Good morning, wonderful people. We have a busier than usual midweek issue for you, with several big updates from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY-Saudi Arabia is overhauling the economic policy governing its aviation sector in a bid to attract some USD 100 bn investments. The move comes as the kingdom looks to boost competition in its domestic aviation industry, including by attracting private cargo operators.

HAPPENING TODAY-

US imposes more financial sanctions on Hamas + its Iranian financiers:The US Department of Treasury’s Office imposed the second round of sanctions on Hamas-linked officials, financial networks, and investment portfolio, including several Iranian officials, according to a statement. The sanctions target Iran’s role in providing financial, logistical, and operational support to Hamas, the release states.

ICYMI: Last week, the Biden Administration announced the first set of sanctions that sought to disrupt Hamas’s financial network, including targeting ten key Hamas group members, operatives, financial facilitators, as well as Gaza-based virtual currency exchange, according to Adeyemo in his remarks.

Russian police assumed control of Russia’s Dagestan airport on Sunday following an anti-Israel protest, Reuters reports. Police arrested 60 people in response to hundreds of anti-Israel protesters showing up to the airport on Sunday as a plane from Israel was arriving, Reuters adds citing the interior ministry. The move follows several anti-Israel acts over the past couple of days in Russia’s North Caucasus region amid Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

WATCH THIS SPACE #1- German shipping conglomerate Hapag Lloydwill hike ocean tariff rates for ships heading from Jebel Ali in the UAE to North and South Europe, and North Africa, from 1 November, until further notice, according to a statement. The price for shipping 20’ dry containers and 40’ dry containers to Europe and North Africa has increased by USD 150-200, the statement said. The price of moving containers from Southern European Ports to Jebel Ali will increase USD 100-150, according to a separate statement.

It will also ramp up ocean tariff rates for shipping goods from North Europe to Jeddah and Jebel Ali effective 13 November, according to a separate statement. The increase of USD 100-200 — depending on the type and size of the container — will apply to all 20’ and 40’ dry and reefer containers, including dry high cube equipment.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2-Saudi Arabia is looking to establish more trade agreements, while also assessing the “economic” benefits of joining the BRICS, as the kingdom continues to work on boosting non-oil exports, Saudi Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Al Ibrahim told Bloomberg. Saudi authorities are already in talks with a number of countries, Ibrahim said, without disclosing names. The government is also looking to reassess challenges in some existing pacts. The potential increase in trade opportunities will help grant “access to export markets more easily, but also give us access to a secure supply of the imports needed for the manufacturing and the value-adding process that will happen in Saudi Arabia,” Ibrahim added.

REMEMBER- Saudi Arabia was invited to join the Brics group a couple of months back, alongside the UAE, Argentina, Egypt, Iran and Ethiopia.

WATCH THIS SPACE #3-Indian state-owned shipping company Goa Shipyardwill reportedly build 24 cargo ships for trade in the Caspian sea by 2027, Sputnik India cites director of the Caspian International Integration Club Dmitry Dubovik as saying. Goa Shipyard will manufacture container cargo ships, bulk carriers, and chemical tankers. The project will be carried out with participation of the Russian Export Centre, with the first four ships are slated for completion by 1Q 2024, he added.The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) is reported to be one Goa Shipyard’s first customers, the Frontier India cites Dubovik as saying.

REMEMBER-Iran has been proactively ramping up its investments in boosting its shipping and maritime operations through the Caspian Sea as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Iran and Russia are both investing some USD 38 bn in the development of Trans-Caspian shipping lines as part of the corridor, while IRISL has also purchased rail wagons, containers, and vessels to boost capacity.

DATA POINT-Abu Dhabi International Airport handled 144k tonnes of cargo in 3Q 2023,Emirati news agency Wam reports. The airport also recorded 37.9k in movements, an increase of 21.8% y-o-y. Abu Dhabi’s connectivity also improved to 119 destinations served by 24 airlines.

MARKET WATCH-

Israel halted all gas exports to Egypt earlier this month as the war in Gaza disrupts production in the Eastern Mediterranean. In a statement, the Madbouly cabinet said that the country’s gas imports have fallen to zero from a previous 800 mn cubic feet of gas per day — and named it as one of the main reasons for the worsening blackouts that began a few days ago. Egypt hasn’t imported any gas for several weeks, Cabinet spokesperson Sameh El Khashin said in a televised interview last night (watch, runtime: 9:10).

Field closed, supplies diverted: The war in Gaza had an immediate effect on Egypt’s energy security after Israel ordered Chevron to close its second-largest field, Tamar, a few days into the war. Egypt’s gas imports fell almost 20% following the decision. The following day Chevron announced it had suspended all exports to Egypt via the EMG pipeline and that it would begin routing supplies through the Arab Gas Pipeline that links Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Additionally, gas from the Leviathan field has been diverted away from Egypt, according to Chevron, which said last week that it was prioritizing deliveries to Israel. It said it was still fulfilling part of its contracted shipments to Egypt, without saying how much.

This should be temporary: “Israel informed Egypt of the cessation [in early October] and stressed that stopping work in the Tamar field is only a temporary cessation,” local media previously quoted an Egyptian government official as saying. With the Israeli government preparing for a long war, that might not be anytime soon.

The World Bank expects oil prices to average USD 90 a barrel in 4Q 2023 and USD 81 in 2024on the back of lower demand due to slower economic growth, according to a report (pdf). Oil prices could, however, increase amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Prices have risen 6% since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, while the prices of agricultural products and most metals remain unphased. The report said that a “small disruption” scenario similar to the one seen during the Libyan civil war of 2011 of about 500k to 2 mn barrels per day (bbl/d) would drive oil prices up to USD 102 a barrel in 4Q 2023. A large disruption of 6 to 7 mn bbl / d could hike prices up 75% to USD 140-175 a barrel.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

AD Ports is kicking off the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) World’sPorts Conference-Abu Dhabi 2023 today, which runs through 2 November, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, under the theme ‘Reinventing Ports’. The event will bring together more than 100 speakers, from port operators to influential figures in the industry, to network and share expertise on the industry.

Dubai Business Forum is set to take place on 1-2 November at Madinat Jumeirah, in Dubai. The event will bring together top business leaders to boost business partnerships and networking.

Transport Logistic Southeast Asia is taking place between 1-3 November at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. The event is the largest trade show for transportation and logistics, mobility, IT, and supply chain management in the Southeast Asia region. The exhibition will bring together service providers to meet, network and trade with top buyers from the region, and feature expert speakers who will provide insight on future topics.

The third Caspian Economic Forum is set to be held in mid-November in Iran,state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency reports. The event is set to focus on transportation, joint ventures, oil and gas, finance, banking and technical cooperation in Iran, with Alireza Jahangiri, Iran’s deputy foreign caspian sea affairs minister, calling on economic institutions to attend, IRNA adds. The exact location and dates of the forum have yet to be confirmed.

The Dubai Air Show will be held from 13-17 November at DWC, at the Dubai Airshow site, in Dubai. The event will feature over 180 aircraft including business jets, drones, commercial airlines, military jets, helicopters, and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The event will also gather decision makers to discuss the latest trends and challenges across the aviation industry, and how to drive sustainable aviation operations.

Etihad Cargo will host the third iteration of ACE in Abu Dhabi between 4 and 6 December. The conference brings together air cargo industry executives with expert speaker debates, workshops, and networking via a one-to-one meeting scheduler and in-person meetings. The event will focus on the air cargo sector in the Middle East.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) exhibition is taking place from 4 to 7 December at Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds in Tehran, Iran. The exhibition will be attended by EAEU members, members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, and will bring together domestic and foreign companies in the industrial, mineral, and agricultural fields to showcase their latest products at the event. Seminars and conferences on transport, trade, and tourism will take place on the sidelines of the event.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.