Good morning, folks. It’s a packed issue as we begin the week, with M&A, debt, storage, and trade updates from across the region. Undersea cable fibers in the Red Sea were also cut, disrupting services for the UAE, India, and Pakistan, while also slowing down the speed for users of Microsoft Azure’s cloud services. Let’s get the ball rolling.
WATCH THIS SPACE-
#1- Internet connectivity in the Middle East and parts of Asia was disrupted over the weekend by undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, the Associated Press reported yesterday. Internet monitor NetBlocks traced the outages to the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, affecting users in the UAE, India, and Pakistan.
Users of Microsoft’s Azure cloud services were impacted, with the firm saying that users with traffic traversing through the Middle East might experience “increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts.”
The cause of the outages is unclear, with concern that the cables could have been targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have denied attacking the lines in the past after a similar incident in early 2024.
What’s next? Repairs to subsea cables typically take weeks. Around 15% of global internet traffic passes through Red Sea cables.
#2- Etihad Airways is weighing bulk buying aircraft parts and storing them in local warehouses for on-demand access — in a bid to sidestep supply chain gridlocks from planemarkers, Bloomberg reports. The bulk purchases are aimed at lowering downtime for jets undergoing retrofits in a bid to minimize network disruptions as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier rolls out a USD 1 bn retrofit program for its existing fleet. Etihad is also bringing two more Airbus A380s — which it had planned to permanently retire — back to service due to delivery delays.
Outdated certification processes are also weighing down progress. Certain certification requirements for jet components — enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration and the EU Aviation Safety Agency — are driving delays that are affecting the carrier’s expansion plans.
REMEMBER- Growth is on Etihad’s agenda: The Abu Dhabi-based airline is aiming to add 22 aircraft to its fleet this year, part of its push to reach 170 jets by 2030, CEO Antonoaldo Neves said earlier this year.
#3- Sudan’s gold exports disrupted amid UAE ban: The UAE’s decision to bar all trade with Sudan is leading Sudan to seek other buyers for its gold imports, including Oman and Bahrain, Bloomberg reports. The Emirati ban — enacted last month — includes shipments in transit from Asia and other Gulf countries, according to a Sudanese Transportation Ministry document seen by Bloomberg. The UAE stands out as Sudan’s largest trading partner — with total bilateral goods flow hitting USD 2.2 bn in 2024.
The Sudanese government has already reached a preliminary agreement with Oman to uptake its product, two officials told the business information service. A Sudanese mining ministry delegation also visited Oman and Bahrain last week to explore alternative shipment routes for the gold, the officials added.
IN CONTEXT- The update comes after a diplomatic rift between Sudan and the UAE reportedly led AD Ports to stop handling cargo destined for, or coming from, Port Sudan earlier this month. The trade halt, which includes a ports ban on handling vessels originating from Sudanese ports, has also disrupted landlocked South Sudan’s crude flows.
#4- Noon considers dual listing in Saudi Arabia, UAE: KSA-based e-commerce company Noon is mulling a dual listing on the Saudi and UAE stock exchanges within the next two years as it moves toward profitability, founder Mohamed Alabbar told the Financial Times on Friday.
More than IPOs in the works: The company is expanding its automated self-delivery services, aiming to cut its 40k delivery workforce by half by 2027. Noon is also exploring mergers and acquisitions to expand into new markets like India, Alabbar said.
Noon — founded in 2016 — operates across the Kingdom, the UAE, and Egypt, and raised around USD 2.7 bn from investors, including the Public Investment Fund. The company is currently valued at about USD 10 bn.
#5- SAR seeks bids for Riyadh railway link: Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has invited contractors to submit expressions of interest to build a 35-km line linking the Kingdom’s North-South and Eastern railway networks via Riyadh, Meed reported last week. The railway link is part of the USD 7 bn Landbridge project connecting the Kingdom’s Red Sea coast to GCC countries in the east through six railway lines and seven logistics centers. The project is scheduled for completion by 2030.
The ball is rolling: Saudi Arabia launched a tender for lead design consultancy services on the Landbridge project in April, with construction set to begin this year. SAR awarded the project’s management contract in 2023 to a consortium comprising US-based construction management firm Hill International, Italian consulting firm Italferr, and Spanish engineering firm Sener — whereas a Saudi-China consortium led by SAR, China Civil Engineering Construction Company, and Al Ayuni will lead implementation.
The Landbridge project: Once complete, the project will include over 1.5k km of new tracks across Saudi Arabia. At its core is a new 900-km rail line connecting Riyadh to King Abdullah Port on the western coast — along with a new coastal link between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu’s ports, and upgrades to existing lines such as the Riyadh-Dammam rail.
MARKET WATCH-
#1- Oil prices surged this morning as fears of shortages due to possible sanctions on Russia outweighed concerns of oversupply after the Opec+ production hike, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures increased by USD 0.80 to reach USD 66.30 / bbl by 03.45 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained USD 0.75 to trade at USD 62.62 / bbl.
About the Opec+ hike: Opec+ approved a production surge for an additional 137k bbl / d from October as part of its accelerated rollback supply cuts, according to a press release. The group said that it will continue monthly hikes through September 2026, fast-tracking the return of 1.65 mn bbl / d that was previously set to stay offline until end-2026.
Blindsiding the market: Analysts said Riyadh was unlikely to push more barrels into the market immediately, as the Kingdom seeks to balance its market-share play against the risk of adding to a surplus and pressuring prices further. The bloc has already added some 2.5 mn bbl/d since starting output hikes in April, reversing its 2023 supply curbs. Crude has stayed near USD 70/bbl, supported by Western sanctions on Russia and Iran, and by Opec+ supply falling short of pledges.
BUT- Most members are already pumping at or near capacity, leaving Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the only producers able to meaningfully increase supply, Reuters reports, citing analysts and production data.
#2- Baltic index maintains upwards trajectory: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — increased 0.8% to 1,979 points on Friday, driven by the larger segments. The capesize gained 0.7% to 2,835 points, while the panamax index climbed 2.5 % to 1,802 points. The smaller supramax index fell by 2.3% to 1,465 points.
#3- The Drewry World Container Index fell by 1% to USD 2,104 per 40-ft container on Thursday, according to the latest index readings. The drop comes on the back of market turbulence driven by the ongoing US tariffs’ bonanza since April. The container forecaster projects the supply-demand balance to fall in 2H 2025, causing spot rates to fall further.
PSA-
Hapag-Lloyd to roll out PSS: Shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd will add a new peak season surcharge (PSS) of USD 100 per 20-ft and 40-ft reefer cargo container coming from India’s Nhava Sheva to Iraq’s Umm Qasr, according to a statement. The PSS will take effect starting 18 September and is applicable until further notice.
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
Saudi Arabia will host the Smart Ports and Logistics Transformation Summit on Monday, 15 September and Tuesday, 16 September in Jeddah. The summit will host over 40 global and local speakers, industry experts, and policymakers to explore smart port solutions, port operations, and logistics within Saudi Arabia.
The UAE will host the Syria Recovery and Investment Forum on Wednesday, 24 September in Abu Dhabi. The forum will host leaders in business, regional investors, policymakers, and advisory experts to develop practical solutions for Syria’s road to recovery and economic revival.
Turkey will host the Global Freight Summit on Sunday, 28 September until Wednesday, 1 October in Istanbul. The summit will host over 330 attendees and over 250 firms for policy and knowledge and strategies exchange between forwarding partners.
The UAE will host the African & Middle East & Islamic Finance Aviation 100 Awards on Monday, 29 September until Wednesday, 1 October in Dubai. The event aims to highlight and reward the most remarkable transactions closed by airlines and aviation manufacturing and leasing firms.
The UAE will host the Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference on Tuesday, 30 September until Thursday, 2 October in Abu Dhabi. The event will be hosted by Etihad Rail and is set to welcome over 200 global speakers and upwards of 20k industry attendees to share innovative solutions and develop partnerships.
Saudi Arabia will host the Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress on Wednesday, 1 October and Thursday, 2 October in Dammam. It will host over 200 registered exhibitors and some 15k attendees from over 90 countries to discuss AI-powered fleet optimization, shifts in global trade, and intelligence-driven infrastructure.
Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.




