Good morning, friends. It’s one of those Goldilocks-type news days in the logistics world of our region: Not too slow, not too busy — just right. We have a few M&A stories this morning, as well as plenty of aviation and ports tidbits for you to start your day with.
THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Dubai-based DP World is set to snap up a 58% stake in Turkey’s Evyap Port as part of a planned strategic equity partnership between DP World Yarimca Port and Evyap Group.
^^ We have everything on this story and more in the news well, below.
HAPPENING TODAY-
Iran battles oil spill: A lengthy stretch of Iran’s Gulf coast has been contaminated by oil leaking from an offshore pipeline earlier this week, Bloomberg reports, citing Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Contamination is increasing as high tides bring more of the spill ashore, a Ports and Maritime Organization official told IRNA, stressing the need for quick action to limit the damage. The site of the spill is near major oil storage facilities and underwater pipelines connecting to export terminals at Kharg Island. Pipelines have been shut down for repairs and cleanup efforts are underway, according to IRNA.
Kuwaiti firefighters have contained a blaze at a warehouse in the Shuwaikh industrial area, KUNA reports. The warehouse was storing construction materials and electric appliances. No injuries have been reported.
A delegation from the Afghanistan Railway Authority met with Iranian railway officials in Tehran yesterday to discuss developing the Khaf-Herat railway, according to a statement. The meeting mainly discussed ways to improve the efficiency of the Khaf-Herat railway’s third section. The Iranian side said it is committed to collaborating on enhancing the transportation capabilities along this route. A previous statement said that the agenda for the meeting included the initiation of short-term technical training programs for Afghan Railway Department employees and enhancing bilateral railway cooperation.
WATCH THIS SPACE – Menzies-held cargo still not released from Namibia airport warehouse: Agility-owned Menzies Aviation Namibia has yet to release cargo stored at Hosea Kutako International Airport following the company’s eviction from the airport after Paragon Aviation Services took over ground handling services, The Namibian reports. Despite “several engagements,” the cargo, held since 18 August, remains unreleased to its owners, causing concern among freight forwarders and clients, a Namibia Airports Company (NAC) spokesperson said. Menzies does not have a representative at the airport, which has hampered communication and forced inquiries by cargo agents to be rerouted to South Africa.
DATA POINT #1- Iran exported some 56 mn tons of non-oil goods worth USD 19.3 bn in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (21 March-22 August), state-aligned Tasnim reports, citing the country’s Customs Administration. China, Iraq, Turkey, India, and the UAE were Iran’s main export markets. Iran also imported 14.4 mn tons of non-oil goods worth some USD 24.2 bn.
DATA POINT #2- Jordan recorded a 2% y-o-y increase in its general index for wholesale trade prices 1H 202 3, reaching 105.6 points from 103.5 points, according to Jordan news agency(Petra). Machinery prices topped the list of items with a 4.11% increase; followed by the group price of motor vehicles and motorcycles by 3.5% percent; textiles, clothing, and household goods by 1.59%; agricultural raw materials, grains, F&B, tobacco by 1.31%; and fuel, metals, and construction materials by 1.27%. The jump in the index also came on the back of an increase in the group price of agricultural raw materials, grains, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery, textiles, and motor vehicles. However, the total group price of fuel, metal, and construction materials decreased by 0.61%.
DATA POINT #3- Qatar’s trade surplus narrowed 43.5% y-o-y in July to QAR 19.6 bn, mainly due to a drop in the value of energy exports, according to the country’s Planning and Statistics Authority. The value of petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbon exports fell 44% y-o-y to around QAR 17 bn during the month. Crude exports fell 10.6% to QAR 5.4 bn and non-crude petroleum oils fell to QAR 2.7 bn in July. The trade surplus was up 12.8% m-o-m in July. China remained Qatar’s top export market in July, with a 20.7% share of total exports, valued at QAR 6 bn, followed by South Korea with a 14.2% share, valued at QAR 4.1 bn and India with a 9.2% share, valued at QAR 2.8 bn.
SOUND SMART- LNG prices skyrocketed last year as European customers turned to Qatar to compensate for the supply disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
DATA POINT #4- The EU’s trade balance returned to a surplus of EUR 1 bn in 2Q 2023 after six consecutive quarters of deficit, according to Eurostat data. The previous quarter saw a EUR 155 bn deficit. Exports during the second quarter dropped 2% y-o-y, although machinery and vehicle exports rose 2.5% y-o-y, while imports fell 3.5%. The surplus came off the back of lower energy prices as EU imports during the quarter saw a 15.6% y-o-y drop in energy and a 10.9% y-o-y fall in raw material.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
The Construction Week Leaders in Construction KSA Summit will be held on 2 September at the Crowne Plaza in Riyadh, KSA. The one-day event will see industry leaders discussing the current trajectory of the kingdom’s gigaprojects where construction leaders will provide future growth.
Global smart logistics platform Shipsy will showcase its AI-driven innovations at Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023 on 4-5 September, according to a press release. The company will highlight how it helps supply chain stakeholders leverage AI for business growth, cost reduction, and improved customer experiences. The company will use this opportunity to present its Logistics Intelligent Assistant, an AI-powered tool that employs predictive analytics for proactive incident management and efficient delivery operations.
The Global Trade and Supply Chain Summit is taking place on 19-20 September at the Address Dubai Marina Hotel, UAE. The event, hosted by Economist Impact, will bring together some 500+ business and supply chain leaders, high level government representatives, and policymakers to discuss the implications of trade policy, business logistics, supply chain diversification from China, sustainability, product traceability, digital trade, customs compliance and evolution, supply chain resilience, and trade in emerging regions, among other topics.
The Saudi Maritime Congress will take place at Dhahran Expo in Dammam, Saudi Arabia on 20-21 September. The event will bring together regional and international professionals from the maritime, shipping, and logistics sectors to meet, network, and do business with some 120 leading maritime exhibitors.
The Duqm Economic Forum , hosted by Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones & Freezones (OPAZ), will take place on 16-17 October at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Duqm, Oman. The two-day event will showcase green investment avenues offered by the Special Economic Zone at Duqm(Sezad). The event will bring together business leaders, policymakers, industrialists, trade specialists, logistics professionals, and experts to discuss and present case studies, assess future trends, and exchange knowledge, insights, expertise, and discuss upcoming investments, according to the event brochure (pdf).
The Construction Week Leaders in Construction UAE Summit is taking place on 20 September at the Grosvenor House in Dubai, UAE. The one-day event aims to bring together industry experts to contribute their insights on the latest technologies and trends in the construction sector. The conference will explore how to adapt to technology, localizing the industry, and how to finance projects to spur economic growth.
R egistration for the Digital Prosperity Awards , which was launched by the Organization for Digital Cooperation, ends on 30 September. The competition is set to honor global contributions that empower governments, businesses, and communities to collaborate and accelerate digital economic advancement.
Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.


