Make it in the Emirates Forum yields a flurry of supply chain and aviation localization agreements on its second day

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What we're tracking today

TODAY: UAE’s supply chains push + Mubadala to supply Indonesial fertilizer maker with nat.gas

Good morning, friends. We’re inching closer to the weekend with another brisk read. Aviation and supply chain updates from the Make it in Emirates forum lead today’s issue, followed by a handful of LNG trade news regionally and globally. Shall we?

HAPPENING TODAY-

Seamless Middle East is on its second day and running through tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Center. The event — targeting payment providers, merchants, and SMEs and focusing on the future of digital commerce, payments, and e-commerce — will feature discussions on fintech, digital transactions, and the evolution of the digital economy.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- IsDB to back Algeria rail project: The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is set to loan Algeria USD 3 bn over the next three years to strengthen the country’s railway development and economic zone projects, Reuters reports, citing the bank’s president Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser in an interview with Algeria’s Ennahar TV. Algeria was reported last December to be planning to build a 2.4k km railway network linking the northern and the southern parts of the country.

IsDB ? Algeria: As a member of the IsDB, Algeria has received nearly USD 3 bn in funding so far, according to the bank’s website. IsDB has supported 401 projects in the country, including seven that are active now.

#2- The EU is expected to remove all its remaining sanctions on Syria, with the greenlight likely to come through after a meeting next Tuesday, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources. Security-related sanctions as well as restrictions placed on former President Bashar Al Assad’s government will remain in place, with new sanctions on human rights violators slated for future implementation, the sources said.

The US spurred this on: US President Donald Trump pledged to lift the longstanding sanctions in place against Syria during his Gulf tour last week. Washington is set to issue 180-day waivers for the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act — a restriction applied on Syria’s ousted government and any states or companies affiliated with it, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week.

Gradual easing from Brussels: The EU moved last February to rescind a number of restrictions on Syria, deciding to “suspend sectoral measures in the energy — including oil, gas and electricity — and transport sectors,” a statement read.

REFRESHER- Syria has recently secured investment agreements for its Mediterranean ports, with the French shipping giant CMA CGM set to funnel USD 260 mn in Latakia port and DP World investing USD 800 mn in Tartus port.

#3- DP World showcases 2025 investments: DP World is funneling USD 2.5 bn of investments into its global logistics network in 2025 to launch a pipeline of projects across India, Africa, South America, and Europe, according to a statem ent. The pipeline includes a USD 830 mn development in Senegal’s Ndayane Port, a USD 510 mn terminal project in India’s Tuna-Tekra, the development of the Republic of Congo’s deep-sea Banana Port, a USD 140 mn expansion in Ecuador’s Posorja Port and a USD 1 bn investment in the London Gateway logistics hub.

Standing steady: The investment indicates the company’s “confidence in long-term trade growth and [its] determination to build the infrastructure needed to keep the world connected,” despite short-term uncertainty, Chairman and Group CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem noted. The infrastructure projects are also set to enhance the firm’s end-to-end capacity.

#4- Do we have a US-India trade agreement on the horizon? The US and India are reportedly in discussions over a three-stage trade pact, with a first stage expected by July, covering market access to industrial goods, select farm products, and non-tariff barriers like quality control requisites, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed Indian officials. The second stage of the agreement will likely be reached between September and November of this year, while the final stage — a comprehensive trade agreement — will likely follow once Congress gives the greenlight, likely next year, the New Delhi sources said.

REMEMBER- The Indian government reportedly offered earlier in February to double its bilateral trade with the US to USD 500 bn by 2030 in a bid to circumvent trade turmoil with Washington. The Asian giant also promised to lower tariffs on US products and boost market access to US oil, gas, and farm products.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices surged on Wednesday morning after reports on a plan by Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities sparked fear of tightened supply, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures climbed by USD 0.97 to reach USD 66.35 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) surged by USD 0.96 to reach USD 62.56 a barrel by 03.30 GMT.

Meanwhile, Saudi is expected to ramp up crude burning for energy this summer on the back of increased fuel oil prices and eased Opec+ supply controls, Reuters reports, citing Wood Mackenzie forecasts. The Kingdom could consume 465k - 470k bpd of crude this year for power generation, which is a 10k-15k increase from 2024, Wood Mackenzie estimates.

Putting worries at bay: The hike could settle concerns over the global oversupply of crude and lower prices after the group decided to increase production in April, May, and June. The drop in prices and higher gains for refiners producing high-sulfur fuel oil from Dubai crude — at a record USD 4.45 per barrel — are likely to sway power generation demand from fuel oil to crude burn, Wood Mackenzie senior analyst Priti Mehta told Reuters.

REMEMBER- Opec+ is increasing production: Opec+ agreed to accelerate oil production increments for the second month in a row, adding 411k barrels per day in June, after years of cutting production. That’s three months' worth of supply increments that will be delivered all at once next month. The oil group could ramp up production rates to as much as 2.2 mn bbl / d by November.

#3- Baltic index on a downward spiral: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — fell 0.5% to 1,340 points on Tuesday. The capesize was down 1% to 1,863 points, while the panamax index gained 0.1% to 1,294 points. The smaller supramax index inched up 0.1% to 1,294 poins.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Saudi Arabia will host the Saudi Warehousing & Logistics Expo from Tuesday, 27 May to Thursday, 29 May in Riyadh. The expo will host over 18k supply chain industry professionals and more than 400 exhibitors. It will also explore over 3.5k solutions.

Morocco will host the International Conference on Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Wednesday, 28 May to Friday, 30 May in Casablanca. The conference will cover scientific research, technologies, and environmentally friendly digital solutions in the logistics, transport, and supply chain sectors.

Egypt will host the Propak MENA from Monday, 2 June to Wednesday, 4 June in Cairo. The event will feature solutions, talks and workshops for F&B and consumer goods manufacturers to source global packaging, processing and logistic solutions.

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

More aviation and supply chain agreements from Make it in the Emirates

The second day of Abu Dhabi’s Make it in the Emirates Forum saw the formation of a new healthcare logistics JV, along with plenty of aviation agreements. The forum — which began on Monday and is set to conclude tomorrow — brought in a slew of agreements on its first day, including in manufacturing across several sectors like oilfield services, pharma, and agritech.

Part of a larger push: The UAE is set to pump AED 40 bn (c. USD 10.9 bn) into its industrial base over the next five years in a bid to grow the sector and localize supply chains, according to a press release citing statements made by Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Al Jaber during the first day of the forum.

HEALTHCARE LOGISTICS

AD Ports Group and Burjeel Holdings have partnered up to launch a new healthcare logistics joint venture (JV) focused on Africa dubbed Docktour, according to a statement. The launch comes after the pair agreed earlier this month to explore the formation of a new JV for the delivery of medical supplies, equipment, and pharma goods across Africa earlier this month. The investment ticket and ownership breakdown were not disclosed.

On the cards: The platform aims to modernize medical supply chains, support the development of modular healthcare units — including container-based hospitals and clinics —as well as construct full-service medical infrastructure in Africa. Docktour also looks to set up a series of medical offices across AD Port’s existing areas of operation in the continent.

Who’s doing what? The new JV will collaborate with Burjeel Holding’s operations and management subsidiary Operonix — an overseer of several large-scale healthcare projects across Africa. AD Ports will leverage its extensive logistics network in the region to facilitate inland transport, as well as provide specialized warehousing and distribution centers as part of the JV.

On the local side: The firm will engage with regional health authorities, governments, and humanitarian agencies to facilitate the rapid mobilisation of logistics in emergencies to deliver critical care. Docktour will also support local capacity-building efforts with clinical training programs and the implementation of data-driven inventory management to minimize delays.

A growing market: AD Ports retains an extensive operational portfolio across Africa, including in Egypt’s East Port Said and Safaga Terminal, Angola’s Lunada Terminal, Congo-Brazzaville, and Tanzania.

AVIATION-

#1- Sanad acquires Trent 700 engines from Etihad: Mubadala-owned Sanad has acquired a batch of Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines from Etihad Airways, as the carrier retires its A330ceo fleet, Wam reports. The Trent 700, which powers the Airbus A330, has logged over 60 mn flight hours. Sanad is currently the only independent maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider with a long-term partnership with Rolls-Royce for this engine type.

REMEMBER- Sanad has been expanding its engine asset base amid rising demand for mid-life platforms and ongoing supply chain delays in new aircraft deliveries. It opened new MRO facilities in February and December, following an August partnership with Airbus to provide engine servicing. Sanad currently supports about 25% of the global Trent 700 fleet.

#2- Airbus is set to source parts locally: The Tawazun Council has partnered up with Airbus to manufacture and supply cargo compartment removable tanks (CCRTs) in partnership with local defense and tech conglomerate Edge Group’s subsidiary EPI, according to a statement. The produced tanks are set to streamline aerial refueling, ground support, and extended-range missions, Wam reports. EPI will manufacture and assemble the aerostructures, operating as the sole source supplier for these parts.

ALSO- The Industry and Advanced Technology Ministry will develop a program with Airbus Africa and Middle East to boost local industrial capability, according to a statement. Under the agreement, the pair will develop a long-term collaboration framework that aligns with domestic industrial needs — focusing on supplier development, skill exchange, and the amalgamation of local firms into Airbus’ value chain.

#3- ADNOC L&S to trial Regent transport operations: Adnoc Logistics and Services is running a proof-of-concept trial to evaluate using US-based Regent ’s Viceroy electric seaglider to shuttle staff between land and offshore energy sites, according to a statement. The US-built craft can carry 12 people or 1.6 tonnes of cargo at up to 300 km/h for routes over 300km and uses a hybrid mode of floating, foiling, and flying. The craft cut operational costs by up to 80% when compared with helicopters, and would be deployed across Adnoc L&S’ offshore logistics operations after the trial period.

Local build, local ops: Regent will manufacture the seaglider in the UAE and provide maintenance services from the country as well. The trial will be run by a UAE-based operator.

Mubadala Energy lands nat.gas supply pact with Pupuk Indonesia

Mubadala to supply Pupuk with gas: Mubadala Energy has signed an initial agreement to provide 200 mn standard cubic feet per day (cf/d) of gas to Indonesian state fertilizer producer Pupuk Indonesia, Mubadala Head of Comms Paul Slinger told Reuters. Some 115 mn cf/d will go towards Pupuk’s methanol plant while the remaining 85 will be allocated to its ammonia plant. The ticket for the supply agreement was not disclosed.

The timeline: The supply will reach Pupuk’s projects once production at Mubadala’s South Andaman Block kicks off. The facility’s Tangkulo-1 well is expected to begin production in late 2028 and has more than 2 tn cubic ft (tcf) of gas-in-place potential. Located in the same block, the Layaran-1 well has the potential for over 6 tcf of gas-in-place.

REMEMBER- Mubadala inked an agreement with Indonesia’s Perusahaan Listrik Negara in December to explore power generation from the South Andaman blocks to address Indonesia’s energy demand and for infrastructure development. The company wrapped up its drilling campaign in South Andaman in September and is also developing the Central Andaman oil and gas block with the UK’s Harbour Energy after signing a development contract with Indonesia’s government.

AD Ports, Advario eye JV focused on green, liquid bulk storage projects

AD Ports, Advario explore green energy storage JV: AD Ports Group signed a heads of terms agreement with Rotterdam-based energy storage firm Advario to mull a joint venture to develop and operate green energy and liquid bulk storage projects in the UAE and internationally, the company said in a statement. The proposed JV would be 51% owned by AD Ports and 49% by Advario.

The details: The venture would focus on storage for clean energy carriers such as ammonia and methanol, and bulk chemicals, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure. Initial plans would include Advario building bulk storage tanks at Khalifa Port and related infrastructure for clients in Kezad.

Why Kezad? Kezad is set to host a green hydrogen and ammonia production hub, along with export terminals dedicated to the green fuel — both planned to be co-developed by AD Ports and Masdar. The zone is also home to AquaChemie’s muiltipurpose chemicals facility for manufacturing, storage, and blending liquid chemicals.

Updates on aviation and investments from Oman, Egypt, and KSA

AVIATION-

#1- OQ to provide SAF to DHL cargo shipments: OQ has joined DHL Express’ GoGreen Plus initiative, through which the Omani oil company will provide sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for DHL’s shipments entering and departing Oman, the Oman News Agency reports. The partnership aims to use SAF — which is produced using renewable means — to curb carbon emissions.

Latest partners to GoGreen Plus: Dubai-based media equipment distributor Advanced Media signed up with DHL Express UAE earlier this month to utilize DHL’s GoGreen Plus program and slash its carbon emissions.

#2- Flying taxi app coming to the Kingdom: The Transport Ministry and local air transport firm FlyNow Arabia are collaborating to launch the Kingdom’s first flying taxi application for freight and passenger transportation, FlyNow CEO Yvonne Winter told Aleqtisadiah.

The firm aims to deploy a pilot version project at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) this year, Winter added, without specifying a date. The new application is set to transport goods for up to 1 mn miles in its initial phase, before moving on to transport passengers across the Kingdom’s cities.

Flying taxis? FlyNow has several selections, including cargo transport with 200 kg payload capacity, a flight range of 50 km with a 130 km/h speed, and air taxis for two individuals.

INVESTMENT WATCH-

Newly launched, Egypt-based private equity firm Morpho Investments has deployed capital into two export-oriented agriculture projects, according to a statement (pdf). These investments follow Morpho Investment’s first USD 55 mn close of its inaugural fund earlier this week.

The first project: Morpho — in partnership with Hassan Allam Holding — will co-invest in the Jinet Agriculture, an agricultural development park covering 14.2k feddans in West Minya that aims to “bolster Egypt’s food security, drive export capabilities, and foster industrial-scale agricultural processing,” according to the statement. The project will provide farmers and exporters with access to land plots, as well as modern technology and infrastructure, to support crop cultivation, Bloomberg reports.

The second project: Morpho also invested in Agriventures, a berry-focused precision agriculture company, to support its expansion into Saudi Arabia and Oman. The fresh funds will help Agriventures secure exclusive rights to grow, sell, and market berries in both countries.

TotalEnergies to acquire 2 mtpa of LNG from Ksi Lisims + GLBP secures final permits for marine fuel facility

TotalEnergies + Ksi Lisims sign LNG supply agreement: France’s TotalEnergies has inked a 20-year sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire 2 mn tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG from the Canada-based Ksi Lisims LNG project, according to a statement (pdf). Total Energies will acquire a 5% stake in Western LNG — the slated developer and operator of the Ksi Lisims LNG project — with the possibility of increasing its share or acquiring a direct stake of up to nearly 10% when a definitive investment decision is approved. No details about the investment ticket have been disclosed.

A boon for TotalEnergies: “This purchase of LNG from the future Ksi Lisims LNG plant will allow us to diversify our LNG portfolio in North America and benefit from competitive LNG supply in Western Canada to better serve our Asian customers,” said president of gas, renewables, and power at TotalEnergies Stéphane Michel.

Ramping up LNG agreements: US natural gas player NextDecade Corporation inked a 20-year LNG agreement in April with TotalEnergies to provide 1.5 mn mtpa. The LNG will be supplied from the fourth planned liquefaction facility — Train 4 — at NextDecade’s Rio Grande facility, which is expected to be completed in 2027. Egypt reportedly signed agreements with Shell and TotalEnergies in December to purchase a total of 60 LNG shipments in 2025 for around USD 3 bn.

GLBP secures work permit for LNG bunker: Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP) — a JV between Houston-based Pilot LNG and Seapath — has secured final permits for the first marine fuel facility set to provide LNG bunkering services for ships in the US Gulf Coast, unnamed executives involved told Reuters. Construction on the USD 300 mn facility is expected to begin later this year, while initial bunker deliveries are scheduled for 2H 2027.

What we know: The first phase of the project’s production will target 360k gallons per day (gpd) within the next two years, while the second phase will have a production of 720k gpd available nearly eight to 12 months after the first phase. The 140-acre facility is the second LNG bunkering facility in the US after Florida’s 360k gpd plant JAX LNG.

Strategic tactics: The project comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to expand LNG exports to help reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas, while US LNG can be used as a marine fuel in US ports without export licenses needed making it a separate emerging market the project is trying to explore.

Calendar

20-22 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Seamless Middle East, Dubai, UAE.

20-22 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Mediterranean Ports and Logistics 2025, Barcelona, Spain.

27-29 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Saudi Warehousing & Logistics Expo, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

28-30 (Wednesday-Friday): International Conference on Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Casablanca, Morocco.

JUNE

1-3 June (Sunday-Tuesday): Annual General Meeting & World Air Transport Summit 2025, Delhi, India.

2-4 June (Monday-Wednesday): Propak MENA, Cairo, Egypt.

5-6 June (Thursday-Friday): Supply Chain & Logistics Innovation Summit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

11-13 June (Wednesday-Friday): Sustainability World Summit, Frankfurt, Germany.

17-19 June (Tuesday-Thursday): Terminal Operations Conference & Exhibition, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

18-19 June (Wednesday-Thursday): Eurasia Rail, Istanbul, Turkey.

19 June (Thursday): East Med Maritime Conference, Athens, Greece.

25-26 June (Wednesday-Friday): Decarbonizing Shipping Forum, Hamburg, Germany.

JULY

1-3 July (Tuesday-Thursday): ASEAN Ports and Logistics, Jakarta, Indonesia.

22-24 July (Tuesday-Thursday): Intermodal Africa, Beira, Mozambique.

SEPTEMBER

1-3 September (Monday-Wednesday): Transport Middle East 2025, Salalah, Oman.

4-10 September (Thursday-Wednesday): Intra-African Trade Fair, Algiers, Algeria.

7-10 September (Sunday-Wednesday): Comex Global Technology Show, Muscat, Oman.

24-26 September (Wednesday-Friday): Routes World, Hong Kong.

30 September - 2 October (Monday-Thursday): Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

OCTOBER

1-2 October (Wednesday-Thursday): Saudi Maritime & Logistics Congress, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

14-15 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): Investing in Africa Conference and Expo, London, UK.

28-30 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Borneo International Maritime Week, Sarawak, Malaysia.

NOVEMBER

3-6 November (Monday-Thursday): ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

4-6 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Air Cargo Forum, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

17-21 November (Monday-Friday): Dubai Airshow, Dubai, UAE.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

Mid-2025: Iraq will complete phase one of the construction of the Grand Faw Port.

DHL and Aramco’s logistics and procurement hub in Saudi Arabia will commence operations.

AD Ports-operated Safaga Port’s multi-purpose terminal will become operational.

Phase 3 of APM Terminals Tangier MedPort to be complete and operational.

1Q 2025: Sadr Park’s Logistics Center in Riyadh to be completed.

1Q 2025: Phase two of Jafza Logistics Park to be completed.

2026

27-29 January (Tuesday-Thursday) Transport Middle East 2026, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

28-30 April (Tuesday-Thursday) Mediterranean Ports and Logistics, Porto, Portugal.

24-26 June (Wednesday-Friday) Transport Logistic & Air Cargo 2026, Shanghai, China.

7-9 July (Tuesday-Thursday) Asean Ports and Logistics, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

17-19 November (Tuesday-Thursday) Intermodal Africa 2026, Luanda, Angola.

2027

4Q 2027: Oman’s Musandam Airport construction to be completed.

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