Good morning, nice people. We’re heading into the weekend with a brisk read, led by Marsa Maroc’s latest move in Liberian ports. The move will see the Moroccan giant modernize and operate the country’s main port, in a boost for Morocco’s West Africa strategy and Liberia’s push to improve the competitiveness of its ports.

Plus: Earnings season is in full swing — and so far, it largely showcases a solid FY 2025 for regional logistics players, with some exceptions.

Watch this space

DATA CENTERS — The G42-owned operator launched Khazna NexOps, a centralized, in-house operations unit that consolidates core data center management and integrates AI-driven monitoring, predictive maintenance, and climate intelligence, according to a statement (pdf). The unit — marking a shift away from vendor-led operations toward a standardized internal model — has a team of over 230 specialists and oversees more than 30 live sites.

Expansion is the backdrop: Khazna is targeting more than 1 GW of additional AI-ready capacity by 2030, pushing beyond the UAE with up to 200 MW planned in Saudi Arabia, a 500 MW project in Italy with Eni, and new sites in Egypt and Turkey, while doubling down at home, as we previously reported.

Domestically, Khazna controls 71% of existing UAE data center capacity and is investing USD 1.3 bn in five new facilities, adding 210 MW in capacity.

TRADE — Syria is upping its gas imports with more Turkish-sourced flows, in a move that signals further long-term infrastructure integration between the two sides. Under the new arrangement, Turkey agreed to hike natural gas exports to 5.2 mn cbm per day, up from the current 3.4 mn cbm.

Turkey isn’t the only keen player: Jordan agreed to supply up to 140 mmcf/d of gas to Syria and 4 mcft of natural gas to Syria last month, in an arrangement backed financially by Qatar. Egypt also pumps some 50 mmcf/d of gas to the country.

Why it matters? More gas inflows are not only important for stabilizing Syria’s post-war grid — they are critical for rebuilding the country’s industrial base.

Data point

53.0 — that’s the seasonally adjusted Purchasing Managers’ Index figure for Kuwait in January, according to the S&P Global Kuwait PMI (pdf). The reading indicates a solid monthly improvement in the health of the non-oil private sector, comfortably above the 50.0 no-change mark but down from December’s reading of 54.0, with a 17-month record of robust business conditions.

The breakdown: Output and new orders continued to rise at a robust clip, though momentum eased from the levels seen at the end of last year. The expansion was largely fueled by competitive pricing and vigorous marketing efforts, while rising new export orders also supported growth as companies obtained business in neighboring markets.

Meanwhile, firms built up stocks amid elevated purchasing activity and shorter delivery times. Input cost inflation remained high, driven by expenses such as raw materials and rent, yet output prices rose only modestly as businesses prioritized competitive pricing. Slow hiring conditions, combined with strong new order growth, led to a buildup of work backlogs at a survey-record pace for the second month in a row.

Market watch

Oil prices rose this morning amid lingering concerns over possible disruptions to crude supplies from the region due to US-Iran tensions, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures rose USD 0.27 to trade at USD 69.67 / bbl as of 03:50 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up USD 0.29 to USD 64.92 / bbl.

The Baltic Index hits the brakes on its downward trend: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — surged 4% to 1,958 points on Wednesday, reversing a seven-day loss streak. The capesize rose 5.2% to 2,914 points, while the panamax index gained 3.9% to 1,735. Meanwhile, the smaller supramax index increased 1.5% to hit 1,140.

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We’re hiring a technology reporter: EnterpriseAM is looking for a tech reporter to own the beat across Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.

This is a reporting job — not a desk job. You’ll be working sources, breaking stories, and writing about trendlines (not just headlines) in our voice and with the authority our readers expect. AI and digital infrastructure are huge features of the beat, but our interests are broad: fintech, telecoms, regulation, SaaS, and the bajillion ways tech is reshaping how businesses operate across the region.

We want someone who can pick up the phone or WhatsApp, get people talking, and turn what they say into stories that senior decision-makers need to read. We also expect you to attend industry events and maintain relationships with PR folks across the industry without selling out. If you’ve got 2-3 years of experience and the hunger to build a beat from the ground up, we want to hear from you. We’re also interested in hearing from veteran reporters. Spoken Arabic is strongly preferred.

The role is based in Cairo, though we’re open to remote for the right candidate. If you’re reading EnterpriseAM, you know what we’re about: A no-BS daily news outlet that tells busy execs, investors, founders, and ambitious people what they need to know about the trends shaping business, economy, finance, regulation, and public policy across our region. We write stories that have impact — about issues that matter — for a global audience of decision-makers.

Do we sound like the type of place where you want work? Send your CV and three clips to jobs@enterpriseamea.com. Also, enclose a great cover letter that tells us who you are, what you do, and why you’d be a great fit for this job.
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