Good morning, folks. We’re kicking off the week with an issue full to the brim, led by debt updates from Turkey’s Arkas Holding, as well as a spate of project updates from Saudi and Egypt. PLUS: A flood of earnings from UAE’s major logistics players. Let’s get the ball rolling.

HAPPENING TODAY-

The Dubai Airshow will open its doors today and will run through until Friday, 21 November at Dubai World Central. Focusing on a diverse range of subjects — including aerospace technology advancements, sustainable aviation solutions, and cybersecurity — the conference will host some 135k attendees and around 1.4k exhibitors. There will be 192 aircraft on display with USD 101.5 bn orders already booked, according to the event brochure (pdf).

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- DP World in talks to build Sadat dry port in Egypt…: UAE port operator DP World is in negotiations with the Egypt’s Transport Ministry to secure development and operating rights for the Sadat dry port, Al Borsa quotes Egypt’s General Authority for Land and Dry Ports head Sayed Metwally as saying. The ministry is currently reviewing the Emirati group’s feasibility studies, he added, without disclosing the port’s cost. Unconfirmed reports had previously put the port’s expected investment cost at USD 160 mn.

… and also eyeing the Shaq El Tebaan dry port, trying to secure the contract to develop and operate the 125-feddan, USD 100 mn dry port, Metwally said. Earlier this year, the Transport Ministry scrapped the tender for the port after none of the three bidders met technical requirements. At the time it was reported that the authority will instead relaunch the project through a closed-envelope auction, with technical bids due next January and financial offers the month after.

#2- Airbus vs Boeing showdown for flydubai jet order: Separate reports from Bloomberg and Reuters suggested that Airbus and Boeing are both in the lead to land the majority of an order for as many as 300 jets from flydubai. Bloomberg had first reported that the budget airline is slated to tap Boeing for the order, with Reuters reporting hours later that Airbus “looks set to beat Boeing,” with insider sources.

Flydubai is expected to announce the order, consisting of 200 narrow-body planes with an option for 100 more, at this week’s Dubai Airshow. At present, the airline only operates Boeing aircraft, but delays in 737 deliveries have prompted it to explore other options, sources told the news outlet.

REMEMBER- The US Federal Aviation Administration authorized Boeing to ramp up 737 Max production to 42 jets per month starting November. The model has been under scrutiny due to safety concerns since Alaska Air technicians found loose hardware in the door plug area on several Boeing 737 Max 9 planes.

#3- State-owned Air Algérie is mulling plans to pull the trigger on new jet orders in 2026 — as part of its 10-year plan to become a global carrier, CEO Hamza Benhamouda told Asharq Business on Friday. The Algerian airline has taken the delivery of its first Airbus A330-900 on Thursday and is slated to receive seven more A330neos, which will primarily support the launch of new transatlantic and Asian routes.

What does Air Algérie’s fleet look like? Air Algérie boasts a current fleet of 52 aircraft — with a large order from aircraft manufacturer ATR bagged back in July for 16 new ATR 72-600 jets, with deliveries expected between 2026 and 2028.

#4- Tunisia is lining up TND 3 bn airport expansion project: The Tunisian government is working on a project to expand Tunis-Carthage International Airport for TND 3 bn (c. USD 1 bn), Tunisian outlet Mosaiquefm reported last week, citing comments by Tunisian Transport Minister Rachid Al Amari. The project, which targets raising the airport’s handling capacity to 18 mn passengers, will also include a metro link connecting to central Tunis, Al Amari said.

Where’s the project now? Tunisia’s Civil Aviation and Airports Authority has undertaken a feasibility study for the project, and the government intends to develop the project under a ‘turnkey’ framework, whereby a single contractor is tapped for everything from design and construction to delivery. No timeline was disclosed.

Background: The Tunisian government approved an expansion plan for Tunis-Carthage International Airport, according to a statement published last year. The plans involved — at the time — establishing a new air terminal spanning 80k sqm to raise the airport’s annual passenger capacity from 5 mn to 13 mn passengers. It also entailed building a new control tower and developing rail links — including a connection to the city center, a high-speed line to Enfidha–Hammamet International Airport, and a metro line from Lake Tunis to Bhar Lazreg.

There’s more: The Tunisian government is also mulling the development of a new airport in Bizerte, the capital and largest city of Bizerte Governorate in northern Tunisia.

MARKET WATCH-

#1– Oil prices took a dip this morning after Russia resumed operations at its oil export hub Novorossiysk, which went out of service for two days following a Ukraine attack, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures fell USD 0.53 to trade at USD 63.86 / bbl as of 04:23 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped by USD 0.54 to USD 59.53 / bbl.

IN LONG-TERM MARKET NEWS- Opec kept its global oil demand growth projections unchanged at 1.3 mn bbl / d for 2025 and 1.4 mn bbl / d for 2026, according to its November oil report (pdf) released last week. Demand in the Middle East is forecast to climb by 108k bbl / d in 2025 to average 9 mn bbl / d, led by higher consumption in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the UAE.

Demand for Opec crude was revised down by 100k bbl / d from last month’s assessment to 42.4 mn bbl / d. For 2026, demand for Opec crude is seen at 43 mn bbl / d, also 100k bbl / d lower than the previous projection. This implies a small surplus of around 20k bbl / d next year, assuming production remains at October levels.

On the supply side, Opec’s output stood at 28.5 mn bbl / d in October, with the UAE pumping some 3.3 mn bbl / d based on direct communication with the organization. Opec’s secondary sources put the UAE at some 3.4 mn bbl / d. The figures line up with a recent Reuters survey that estimated Opec’s October output at 28.43 mn bbl / d.

REMEMBER- The IEA tells a slightly different tale: The International Energy Agency (IEA) raised itsdemand growth forecasts by 80k bbl / d for 2025 and by 70k bbl / d for 2026, with both years remaining under the 800k bbl / d mark, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the agency’s latest monthly oil report. Stronger petrochemicals feedstock consumption underpinned IEA’s projection.

#2– Baltic index declines to its lowest: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — rose 2.3% on Friday to 2,125, driven by continued declines in the bigger vessel segment. The capesize climbed 3.8% to 3,252, while the panamax index remained unchanged at 1,897. The smaller supramax index climbed up 21 points to 1,408.

#3– The Drewry World Container Index decreased by 5% to USD 1,859 per 40-ft container on Thursday, according to the latestindexreadings. The drop comes on the back of market turbulence driven by the US’s tariff policies since April. The container forecaster projects the supply-demand balance to fall in 2H 2025, causing spot rates to fall further.

***YOU’RE READING EnterpriseAM Logistics, the essential MENA publication for senior execs who care about the industry that connects producers and retailers to global markets. We’re out Monday through Thursday by 9:15am in Cairo and Riyadh and 11:15am in the UAE.

EnterpriseAM Logistics is available without charge thanks to the generous support of our friends at Hassan Allam Utilities, Transmar, and AK-Ships.

Were you forwarded this email? Tap or click here to get your own copy of Enterprise Logistics.

Want to send us a story idea, request coverage, ask for a correction, or otherwise get in touch? Reach out to us on logistics@enterprisemea.com.

DID YOU KNOW that we also cover Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE ***

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Saudi Arabia will host the ShipTek International Conference and Awards on Tuesday, 18 November in Al Khobar. The conference will host policymakers, organizations, suppliers, and experts on maritime, offshore, and oil and gas.

Egypt will host the International Procurement Supply Chain Conference on Saturday, 6 December in Cairo. The event will gather over 1k delegates, more than 400 organizations, and over 30 global speakers to discuss the future of trade through keynotes and panel discussions. The discussions will center on Egypt’s transformation in the logistics sector, the future of smart ports and supply chains, as well as digital ecosystems.

Morocco is hosting the Rail Industry Summit on Tuesday, 9 December until Wednesday, 10 December in El Jadida. The two-day event will gather 130 exhibitors, 250 companies, and over 900 participants from 15 countries. It will feature business meetings, high-level conferences, and workshops focused on new market trends and future strategies.

Saudi Arabia is hosting the Saudi Airport Exhibition on Tuesday, 16 December until Wednesday, 17 December in Riyadh. Upwards of 10k global attendees are expected to participate in the event from over 100 countries. The two-day event will focus on airport-related innovation, and will feature participation from Saudia, SolitAir, and Amadeus.

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

Tags: