Good morning, nice people. We’re heading into the weekend with another packed read, led by Aldar’s move to expand its logistics portfolio in the UAE and earnings updates from across the region. We also dive into how businesses and maritime sector leaders view the future of supply chain disruptions — and they all agree that supply chain rearrangements are here to stay. Let’s get the ball rolling.
WATCH THIS SPACE-
#1- DP World has kicked off operations at Syria’s Tartus Port under a 30-year concession agreement with the port’s authorities inked back in July, according to a statement. The company is now undertaking a study of the port’s infrastructure, and is conducting technical surveys and design planning for a development roadmap, the statement said.
REFRESHER- DP World is investing USD 800 mn to redevelop the port under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model and turn it into a trade node linking Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Tartus is Syria’s second largest port, with an annual handling capacity of about 20k containers and about 4 mn tons of cargo.
The company will focus on dredging port access channels, as well as basins and berths, in the medium term, while rehabilitating and replacing handling equipment and introducing new, specialized assets, to improve bulk and breakbulk cargo handling, the statement added.
ALSO FROM UAE- AD Ports eyes expanding logistics footprint in EAEU: UAE port operator AD Ports Group has inked a protocol with the Eurasian Economic Commission to discuss the potential development of new logistics hubs in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries, according to a statement. The port operator was also tapped by the commission to develop digital transport corridors and integrate advanced technologies into transport and logistics infrastructure across the EAEU region.
IN CONTEXT- The UAE ratified a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the EAEU in June, after concluding trade talks earlier in December. The agreement targets cooperation in sectors like renewable energy, logistics, and construction across the bloc’s five member states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
#2- Tokyo-based IT firm NTT Data Group is weighing the establishment of data centers in Saudi Arabia amid growing interest in AI in the Kingdom, CEO Abhijit Dubey told Bloomberg on Tuesday. The company — which was recently taken private by NTT Group in a USD 16 bn deal — is still assessing the market and has not yet made formal commitments. NTT Data is already embedded in major Saudi projects, including Neom and key stadiums, as the Kingdom accounts for about 70% of NTT Data’s Middle East budget, he noted.
What they said: “What we see is there is a supply-demand mismatch in terms of what the country wants to achieve in such a short amount of time, versus the actual capacity we have in the country. I’m here specifically because there has been so much interest around AI,” Dubey added.
#3- Kuwait eyes logistics sector as part of wider Egypt investment push: Kuwait is in discussions with Egypt to soon put into action a planned USD 3 bn investment package, two government sources told EnterpriseAM. Ports and logistics infrastructure are among the sectors piquing Kuwait’s interest, alongside renewables, industry, and real estate, we were told. Negotiations between both parties are ongoing, with the two sides expected to reach an agreement on the first tranche of the planned investment before the end of 2025 or in 1Q 2026.
Kuwait appears to be especially interested in Egypt’s airport privatization push, with officials from the country having expressed interest in the first offering currently being prepared in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and expected to be launched before the end of the year.
REMEMBER- The IFC unveiled a list of 11 Egyptian airports slated for development through public-private partnerships back in March, with Hurghada International Airport planned as a pilot project for the program. A tender for the development and operation of the Hurghada airport is expected to launch next February, Civil Aviation Minister Sameh Elhefny said earlier this year.
#4- An Egyptian logistics zone in South Africa, and a South African one in Egypt to match? Industry Minister Kamel El Wazir and his South African counterpart floated a joint project to establish joint logistics zones in each other’s countries to promote trade between the two sides, according to a statement from the Egyptian Industry Ministry. The proposed zone in Egypt could be located at a port, whereas Egypt’s zone in South Africa would focus on automotive manufacturing projects and their feeder industries.
DATA POINT- South Africa’s exports to Egypt rose 118% y-o-y to ZAR 161 mn in August 2025, while its imports of Egyptian products also hiked up 54.1% y-o-y to ZAR 264 mn, according to data from the OEC.
South African firms are expanding into Egypt: South Africa-based logistics firm Pargo secured some USD 4 mn in funding to fuel its expansion into Egypt last year. Pargo has rolled out its collect and return services, which allow people to pick up or return their online orders at their convenience, across 500 pickup points, including Fawry, Circle-K, and Basata stores.
DISRUPTION WATCH-
Disruptions at US airports are set to improve as the government gears up for re-opening, after the US House of Representatives voted 222-209 to pass a bipartisan funding bill, the Financial Times reports. US President Trump signed the bill into law, ending a stalemate that led to the longest government shutdown in history — entering its 44th day — affecting airport flights, food aid, and economic reports, as well as causing layoffs of federal workers, which are set to be reversed under the bill.
The worst is over, but ‘normal’ is not here just yet: Returning to normal operations at US airports will likely take a few weeks, computer science professor and aviation security expert Sheldon Jacobson told CBS. With airports already suffering an air controller shortage before the shutdown, a return to normal could take “many weeks” as overworked staff work through a backlog of thousands of canceled and delayed flights, transportation policy director at the Reason Foundation Robert Poole said.
MARKET WATCH-
#1- Oil prices remained mostly unchanged this morning as markets continue to weigh the impact of rising stockpiles in the US, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures remained steady at USD 62.71 / bbl as of 06:45 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) edged down by USD 0.03 to trade at USD 58.46 / bbl. Morning rates came on the back of big drops on Wednesday, where Brent fell 3.8% and WTI dropped by 4.2%.
MEANWHILE- The International Energy Agency (lEA) has finally admitted its earlier oil demand projections needed an update — and now sees oil and gas demand continuing to rise until 2050, according to its World Energy Outlook 2025 (pdf). The agency expects the world to fall short of its climate goals, signaling that fossil fuels will maintain a dominant role for decades.
IN CONTEXT- The agency’s earlier forecasts had projected that oil and gas demand would peak this decade and decline toward 2050. Now, it’s aligning more with Opec’s view, which sees demand continuing to grow through to mid-century on the back of rising usage in road transportation, aviation, and petrochemicals. This also comes amid a shift in US priorities under President Donald Trump, who has been calling for more oil and gas production and revoking renewables-friendly policies.
The agency used two scenarios for analysis: Under the IEA’s current policies scenario (CPS) — which reflects existing government measures rather than future climate ambitions — oil demand is projected to reach 113 mn bbl / d by mid-century, around 13% higher than in 2024. In the stated policies scenario (STEPS) — which includes announced but not yet implemented policies — demand peaks “around 2030” and stabilizes near 96.9 mn bbl / d in 2050.
Why the two scenarios? The return to CPS and STEPS reflects “growing uncertainties in the political, economic, and energy context,” IEA’s Executive Director Fatih Birol told Bloomberg.
Under CPS, sustained demand would absorb global oil and LNG oversupply faster, pushing crude prices to around USD 90 / bbl by 2035. Meeting that demand would require some 25 mn bbl / d of new projects. Our region is expected to remain the dominant oil exporter, sending out 3x more oil than the next-largest exporter in 2035.
LNG will be the next big thing: Final investment decisions for new export projects have surged in 2025, with some 300 bcm of annual capacity expected to come online by 2030 — a 50% increase in available global supply. The IEA projects LNG demand to rise to 880 bcm in 2035, reaching 1 tcm in 2050, and up from 560 bcm in 2024 — driven primarily by growing electricity needs from data centers and AI-related power consumption.
Data infrastructure is emerging as the new energy driver: Global data-center investments could reach USD 580 bn in 2025, exceeding the USD 540 bn spent annually on oil supply.
#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 — fell 2% to 2,030, driven by continued declines in the bigger vessel segment. The capesize declined by 5.3% to 3,023, while the panamax index gained 1.2% to 1,887. The smaller supramax index climbed up 21 points to 1,365.
DATA POINT-
Some 90% of UAE businesses plan to increase trade and investment in Saudi Arabia over the next five years, according to an HSBC press release (pdf) citing its New Networks of Capital: Saudi Arabia report (pdf). The report — which surveyed over 4k executives from international firms generating between USD 50-500 mn annually — found a growing number of businesses showed strong confidence in the Kingdom as a new corridor for regional and international growth. Over 78% are planning to increase investments within the next six months.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
The UAE will host the Dubai Airshow on Monday, 17 November until Friday, 21 November in Dubai. The event will host over 1.5k exhibitors and 148k industry experts from over 150 countries to discuss air mobility, new MRO breakthroughs, sustainable aviation, startups, and new tech for aircraft simulations.
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.




