Good morning, nice people. We’re inching closer to the month’s end with a brisk read that includes updates on Aramco’s investment venture in China and logistics zone projects in KSA’s Dammam. Let’s dive right in.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Khazna eyes big market share in Saudi push: Dubai-based Khazna Data Centers is eyeing an expansion drive into Saudi Arabia, aiming to capture at least 25% of the kingdom’s growing data center market, CEO Hassan Al Naqbi told Bloomberg. Khazna currently controls about 71% of the UAE’s existing data center capacity, with European expansion plans and 12 data centers under construction including sites in Turkey and Kenya.

The plans: The firm has picked two sites for potential developments in Saudi. The company is aiming to leverage its experience with the sector’s hyperscalers — usually US firms with an appetite for large cloud services and data centers — that are increasingly looking to the Gulf’s cheap energy and real estate for expansion. “None of [the Saudi competitors] have the experience to handle the hyperscalers, in terms of design, delivery, and operation,” Al Naqbi said.

IN CONTEXT- Backed by an implied USD 5.5 bn valuation following a stake sale to private equity firm Silver Lake and AI fund MGX, Khazna is positioning itself as a sector heavyweight, and is making the move into the Kingdom just as it advances law facilitating trans-national data center developments in a bid to bring international companies’ data facilities to the kingdom.

#2- Oman’s Asyad Shipping has reportedly purchased two VLCCs for USD 205 mn from Chinese maritime transportation firm Huwell Group, Trade Winds reports, citing European and US shipping brokers. The transaction is allegedly funded by the Chinese leasing houses CSSC Shipping and Jiangsu Financial Leasing.

What else we’re hearing: Both oil tankers were reportedly built at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry in China, have a dwt of 308k tons, and are fitted with scrubbers, according to the news outlet. The first — the 2020-build Landbridge Wisdom — is said to be on a charter expiring this August with major oil firm BP, while the 2019-built Landbridge Glory is on a charter with private equity firm Clearlake Capital until July.

We knew expansion was coming: Asyad Group was reported in February to be planning on adding 33 more vessels in 2025 to its 89-vessel fleet in 2025 to boost the firm’s network to Europe, as well as Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. The new additions are expected to be a combination of oil, gas, and cargo tankers.

ICYMI: Asyad Shipping successfully debuted on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) following an IPO that raised USD 332.8 mn in March. The floated shares are now available for trades at MSX under the symbol “ASCO.”

#3- A Moroccan trade delegation representing 20 companies is expected in Egypt next week to promote Moroccan exports, according to a statement from the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises. The mission will also take part in the Moroccan-Egyptian Business Forum, which will focus on connecting Egyptian importers and Moroccan exporters, the statement said.

IN CONTEXT- The visit follows a recent flare-up in trade tensions that spurred efforts to rebalance the lopsided trade relationship between the two countries in favor of Egypt. Tensions reached a boiling point after Morocco introduced restrictions in February that held up some 150 containers of Egyptian goods in Moroccan ports. Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib was soon dispatched to Rabat and agreed with his Moroccan counterpart to establish a “direct line of communication” to address any trade issues that arise, the fast-tracking of Moroccan exports into Egypt, and increasing efforts to promote Egyptian imports of Moroccan-made goods — especially for automobiles.

Egyptian exports to Morocco reached some USD 1 bn last year, while Egypt imported less than USD 50 mn worth of goods from Morocco, according to data from the state statistics agency Capmas seen by EnterpriseAM. Morocco is keen to up its exports to Egypt — and fast — with a target to grow its Egypt-bound exports to USD 500 mn by next year, Moroccan Confederation of Exporters head Hassan Sentissi told Asharq Business earlier this month.

#4- WB warns of rising debt pressure amid trade war: Debt pressure is piling up on developing countries and emerging markets from rising trade uncertainty, adding to their woes from high debt levels and sluggish growth, Reuters reports, citing the World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill.

About half of the developing countries are now at risk of default or rapidly approaching that point, almost double the 2024 rate, Gill warned. For emerging markets, net interest payments now account for 12% of their GDP, up from 7% in 2014. For poorer countries, the situation is even worse, with about 20% of their GDP now going to debt services, which is double the rate a decade ago.

What to expect for trade: Global trade is expected to grow by just 1.5%, a significant decrease from the 8% seen in the 2000s. With decade-high uncertainty indices, global economists expect the World Bank to announce further significant cuts to both growth and trade forecasts in June, Gill added.

REMEMBER- The IMF revised its global growth forecast for 2025 to just 2.8%, a 0.5% cut from its January estimate, warning that further trade tensions would drag growth further down.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices dipped early this morning as concerns over the global growth outlook took its toll on investors, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures decreased by USD 0.25 to USD 65.61 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) went down by USD 0.18 to reach USD 61.87 a barrel by 00.24 GMT.

DATA POINT-

#1- The amount of handled cargo at Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) decreased

16.5% decrease y-o-y, reaching 16.2k tons of cargo in 1Q 2025, Petra reports, citing figures from Airport International Group. The first three months also saw QAIA register 17.5k aircraft movements, a 5.3% y-o-y increase.

#2- Egypt’s non-oil trade deficit narrowed by 27.7% y-o-y in 1Q 2025 to USD 6.3 bn, according to a government document seen by Asharq Business. This was supported by a 27% y-o-y rise in non-oil merchandise exports, reaching USD 12.7 bn, up from USD 10.0 bn.

Arab countries accounted for around 48% of Egypt’s exports in 1Q 2025, equivalent to USD 6 bn, followed by the European Union at 22% at USD 2.7 bn.

#3- Egypt’s airports handled nearly 338.6k tonnes of air cargo in FY 2023, positioning the country as the 39th largest air cargo market globally, according to data released in a recent International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) report (pdf). Egypt’s aviation sector — including its airlines, airports, civil manufacturing, and air navigation service providers — generates nearly USD 3.5 bn annually, accounting for 0.9% of the nation’s total GDP.

#4- DP World recorded a 7.5% y-o-y jump in its gross container volumes to 22.3 mn TEUs globally in 1Q 2025, according to a company report (pdf). Jebel Ali port saw its handling volumes up 10% y-o-y to 4 mn TEUs in 1Q. The Middle East, Europe, and Africa sub-section recorded the steepest increase in its handled gross volume up 13.7% y-o-y to 8.3 mn TEUs from 7.3 mn TEUs the year prior. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific and India handled the largest total gross volume at 10.6 mn TEUs, growing 3.2% y-o-y from 10.3 mn TEUs in 1Q 2024.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the Airport Show on Tuesday, 6 May to Thursday, 8 May in Dubai. The event will show products and technology for the airport industry from over 160 international suppliers and manufacturers across 20 countries. It will also provide a platform for networking with key players across seven airport sectors.

Saudi Arabia will host the Saudi Smart Logistics trade fair on Monday, 12 May to Thursday, 15 May in Riyadh. The event will provide insights into the latest international and local technology, solutions, equipment providers, and sustainable workflow practices within the logistics industry in the country.

The UAE will host the Global Ports Forum on Tuesday, 13 May to Wednesday, 14 May in Dubai. The forum will cover topics such as port strategy and development, port automation, finance, and efficiency.

The UAE will host the Seamless Middle East from Tuesday, 20 May to Thursday, 22 May in Dubai. The event will cover topics including digital marketing, e-commerce, and retail and merchant payments.

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