Good morning, lovely people. We’re back with yet another packed issue, filled with diplo news and fresh proposals from countries on new trade routes in the region.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Israel and the US are pushing for a “land bridge” to link the UAE and Israeli ports via Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

HAPPENING TODAY-

A joint ministerial meeting for strategic dialogue between the GCC and Russia is kicking off today in Moscow, according to a GCC statement. The talks will see the two sides swap views and coordinate on regional and international issues, as well as help strengthen ties between the GCC and Moscow, the statement said,

PSA-Stricter rules and penalties in amended Dubai traffic laws: Non-Emirati drivers of heavy-duty trucks who run red lights in Dubai will face a fine of AED 50k and deportation under Dubai’s amended traffic law, Gulf News reports.

The US Navy blocked what it says was an attempt by Iran to seize two commercial oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week, according to a US Navy statement(pdf). In two separate incidents, Iranian naval vessels approached the tankers — the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moss and the Chevron-owned, Bahamas-flagged Richmond Voyager — but the US Navy deployed its guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul to intervene. The Iranian vessels both moved away upon the US ship’s approach, but the latter had fired at the Richmond Voyager with small arms before the destroyer’s arrival, hitting the tanker’s hull. No casualties were reported and Chevron confirmed that operations have returned to normal, according to Reuters.

Iran’s response: Iranian authorities said that the country’s navy was acting in accordance with a court order to seize the Richmond Voyager after it collided with an Iranian vessel, causing damage and injuries, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network.

The International Maritime Organizationhas adopted a revised strategy to reduce shipping emissions, according to a statement. The IMO’s new strategy sets updated targets, including reaching net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by around 2050 and ensuring an “uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030.” The strategy outlines measures to promote energy transition, assess impacts on states, and provide capacity-building and technical cooperation. It also includes checkpoints for emission reduction in 2030 and 2040.

WATCH THIS SPACE #1-Iran and Vietnam plan to ink a preferential trade and bartering agreement to enhance bilateral trade and economic ties, state aligned Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported. Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization Acting Head Mehdi Zeyghami and Iran’s Vietnamese Ambassador Luong Quoc Huy discussed the plans, as well as the upcoming Iran-Vietnam Economic Forum, during a meeting on Saturday. Zeyghami also called for the two countries to organize an Iran-Vietnam Joint Economic Commission to bolster trade ties, the news agency writes.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2-The European Commission is set to propose measures tomorrow aimed at lowering emissions from freight transport, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing a draft document it has seen. The measures include reducing red tape, coordinating international rail traffic, and using digital technologies. “Unnecessary regulatory obstacles continue to undermine the efficiency of European freight, limiting the scope for emissions reductions,” the document read. Freight transport accounts for over 30% of carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector, according to the document. The sector is expected to grow by 25% by the end of the decade from 2015 levels and 50% by 2050.

DATA POINT #1- Global air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), fell 5.2% y-o-y in May, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Capacity, measured by available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), rose 14.5%, fuelled by the expansion of belly capacity as passenger business recovers. Demand was hit by several factors including a contraction in global manufacturing and a decrease in global goods trade (down 0.8% in April), according to IATA.

How did MENA’s airlines fare? The region’s airlines reported a 3.1% y-o-y decline in cargo volumes, showing a slight improvement from a 6.7% decrease in April. Airlines increased capacity by 15.6% y-o-y, the data showed. African airlines recorded a 2.4% y-o-y decrease in demand during the month and a 9.2% y-o-y increase in capacity.

Things could look up in 2H 2023: Despite the challenging conditions, improvements are expected in the second half of the year, according to Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “As inflation moderates in many markets, it is widely expected that central bank rate hikes will taper. This should help stimulate economic activity with a positive impact on demand for air cargo,” Walsh said.

DATA POINT #2- The UAE's re-export sector is estimated to have a total direct and indirect economic impact of AED 48 bn, WAMcites Foreign Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi as saying. The UAE, a major global re-export center, has set a target to increase the added value of its economy through re-exports by 50% by 2030. In 2022, re-exports constituted 27.5% of the UAE's total foreign trade value, contributing 6.6% to the country's GDP and generating around 1.3 mn jobs across different sectors.

DATA POINT #3- The port of Alexandria saw a 21%y-o-y increase in ship traffic in June, receiving some 410 ships, according to an Alexandria Port Authority statement. General cargo vessels recorded the most significant growth at 66%. Container ships saw a 24.3% increase and the number of dry bulk vessels was up by 11%.

DATA POINT #4- Mwani Qatar’s ports witnessed a 32% y-o-y increase in container transshipment volumes in the first nine months of 2023, according to a statement. Livestock volumes surged 196% to some 294k heads. Shipments of building and construction materials rose 5.3% y-o-y, to 274.7 tonnes, while the number of ro-ro units increased 5.5% to reach 40.2k units.

ENTERPRISE IS LOOKING FOR SMART, TALENTED PEOPLE of all backgrounds to help us build some very cool new things. Enterprise — the essential morning read on all the important news shaping business and the economy in Egypt and the region — is looking for writers, reporters and editors to help us build out new publications. Today, we run four daily Egypt and MENA-focused publications, five weekly industry verticals, and a weekend lifestyle edition designed to make our readers feel just a bit smarter.

We have tons more in the pipeline — come help us build new publications. We offer the chance to work in a fast-paced newsroom on a broad range of topics and in a variety of formats. Our goal is simple: To create value for our growing community of >250k daily readers by telling stories that matter.

NEVER WORKED IN A NEWSROOM BEFORE? We have the Enterprise Business Writing Development Program. Whether you are a recent graduate, an industry vet, or looking to switch careers, the Enterprise Business Writing Development Program will give you the tools you need to tell the most important stories to our audience of C-suite officials, government ministers, diplomats, financiers, investors and entrepreneurs.

Not an internship program — a career: The three-month program will see full-time, paid participants take part in workshops and lectures from veteran business journalists on subject matter knowledge, while also working on constructing and filing Enterprise stories that will run on any of our publications. Those who have successfully completed the program, will then be given long-term job offers.

Apply directly to jobs@enterprisemea.com and mention “writing development program” in your subject line.

MARKET WATCH-

The Russian oil market has rebalanced itself in light of sanctions: Russia’s oil exports to Africa have increased 14-fold as it looks to alternative markets following Western sanctions, according to S&P Global. Prior to the war, Russia had exported just 33k bbl / d to Africa, most of which was gasoline, according to S&P. This has now soared to 420k bbl / d as of March 2023.

Big MENA markets banking off of the rerouting of Russia’s exports include Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco. “North African states are playing a significant role for Russia in mitigating implications of oil and oil product ban,” independent Russia analyst Timur Kulakhmetov told S&P, adding that this is indicative of a “rebalancing” of the market.

Also unaffected by sanctions: Iran. Iran’s LPG exports reached a record high in May, with shipments estimated at 973.3k metric tons, surpassing the previous record set in May 2022, according to S&P Global. The increase in exports is in line with projections of 1 mn metric tons per month for the rest of the year, trade sources said. Iran’s oil output has witnessed a substantial increase since the beginning of the year, driven by exemptions from OPEC+ cuts due to US sanctions and expansions in the South Pars gas field.

The country is filling a gap in the market left by major OPEC+ producers:Iranian oil shipments reached a five-year high of 1.6 mn bbl / d between May and June, the Wall Street Journal reports. Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other OPEC+ producers have been reducing their oil production to boost prices, though Iran’s exports threaten to derail OPEC+ producers’ plans, the WSJ writes.

Iran’s biggest markets? China has emerged as Iran's primary oil purchaser, while Syria and Venezuela (both under US sanctions) have also become substantial buyers of Iranian oil. Iranian suppliers are offering a price reduction of USD 30 / bbl compared to their competitors in the Arabian Gulf.

Kuwait’s Al Zour refinery starts up its third CDU: Asia’s oil markets are preparing for a surge in exports from Kuwait's Al Zour refinery as it starts up its final crude distillation unit (CDU), Reuters reports. Trade sources anticipate that the full impact of Al Zour refinery's operations will be felt in the third quarter as it increases its output. The refinery, operational since November 2022, is one of many increasing capacity this year, Reuters writes. The boost in production and oil product exports, including fuel oil, diesel, jet fuel, and naphtha, from Al Zour is anticipated to impact refining margins. In June, the refinery achieved a monthly export record of 2.8 mn metric tons, with a particular focus on Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

About the refinery: Al Zour is anticipated to become a massive global exporter for very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), producing up to 220k bbl / d, Reuters writes. It can also produce about 7 mn tons of ultra-low sulfur diesel, 4 mn tons of jet fuel, and 3 mn tons of naphtha, all of which are expected to be exported globally.

IN THE SPOT MARKET- The Drewry World Container Index fell 1.3% this week to USD 1474.3 per 40-foot container, down 79.1% y-o-y, according to Drewry’s website. The index is currently down 86% from its peak in September 2021 and is 45% lower than its 10-year average of USD 2688. Despite signaling a move towards normal prices, the index is still 4% higher than the average rates from 2019. Drewry anticipates further decreases in spot rates for most routes in the upcoming weeks.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS- The Enterprise Finance Forum is taking place on 18-19 September at the St. Regis Hotel in Cairo. This flagship forum is the latest in our must-attend series of invitation-only, C-suite-level gatherings that allow senior members of our community to openly and frankly discuss critical issues in key sectors of the economy.

Day one is our Banking Forum, where we’ll dive deep into topics of interest to commercial and investment bankers, from an outlook on the 12 months to come in M&A, IPO, and debt capital markets to the national, regional, and global trends that are (re)shaping our industry.

Day two is all about Fintech and Non-Banking Financial Services. We’ll take a deep dive into everything from the magic of client acquisition to the prospects of consolidation and the coming of challenger banks.

** NEW: MORE NETWORKING TIME- Our agenda includes expanded networking time, including an expanded coffee break and a post-event networking room for you to interact with your peers and speak one-on-one with the team at Enterprise.

TAP OR CLICK HERE if you want to express interest in attending. We’ll be sending out the first batch of invitations just after the 30 June holiday.

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STAY TUNED for more detail about our agenda in the weeks to come.

MISSED THE ENTERPRISE EXPORTS AND FDI FORUM? Tune in to the Enterprise Podcast to hear what went down: The Enterprise Podcast is back with another installment of our forum series, where we bring you audio recordings of what was said on stage at the Enterprise Exports and FDI Forum,which took place last May.

WANT TO LISTEN? Head to: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast | Anghami.We’re releasing a new episode every Sunday morning.

IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE- We explored the lessons learned from the industries that have raised our export profile: Food and beverages, fertilizers and chemical products, and textiles and garments. We were joined on that panel by Mohamed Talaat Khalifa, CEO of Concrete, Shams Eweis, corporate affairs manager for North Africa and the Levant at Mars, and Tarek Hosny, head of investments and projects at Fertiglobe.