022 and 2024, after rebounding from a low of three to four vessels in March. Currently there are some 12 to 13 spot vessels available in the Atlantic. The Pacific has also seen fluctuations in ship availability, beginning January at around 10 to 11 vessels, before peaking at 16 in April. The past week, however, saw the number of available vessels draw down to 12 to 13. Despite these fluxes, and ongoing disruptions at the Suez and Panama Canals, LNG shipping rates have held steady, indicating that the market has found a new equilibrium. US Gulf Coast (USGC) LNG freight rates for Northwest Europe have averaged at USD 0.72/MMBtu so far this year. Meanwhile, the most economic route for USGC to Japan/Korea has averaged at USD 1.65/MMBtu so far in 2024.

#3-The Drewry Dry Bulk Equity Index jumped 10.4% between the start of April and 18 April, outperforming the S&P 500 which fell 4.4% during the same period, on the back of a merger between dry bulk players Star Bulk and Eagle Bulk, Drewry reported yesterday. The merger has increased Star Bulk’s market capitalization, buoying the index, and reversing a 3.9% decline seen in March.

DATA POINT-

#1- Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) saw a 15.4% y-o-y boost to cargo operations in Q1 2024, handling some 626.3k tonnes, according to a statement. The airport had just under 70k aircraft movements for the quarter, up 23.9% y-o-y, and serving 188 cargo and passenger destinations. Passenger numbers surged 27.6% y-o-y, to 13.17 mn passengers in the quarter, the statement also said.

Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade surplus stood at QAR 17.6 bn (USD 4.8 bn) in March, down 17.1% y-o-y, according to a Planning and Statistics Authority statement. Exports for the period fell 7.6% y-o-y to QAR 28.5 bn, while imports bumped up 13.2% to QAR 10.9 bn. The fall in exports was mainly attributed to a decline in exports of hydrocarbons, including petrol and LNG. China was Qatar’s top export destination in March, taking in exports that were close to QAR 5.8 bn, the statement also said.

#2- Abu Dhabi Airports saw a 35.6% y-o-y increase in passenger traffic in 1Q 2024, rising to 6.9 mn passengers, it said in a statement. Zayed International Airport hosted 6.8 mn passengers, up 36% y-o-y, and recorded a 26.6% y-o-y increase in flight movements on the back of returned and newly launched operations, which bumped up the airport’s total number of regularly scheduled operators to 29 airlines. Zayed’s top destination cities during the quarter included London, followed by Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, and Doha.

Cargo traffic was also up during the quarter, with 162k tonnes handled across all Abu Dhabi Airports’ airports, up 25.6% y-o-y.

OUR NEXT CONFERENCE IN CAIRO-

Foreign investors are falling in love with Egypt again… Foreign investors we speak with (debt, equity, and strategic alike) have growing appetite for Egypt. They’re buying into local debt, eyeing promising shares, and committing bns of USD to both new ventures here and the growth of their existing businesses. They like the Egypt story that’s taking shape after the float of the EGP, and its competitive advantages are clear to many of them: It’s a massive consumer opportunity and a regional export hub of tomorrow.

The Enterprise Optimism Forum 2024 will do exactly what it says on the tin: Spark conversations about a future that sees Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the the UAE at the heart of a more vital Middle East economy — and provide an early, actionable roadmap for those who are “long Egypt.”

We’ll be talking with you about the agenda over the coming couple of weeks.It features speakers from Egypt and abroad who are future-proofing their businesses and angling to capture tomorrow’s opportunities — and who aren’t afraid to answer some tough questions.

*** Interested in attending? Tap or click here to let us know. Seating is limited.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Qatar will host the Autonomous E-mobility Forum from Tuesday, 30 April to Thursday, 2 May in Doha. The event will gather industry experts, senior officials, policy and technology experts, as well as government, academic, and media representatives, providing a platform for stakeholders to exchange know-how and recommendations for the implementation of autonomous e-mobility in the real-world.

Saudi Arabia will host the Saudi Smart Logistics exhibition and summit from Monday, 6 May to Thursday, 9 May in Riyadh. The trade fair brings together local and international suppliers, public officials, professionals, and logistics players, and provides a platform for networking, exchanging know-how, and showcasing new technologies, products, and services.

The UAE will host the Airport Show from Tuesday, 14 May through to Thursday, 16 May in Dubai. The 23rd Airport Show will see representation from airport suppliers, airport service providers, aviation executives, and regional decision makers. The event will highlight current innovations and new technologies, while emphasizing this year’s "Sustainability and Innovation," theme.

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