MARITIME-

OOMCO + TFG Marine launch bunker fuel JV in Oman: The Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) has established a bunker fuel joint venture (JV) with Singapore-based TFG Marine to supply vessels visiting Oman’s ports of Duqm, Muscat and Sohar, according to a statement published on Thursday.

REFRESHER- Oman’s Sohar Port and Freezone and TFG inked an MoU in March 2024 to establish an international bunker fuel supply vessel to supply vessels at the Omani port.

ROADS-

Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) awarded a contract valued at AED 1.5 bn for the Al Fay Street Development Project, according to a statement from the authority. The project will extend from the intersection with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, through Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, and continue to Emirates Road. The scope of the project includes the construction of five key intersections, with 13.5k meters of bridges and 12.9k meters of new roads.

Upon completion, Al Fay Street is expected to accommodate 64.4k vehicles per hour and serve an estimated population and visitor base of 600k individuals in nearby residential and developmental areas.

DECARBONIZATION-

UAE’s Etihad rail launches region’s “first” CO2 reduction certificates: UAE’s Etihad Rail has launched the region’s first “CO2 Emission Avoidance and Reduction Certificates,” aimed at quantifying the environmental benefits of rail transport, according to a statement released last week. The certificates will provide businesses with tangible data on the amount of carbon offset achieved by shifting to rail.

UAE is banking on rails for transport sector’s emission reductions: Etihad Rail’s operations are projected to cut the UAE’s road transport CO2 emissions by 21% annually by 2050 by shifting freight transport to rail. The plan aims to reduce emissions by 8.2 mn tons of CO2 annually, taking 300 trucks off roads for every train journey.

How it measures CO2 savings: The certificates — powered by the globally recognized EcoTransIT tool — calculate CO2 equivalents by factoring in direct emissions from diesel and indirect emissions from biofuels. Using Well-to-Wheel analysis, the process covers the full lifecycle of fuel use — from extraction to combustion — and accounts for shipment-specific data such as cargo weight, distance, and geocoordinates. Rail freight emissions are benchmarked against truck emissions.

TRADE-

French yeast producer Lesaffre Egypt will receive the golden license for its EUR 120 mn Egyptian yeast production and packaging facility to be set up in Beheria, according to last week’s weekly Cabinet meeting. The project will have an annual production capacity of 22.6k tons of instant and active dry yeast — the first phase will come online in August 2026 and the second phase will follow in August 2028. Over 90% of the project’s output will be earmarked for exports and the local component ratio will exceed 50%.

ALSO- Finnish food packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki secured the golden license for its EGP 1.5 bn factory — EUR 24 mn of which will come in the form of FDI, representing over 80% of the price tag — for the production and distribution of food packaging in Sadat City. The project will rely heavily on local materials, with its local component ratio expected to reach 70%, and intends to export 70% of its production.

AVIATION-

Qatar signs air service agreements with Cameroon + Antigua and Barbuda: Qatar has inked two air service agreements with Antigua and Barbuda and Cameroon to operate unlimited cargo and passenger flights, according to statements released on Thursday here and here.

Qatar has been on a roll with air service agreements: Qatar has secured 178 bilateral air service agreements with 193 member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as of last November, the Peninsula Qatar said in November, citing the head of Agreements at Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority Hassan Al Tamimi. Qatar signed similar agreements with Cuba, Malawi, and Suriname, and the country Al Sharq reported in October.

More is planned: The Gulf country is planning to expand its agreements to cover all members of the ICAO and will focus on reaching island nations in the South Pacific and Caribbean countries in Central America, Tamimi said.

PORTS-

Egypt’s Alexandria port to develop dry bulk goods logistics station: Egypt’s Alexandria Port Authority has inked a contract with Holland Stevedoring Services Company to develop an integrated logistics station at the port of Alexandria for handling and storing dry bulk goods, according to a statement released on Thursday. Holland Stevedoring will oversee the development of the superstructure as well as manage, operate, maintain, and redeliver the station. The project aims to increase the handling and storage capacity for grain and crops by 5 mn tons annually.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

  • Qatar Airways to resume Doha-Malta flights: Qatar Airways will resume flights to Malta on 2 July 2025, operating four weekly flights. (Statement)
  • Turkish Airlines launching Damascus flights: Turkish Airlines will commence three weekly flights to Damascus starting 23 January, ending a 14-year-long hiatus (Statement).
  • Qatar Cargo joins cargo services platform Unisys: Qatar Airways Cargo is now available for booking at the Unisys cargo portal services platform. The update will see the Qatari flag freight carrier join more than 33,000 freight forwarders to offer 24/7 access to capacity data and enhanced operational agility and decision-making. (PR Newswire)
  • DHL Express HQ lands at MCT: DHL Express opened its headquarters at Muscat International Airport last week. (Oman Observer)
  • Aramex KSA launches automated shipment sorting: Aramex Saudi Arabia has launched a new system for automated shipment sorting at its facility in Jeddah Islamic Port. The move is to improve the logistics player’s capacity to handle shipments by up to 100%. (Statement)
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