Good morning, friends. We’re kicking off December with an issue led by M&A updates from the UAE, featuring AD Ports’ divestment from NMDC and GulfNav’s finalization of the Brooge assets acquisition. But first, an update on the global aviation front after a presumed software bug in Airbus’ A320 models forced an industry-wide recall of the popular jet…
THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Airbus’s A320 recall sends airlines scrambling: Airbus has recalled some 6k of its A320 jets, almost half of the model’s global fleet in operation, over a software glitch that made aircraft data essential for flight control susceptible to intense solar radiation, according to a press release. The recall came after a review of a JetBlue incident in October, in which a Cancun to Newark flight suddenly lost altitude, injuring passengers and forcing an emergency landing in Florida, USA.
Why does it matter? Airbus’s A320 family is the world’s best-selling narrow-body model, recently surpassing its primary competitor in this category, the Boeing 737 family, to become the most-delivered model in the industry.
Where do we stand now? Several global airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Air India, and Delta Airlines, reported minimal disruptions after rushing to update their software by reverting to an older version — a process that usually takes two hours per aircraft to complete. Some other airlines were not as fortunate, such as JetBlue, Japan’s ANA, and Air France, reporting a mix of delays and cancellations as they worked to address the issue. Some 1k jets with the older A320 versions will require hardware upgrades, leading to longer grounding periods.
The story grabbed a lot of attention in the int’l press: Associated Press | Reuters | Bloomberg | Financial Times | New York Times | Washington Post | CNN | MSNBC | Newsweek | BBC | The Guardian
WATCH THIS SPACE-
#1- Nador West Med kicks off operations ahead of schedule: Morocco’s Nador West Med (NWM) Port has begun operating ahead of schedule by exporting a shipment of wind turbines produced in Nador by the Chinese firm Aeolon, the Moroccan news outlet Detafour reports, citing unnamed sources it said are involved in the project. The shipment is bound for a European port, with more exports expected to continue at a regular pace in the coming weeks, the news outlet added.
ICYMI- Morocco is gearing up to launch commercial operations in the port in early 2027, featuring two terminals. Marsa Maroc is investing EUR 280 mn to develop the Western Terminal as part of a 25-year concession, and is also developing the port’s Eastern Terminal alongside MSC’s subsidiary Terminal Investment Limited
#2- PIF wants to invest in Leonardo’s aerostructures division? The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is reportedly in advanced talks to invest in Leonardo ’s loss-making aerostructures division, with both sides close to finalizing an agreement that would create a global aerostructures unit, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people it says are familiar with the matter.
What’s next? An expected meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the GCC summit in Bahrain on Wednesday, 3 December, could help secure final approvals. The Italian government owns 30% of the aerospace and defense group. If materialized, the investment could open more paths for collaboration — potentially leading to a new civil aviation manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, the business information service reports.
Why it matters: The potential investment would give Saudi Arabia a larger foothold in the global aviation manufacturing sector while providing Leonardo — which produces major structural parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner — with financial support for a division hit by a slowdown in production. The unit, which employs about 4k people across four Italian plants, generated USD 746 mn in revenue last year.
#3- Kuwait is expected to sign the long-awaited contract to develop Mubarak Al Kabeer Port (MKP) as part of an MoU with China this month, Kuwait Times reported last week, citing the Public Works Ministry’s spokesperson Ahmad Al Saleh. The project — which saw Kuwait earmark some KWD 186 mn (USD 614 mn) of investments — was initially planned for completion in 2025.
REMEMBER- Kuwait inked an agreement with China State Construction Engineering Corporation to study, design, and establish pre-implementation services for the MKP project in February .
There’s more: The Kuwaiti Public Works Ministry aims to complete the Gulf Railway project between 2028 and 2030, and a final design for the Kuwait portion of the project will be ready by January. The Kuwaiti portion — which will span 111 km — is set to connect Nuwaiseeb to Shadadiya as part of a high-speed rail linking Kuwait to Riyadh.
#4- Low-cost carrier (LCC) Wizz Air plans to launch a regional hub in Israel by April 2026, Reuters reports, citing a company statement. The Hungary-based LCC is looking at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and Ramon Airport as potential locations for the hub, with the carrier aiming to resolve regulatory issues by the end of January. The plan could see Wizz Air reportedly investing some USD 1 bn in Israel over three years, with some 10 dedicated aircraft and 50 new routes forecasted as part of the push.
Have operations in Israel become too costly? Israel has been struggling to keep costs down for LCCs after instigating several regional conflicts in the past two years, making conditions especially tight for low-cost carriers. Ireland’s LCC Ryanair terminated low-fare flights to and from Tel Aviv this winter, citing exorbitant fees due to the Israeli government’s decision to limit access to Ben Gurion Airport’s low-cost terminal over security concerns.
The new plan comes a few months after Wizz Air announced it would phase outoperations from its UAE base in Abu Dhabi starting in September, citing the high costs, engine problems, and unfavorable weather in the Emirates. The carrier, however, still operates flights through Abu Dhabi, including routes to and from Larnaca, Cyprus, and Sofia, Bulgaria. The company is also in talks to delay around 100 jet deliveries from Airbus into the next decade, which is expected to cap the carrier’s capacity growth at 10% instead of the anticipated 14%.
DISRUPTION WATCH-
Dana Gas’s liquid storage tank at its Khor Mor facility in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was struck by a rocket attack yesterday, according to a disclosure (pdf) published last week. The strike caused a fire, but there were no injuries, and operations were halted to assess the damage. Authorities did not disclose who was behind the attack, and it’s not clear if operations have returned to normal or the scale of the damage so far.
Not a first: A drone strike “targeted the [field’s] vicinity” earlier this year, though the company’s operations were unaffected. Drone attacks on the wider region earlier in July had slashed crude output by 140k bbl to 150k bbl /d, with local officials previously claiming Iran-backed militias were likely behind the attacks. Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum began commercial gas sales from Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field expansion project ahead of schedule last month.
MARKET WATCH-
#1- Oil prices surged this morning after Opec+ decided to keep production steady for 1Q 2026, amplifying existing supply crunch concerns driven by the halted oil flows in the Caspian Pipeline and reports of an imminent US attack on Venezuela, Reuters reported. Brent crude futures rose USD 1.01 to trade at USD 63.39 / bbl as of 04:01 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up USD 1.00 to USD 59.55 / bbl.
How it went down in Opec+: Opec+ agreed to keep oil output quotas unchanged for the first quarter of 2026 in its meetings yesterday, according to a statement. The decision keeps 3.24 mn bbl/d of production cuts in place, representing some 3% of global demand.
The cartel also approved a mechanism to assess the maximum production capacity for member states, which will be used to set output baselines starting in 2027. An assessment will take place in the first nine months of 2026 to decide the following year’s output quotas, unnamed sources told Reuters.
US-based DeGolyer and MacNaughton will reportedly carry out most of the work for the review, unnamed delegates told Bloomberg, adding that an Indian company will be selected to review quotas for sanctions-afflicted Russia and Venezuela, as well as Iran which objected to baseline calculations. The three countries are reluctant to let foreign companies audit their energy industries, the business information service says.
#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 3.2% on Friday to 2,560, reaching a new record since December 2023. The capesize climbed 5.8% to 4,481, while the panamax index fell by 0.5% to 1,952 points. The smaller supramax index climbed 0.3% to 1,441.
#3- The Drewry World Container Index decreased by 2% to USD 1,806 per 40-ft container on Thursday, according to the latest index readings. The decline was attributed to lower rates on the Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade routes. Transpacific headhaul spot rates have fallen for the third week in a row, with notable drops seen from Shanghai routes bound to New York and Los Angeles.
DATA POINTS-
#1- Air cargo demand is on the rise with a 4.1% October surge: Total demand for global air cargo — measured in cargo ton-km (CTK) — rose 4.1% y-o-y in October 2025, according to figures by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Meanwhile, available air cargo capacity jumped 5.1% y-o-y in the same period. Air cargo’s shifting growth pattern demonstrates its role in helping global supply chains adapt to the impact of US tariffs, according to IATA.
#2- Jordan’s total exports increased by 8.9% y-o-y in 9M 2025 to reach nearly JOD 7.7 bn, Petra reported last week. This growth was driven by a 9.1% y-o-y rise in national exports to JOD 7 bn and a 6.5% y-o-y increase in re-exports to JOD 693 mn. The country’s imports also grew by 7% y-o-y to JOD 15 bn. While the export-to-import ratio stood at 51%, the trade deficit widened by 5% to JOD 7.3 bn.
ALSO- The value of Jordan’s exports to Syria skyrocketed by 383.3% y-o-y to JOD 174 mn, and Jordanian imports from Syria also rose substantially, increasing by JOD 72 mn — a 71.4% y-o-y jump.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
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.
Saudi Arabia is hosting SkyMove Air Cargo MENA on Tuesday, 27 January until Wednesday, 28 January in Riyadh. The event is expected to welcome more than 600 attendees from over 60 countries. The event will unite the whole air cargo value chain, analyze market trends, mitigate potential challenges, and leverage emerging windows.
The UAE is hosting the Middle East ProcureTech Summit on Tuesday, 27 January until Wednesday, 28 January in Dubai. The two-day event will spotlight the shifts in the procurement sector, paying special attention to digital and cloud procurement, and provide a networking platform for executives and industry innovators.
Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.




