Qatar + Brookfield roll out USD 20 bn JV to invest in AI infrastructure

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What we're tracking today

TODAY: Qatar, Brookfield form JV for AI infrastructure + Egypt’s customs chief on reforms and trade

Good morning, folks. We have another packed issue for you this morning as we get closer to the weekend. Investment and IPO updates take the lead this morning, as Qatar joins the race for AI hyperscaler infrastructure projects with a new JV with Brookfield and the kick-off of CGS trading on Tadawul. We also sat down with Ahmad Amawi, the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority, to discuss the latest reforms and the overall trade movement in the country.

BUT FIRST- A look into the Trump administration’s surprise decision to allow exports of advanced chips to China…

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Trump clears path for Nvidia chip exports to China: The Trump administration will allow Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 AI chips to approved customers in China, easing export restrictions imposed during the Biden administration. Under the new deal, the US government will take a 25% cut of proceeds — up from 15% in a prior agreement — with similar arrangements expected for AMD and Intel.

The decision follows months of lobbying by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who pledged USD 500 bn in US AI investments. The move has drawn criticism from lawmakers, who warned it could aid China’s military and surveillance capabilities.

BUT- It’s not clear whether this is a welcome decision for China, with reports suggesting the country’s regulators are planning to limit imports of the advanced AI chips. Any import limitations would come on top of the government orders from September requiring to Chinese tech companies to halt imports of Nvidia microchips, including the RTX Pro 6000D and the less advanced H20 chips.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Shell secures offtake from Green Sky Capital’s planned SAF facility in Egypt: Shell Aviation has signed a long-term offtake agreement with Green Sky Capital to buy all output from its commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Egypt, according to a statement. The agreement is set to add the needed “commercial certainty” for investors to reach a final investment decision on the project — which is planned to produce up to 145k tons of SAF annually, along with bionaphtha and biopropane.

What we know: While labeled as the first commercial-scale SAF plant in Egypt, the project seems to be different from the state’s planned USD 530 mn SAF production complex in Alexandria and will be located in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, according to Green Sky Capital. Operations are set to begin in late 2027, with some 500k tons of carbon dioxide emissions expected to be offset annually. No further details were disclosed.

REMEMBER- Europe is leading the global push for SAF: The UK and the EU issued mandates earlier this year requiring 2% of all jet fuel demand to be SAF starting in 2025. The UK aims to increase this rate to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040, whereas the EU is aiming for a 70% target by 2050.

IN OTHER EGYPT UPDATES- The gov’t will establish a freight terminal at Qous Station on the country’s high-speed rail line to serve the Qena Industrial Zone, according to a statement. The terminal is part of the 1.1k km October-Aswan high-speed electric rail project and is designed to boost logistics and goods movement across Upper Egypt.

Some context: Plans to establish Egypt’s first high-speed rail link between Cairo and Upper Egypt were laid back in 2022, with Siemens Mobility, Orascom Construction, and Arab Contractors signing on. The second and third lines of the network will connect 6th of October City with Aswan, and Luxor to Hurghada via Qena and Safaga. In addition to passengers, the project will reportedly be used to transport cargo between logistics zones and seaports.

#2- Could Egypt-Israel USD 35 bn gas export agreement finally see the light? Israel has reportedly reached a final agreement with the Leviathan partners regarding our gas export pact, following all-night negotiations between the partners and the Israeli Energy Ministry, according to Israeli outlet Globes. The agreement — set to be greenlit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin within days — would see the partners commit to a specified price and prioritize deliveries to the Israeli market in the event of supply disruptions at other gas fields, Globes reports.

What this means: Israeli flows could continue to be unpredictable as supplies from Leviathan and other fields have been halted multiple times over the past period due to operational pauses, maintenance, and military strikes, meaning exports to Egypt can be interrupted with little notice whenever Israel diverts gas back to its domestic grid.

Under US pressure: Netanyahu pushed to finalize the agreement ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump on 29 December, as Washington has been closely involved in resolving the months-long deadlock, Globes said. This also came as the US administration has signaled support for Chevron, which has a 39.66% operating stake in Leviathan.

The future of the agreement has been uncertain for a while now: We reported earlier this week that the agreement will remain in limbo for another month after the Leviathan partners pushed their deadline to obtain an export permit from Israel’s Energy Ministry to 31 December. Israel hit a pause on it in November “until its interests are secured and a fair price for the Israeli [gas] market is agreed upon,” shortly after Netanyahu froze the agreement amid rising Israeli-Egyptian tensions.

DISRUPTION WATCH-

IndiGo will trim planned flights by 5% in response to directives from India’s civil aviation regulator, which came after widespread disruption to its schedule since 1 December, Reuters reports. The directive requires the airline to submit a revised schedule to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday, with cuts to be applied across sectors, particularly on high-demand, high-frequency routes.

The playbook: IndiGo — which operates roughly 950 of India’s 1.2k domestic routes and has no direct competitor on 63% of them — will cut flights where rivals operate, while avoiding reductions in those with no competing carriers, with no end date disclosed by the regulator. Meanwhile, DGCA also granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from the stricter pilot rest rules to restore some of the lost capacity.

Background: The planned schedule cut comes after IndiGo’s poor planning for new pilot rest rules led to at least 2k flight cancellations this month, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and fuelling public anger, Reuters reports. IndiGo, which controls about 65% of India’s domestic aviation market, has acknowledged that it failed to plan adequately for a 1 November deadline to implement stricter rules on night flying and weekly rest for pilots.

Time often costs too much: IndiGo’s shares plunged 17.1% over the past week –– wiping about USD 4.3 bn –– including a fall of 8.3% on Monday, while rival SpiceJet jumped 13.9%, taking advantage of the disruption.

ICYMI- UAE flights were hardly hit: Passengers along the India-UAE routes faced up to 10-hour delays during last week’s disruptions, according to Khaleej Times. IndiGo runs flights to 44 international destinations, including all GCC countries. It operates 111 flights per week connecting Abu Dhabi with 16 Indian cities and 108 flights a week to Dubai from 13 Indian cities, according to The National and a company statement.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices rose this morning as markets as the waiting lingers for updates on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Reuters reported. Brent crude futures increased by USD 0.19 to trade at USD 62.13 / bbl as of 06:45 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up USD 0.19 to USD 58.44 / bbl.

OVER FROM OUR REGION- Saudi crude flows to China are set to climb in January, with allocations to Chinese refiners expected to reach 49.5 mn barrels, after Aramco cut its official selling prices for Asia, Reuters reports, citing industry sources. The volumes — roughly 1.6 mn bbl / d — mark a jump from the past two months, when allocations remained below 40 mn bbl.

ICYMI- Aramco lowered January’s official selling price (OSP) for its main Arab Light crude to Asia to USD 1.50 / bbl, a USD 0.6 premium over the Oman-Dubai benchmark, marking its lowest level since January 2021. Lower Saudi prices are expected to boost term demand from China, whose independent refiners have recently received new 2026 import quotas.

Cause and effect: The deeper price cut made the grade more attractive, while OSPs falling below spot prices further boosted demand, two sources told Reuters.

Who’s lifting? PetroChina, Rongsheng Petrochemical, and Shenghong Petrochemical are planning to lift more Saudi barrels next month, while CNOOC and Hengli Petrochemical will lift less than in the prior month, Reuters said, citing sources in the know.

MEANWHILE- India’s Reliance Industries upped Middle Eastern crude uptake to at least 10 mn bbl in January, Bloomberg reports, citing traders. Thai and Malaysian refiners also increased their purchases from the region.

#2- Baltic index continues to slide: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — eased 5.1% to 2,557 points on Tuesday. The capesize shed 7.6% to 4,631, while the panamax index declined 1.5% to 1,786 points, and the smaller supramax index slipped by 11 points to 1,419.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Saudi Arabia is hosting the Saudi Airport Exhibition on Tuesday, 16 December until Wednesday, 17 December in Riyadh. Upward of 10k global attendees are expected to participate in the event from over 100 countries. The two-day event will focus on airport-related innovation, and will feature participation from Saudia, SolitAir, and Amadeus.

Saudi Arabia is hosting SkyMove Air Cargo MENA on Tuesday, 27 January until Wednesday, 28 January in Riyadh. The event is expected to welcome more than 600 attendees from over 60 countries. The event will unite the whole air cargo value chain, analyze market trends, mitigate potential challenges, and leverage emerging windows.

The UAE is hosting the Middle East ProcureTech Summit on Tuesday, 27 January until Wednesday, 28 January in Dubai. The two-day event will spotlight the shifts in the procurement sector, paying special attention to digital and cloud procurement, and provide a networking platform for executives and industry innovators.

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

Qatar forms USD 20 bn AI infrastructure JV with Brookfield

Qatar joins arms with Brookfield for a USD 20 bn AI infrastructure JV: Qatar Investment Authority’s new AI firm Qai and Canada-based investment management firm Brookfield are setting up a USD 20 bn joint venture (JV) with Canadian to develop AI infrastructure, according to a statement. The agreement would see the pair contribute capital and operating expertise to develop AI infrastructure in Qatar and other select markets, with the goal of supporting Qatar’s ambition to become a hub for AI infrastructure and services in the region.

Brookfield’s going big on AI: The move is part of a larger push by Brookfield to invest up to USD 100 bn into AI infrastructure globally through the Brookfield Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Fund (BAIIF). The fund — launched in November — is starting with a USD 10 bn target, and has reportedly already secured at least USD 5 bn of funds from its own assets, as well as from other partners including the Kuwait Investment Authority and US tech companies.

The regional AI race is on: The big ticket JV from Qatar comes months after Saudi and the UAE announced a flurry of hyperscaler investments to develop AI infrastructure at home and abroad. Here’s a rundown:

PIF-backed Humain and AMD will invest up to USD 10 bn over five years to deploy AI infrastructure in Saudi and the US;
Humain launched a JV with AMD and Cisco to build data centers in the Middle East, with an initial 1 GW capacity planned in Saudi;
Humain also inked a long-term partnership with Australia’s AirTrunk, backed by Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, to invest USD 3 bn investment in data centers acrossthe Kingdom;
Humain and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will jointly invest over USD 5 bn to establish an AI Zone in the Kingdom;
Humain will also build a 500 MW data center in Saudi in collaboration with Elon Musk’s xAI;
Humain and Nvidia will jointly develop 500 MW AI data centers over five years;
There is also a busy UAE-US pipeline anchored by a UAE commitment to invest USD 1.4 tn in US AI infrastructure over 10 years;
ADQ partnered with American energy-focused investment firm Energy Capital Partners to invest USD 25 bn in powering data centers, particularly in the US;
MGX joined Microsoft and BlackRock to launch a USD 30 bn global AI infrastructure fund;
UAE and the US are partnering on Stargate UAE, the first deployment of the US’s wider USD 500 bn Stargate infrastructure program, with a 5 GW AI data center cluster in Abu Dhabi;
UAE’s Du is building an AED 2 bn hyperscale data center in the UAE for Microsoft;

Egypt’s Customs Authority head Ahmad Amawi on customs reforms and trade movement -Part I

Coffee with Ahmad Amawi: Against the backdrop of the Madbouly government making significant progress in customs reforms with the aim of supporting local industry and bringing in fresh investments, EnterpriseAM sat down with Ahmad Amawi, the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority to discuss the latest reforms and the overall trade movement in the country.

IN CONTEXT- The Finance Ministry finalized amendments to the customs laws over the summer, proposing changes to three laws, including 15 amended articles and 3 newly introduced articles. Back in October, a source told us that the amendments would soon head to the House.

Below are edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: There have been murmurs about amendments to the customs tariff, what can you tell us about that?

Ahmad Amawi: The government is currently reviewing amendments to the customs tariff system to better regulate the market, protect local manufacturers, and align it with the state’s broader industrial development agenda under close coordination with industry stakeholders, the business community, and relevant authorities.

The amendments will include tariff reductions on selected production inputs — to fix long-standing distortions and strengthen local manufacturing — and increases on other items in line with national priorities.

We are in constant communication with local manufacturers, who notify us when they begin manufacturing a new product that was not previously manufactured locally, whose production input is not available locally, be it raw material or an intermediate good. The issue is then looked into — if lowering customs on the production input will enhance their competitiveness against their imported counterpart, then we move forward with a customs break to support the local industry.

EnterpriseAM: We’re expecting the government to start implementing the Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system for air freight in January. Why now?

AA: The ACI system contributes to automating and accelerating customs procedures before goods arrive at ports, ensuring the highest levels of governance and transparency. We began applying it for sea freight in 2021, given that sea freight represents the vast majority of Egypt’s trade traffic.

This marked a transition for companies — exporters, importers, shipping, or customs clearance firms. They had to adapt to the new system and its procedures.

EnterpriseAM: How has this supported the trade movement in Egypt?

AA: This allowed for better coordination between the Customs Authority and other local inspection bodies. It ensured the relevant entities were notified ahead of time that a specific shipment would arrive at a certain time and required inspection by a particular authority.

The system also made it possible to conduct risk assessments before shipments arrive. This includes verifying the foreign supplier before allowing them to export or supply goods to Egypt and ensuring that the entity possesses the necessary documents. Through defined mechanisms, the system retrieves this information and verifies the identity of the supplier and prevents the entry of goods of unknown origin, non-compliant products, or items containing harmful, carcinogenic, or any banned chemical substances, among other risks.

EnterpriseAM: How have air freight companies reacted to the introduction of the ACI system?

AA: Since 2021, 500 companies have voluntarily joined the system, despite their dealings being conducted through air freight channels. Currently, the number is increasing thanks to the facilities the system offers — there are no additional fees or obstacles, and it is flexible to accommodate the nature of air freight. Some 80% of companies engaged in air cargo also operate in maritime shipping, making them familiar with the system.

Some had concerns given the fast nature of air freight. It is important for traders to schedule import needs in advance, taking advantage of the fact that the maritime and air ACI systems are valid for six months. That is, I can schedule the import of a shipment for June 2026 in December 2025, so there is no real "rush.” That being said, any exceptional case will be handled, and registration will not take more than 5 minutes.

EnterpriseAM:Air freight is inherently more expensive, so will applying ACI raise the total cost?

AA: Prior to implementing ACI, the state required all shipping documents to be attested, be it for air or sea freight. This process could cost up to EUR 600 for a single shipment. The introduction of the Nafeza system cancels this step — it uses a specialized tool to verify the authenticity of documents.

Registration through the ACI system costs USD 175, meaning importers actually save about 75-80% when comparing the figure to the costs of previously-applied systems.

EnterpriseAM: To what extent will the system contribute to reducing clearance time?

AA: Currently, half of air shipments have their clearance procedures completed in less than a single day; the other half see clearance times exceeding a few days. This depends on several variables, as air shipments have to go through not only customs procedures, but also procedures related to different regulatory bodies.

EnterpriseAM: Time and time again, the Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib highlighted efforts to reduce customs clearance time, which has so far more than halved. Why is reducing customs clearance time such a priority?

AA: Previously, the average customs clearance time for sea freight exceeded 28 days. By 2023, we reduced that to 15.6-15.8 days, and at the beginning of 2025, we reached 5.6 days. We are looking to cut clearance time to just 2 days by the end of 2025.

This is a good indicator. Every additional day a shipment spends at the port costs the country about USD 150 mn in fees for containers, yards, and storage, in addition to the fees paid to the shipping company. If a vessel arriving from abroad is delayed by even one day, that day alone can cost up to USD 21k. So reducing clearance time results in pretty significant FX savings.

Beyond that, the move reduces the cost for importers of production inputs, which consequently lowers the cost of production, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the Egyptian product in terms of quality and price compared to imported finished goods. We are working to ensure that customs clearance for air shipments reaches a time not exceeding a few hours.

EnterpriseAM: We can’t talk about trade or customs without touching on recent trade tensions ignited by the US this past year. Some saw Trump’s sweeping tariff plan as a chance for Egypt to attract investors from the likes of China and Turkey — have we been taking advantage of this opportunity?

AA: Certainly. There is indeed a plan to attract more investments to Egypt, seeing as it has gained a competitive advantage over the past few years, more so now that it was one of the least affected countries by Trump’s tariffs. Egypt is subject to the blanket 10% duty.

CGS ekes out 0.8% gain on first day of Tadawul trading

CGS creeps up on main market debut: Saudi cold-chain manufacturer Consolidated Grünenfelder Saady Holding (CGS) inched up 0.8% on debut to close its first day of trading on Tadawul at SAR 10.08 per share, according to market data. The stock swung between a high of SAR 10.79 and a low of SAR 9.70, with around 19.2 mn shares changing hands across 16.7k trades worth SAR 192.5 mn.

IN CONTEXT- The gain, modest as it is, puts CGS alongside Almasar Education as one of the rare IPOs to post a positive first day performance in 3Q, defying a broader run of weaker debuts (think Cherry Trading and Marketing Home Group) amid liquidity strains. “Everyone will adjust to the idea that not all IPOs will perform 30-40% on day one,” Mostafa Gad, EFG Hermes’ head of investment banking, told Bloomberg. “We’re becoming a mature market,” he added.

REFRESHER- The cold-chain manufacturer, which holds around 41% of the Kingdom’s automotive refrigeration and vehicle-body solutions market, took a 30% stake to market in a fully secondary offering. Shares priced at SAR 10 apiece, valuing the company at around SAR 1 bn at listing and handing selling shareholders some SAR 300 mn in gross IPO proceeds.

ADVISORS- Aljazira Capital acting as financial advisor, lead manager, underwriter, and joint bookrunner alongside Arqaam Capital; Himmah Capital as advisor to the selling shareholders; Latham & Watkins as law-related counsel to the company; PwC as financial due diligence advisor; Ernst & Young as auditor; and Euromonitor International as market consultant.

ALSO- CGS secured two contracts worth SAR 195.5 mn from Aramco and Almarai, it said in two separate disclosures to the exchange yesterday. The company inked a SAR 166 mn contract with Aramco Nabors Drilling for a customized solutions project, while signing another contract worth SAR 29.5 mn with Almarai to provide a stationary refrigeration solution for one of its food processing facilities in the Kingdom.

Morocco tenders Nador West Med FSRU and pipeline project at MAD 9.5 bn

Morocco’s tenders for nat.gas infrastructure are finally here: Morocco has launched the long-awaited tendering process for the construction of a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at Nador West Med (NWM) port and a new gas pipeline network, according to statements published last week (here and here). The combined investment ticket for both projects totals MAD 9.5 bn (c. USD 954.2 mn), Morocco World News reported on Monday.

The timeline: Interested developers now have until 30 January 2026 to file their pre-qualification bids, with Rabat looking to kickstart operations in the projects as soon as 2027.

#1- A MAD 2.7 bn LNG terminal: The Energy Ministry is seeking operators to charter a FSRU terminal at NWM port at an investment cost of MAD 2.73 bn. The selected firm will also install the required technical equipment on the jetty, then transfer these assets to the port authority. The facility will reportedly be linked to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (MEG), and is expected to regasify 5.1 bn cbm annually, with an expansion capacity of up to 7.5 bn cbm during peak demand, the news outlet reported.

#2- More gas pipeline infrastructure for MAD 6.4 bn: The second tender would cover the design, construction, financing, and operation of a pipeline linking NWM port and the MEG pipeline at an investment cost of MAD 6.4 bn. This will be connected to a secondary pipeline — valued at MAD 425 mn — linked to industrial zones in Kenitra and Mohammedia.

The announced projects are just pieces of a bigger picture plan by Morocco to shore up its status as a regional energy hub, as well as meet rising local demand for natural gas. The pipelines are designed to be connected to the 6.8k African-Atlantic Pipeline — a USD 25 bn pipeline project currently under consideration that will connect Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco in its first phase, with a targeted capacity to move up to 30 bn cbm of gas annually.

Rabat is due for high gas demand: National gas consumption is projected to surge from the current 1.2 bn cbm to around 8 bn cbm by 2027, driven by capacity expansion of existing gas power plants as coal and fuel oil are phased out. Consumption could reach as much as 12 bn cbm per year by 2030, potentially leading to a second import terminal at Mohammedia or Jorf Lasfar, the news outlet reported.

UAE’s Eclipse Investments clinches USD 50 mn for import + export boost

DEBT WATCH-

#1- Emirates Islamic Bank approved a USD 50 mn shariah-compliant trade finance facility for UAE-based financial holding company Eclipse Investments Group, according to a press release. The facility is set to boost the company’s liquidity position to support supply chain expansion plans, import and export activities, as well as efforts to expand operations in certain markets.

About Eclipse: Founded in 2005, Eclipse Investments Group is fully owned by Omani Zubair Corporation and is active across a range of industries, such as energy, chemical manufacturing, electrical equipment, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, according to its website. The company boasts a list of subsidiaries and controlling interests in companies across the globe, including the UK, Norway, KSA, Turkey, Tanzania, and India.

#2- Kuwait-based port management, logistics, and warehousing outfit JTC has renewed credit facilities worth KWD 2.7 mn, according to a disclosure (pdf). JTC also incurred foreign exchange facilities at USD 300k, the disclosure said.

JTC’s financials appear steady for the year: JTC’s net income edged up by about 1% y-o-y to KWD 5.2 mn in 9M 2025, according to its financial statements (pdf). The firm’s revenues surged some 9% to KWD 15.6 mn in the same period.

About JTC: Founded in 1979, JTC operates in Kuwait, KSA, and Qatar, catering to logistics sectors including ports management, contract logistics, warehousing, equipment leasing, and power rental, the statement said. JTC is majority-owned by Kuwait Projects Company Holding.

INVESTMENT WATCH-

Chinese textile firm Fountain Set plans to develop a USD 100 mn industrial project, including a textile and spinning factory, according to a statement from the General Authority for Investment and Freezones. The 200k sqm project — which will operate under the framework of freezones — is expected to become a center for fabric production and export to Europe and Africa.

PROJECTS-

Iraq launches first stretch of Development Road: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani inaugurated the first stretch of the Iraq Development Road (IDR), comprising a 63-km road linking the Grand Faw Port to the International Safwan Highway in Basra, according to a statement. The road runs from the Grand Faw Port gate to the Khor Al Zubair Canal, passing through a submerged tunnel to Umm Qasr.

About the project: The 1.2k km IDR project aims to connect Iraq’s southern Grand Faw Port — slated to become a major commodities port — to Turkey’s border via rail and road networks. The projet is backed by the UAE, Turkey, and Qatar, and Baghdad is working to establish a unified governmental authority to manage all projects related to the megaproject.

China’s Cosco Shipping orders 87 ships for USD 7 bn

Cosco places whopping 87-vessel order: Shanghai-based shipping giant Cosco Shipping has placed an order for 87 vessels from yards associated with China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Splash247 reports. The domestic order — the largest of its kind in China — is worth over RMB 50 bn (c. USD 7 bn), and includes several ship types, namely containerships, tankers, bulk carriers, and multipurpose vessels.

Specs and builders: The ships will reportedly involve energy-efficient designs, alternative-fuel-ready configurations, and AI-powered systems, dovetailing into the IMO’s decarbonization schemes, the news outlet reported. The vessels will be constructed across different yards, namely Jiangnan Shipyard, Guangzhou Shipyard International, Wuchang Shipbuilding, Dalian Shipbuilding, Beihai Shipbuilding, and Chengxi Shipyard.

Cosco’s riding a growth wave: The company announced a USD 1.75 bn newbuilding program for 29 ships in October, which includes 23 kamsarmax bulk carriers and six very large crude carriers. Cosco Shipping is looking to acquire a 20-30% stake in CK Hutchison — a Hong Kong-based global port operator with 43 ports under its portfolio including Panama Canal’s two major ports.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is working to mobilize investments in a spate of infrastructure projects across the continent, the East African reported. Interest is already building up, with the multilateral lending institution securing interest in 39 bankable projects under a public-private partnership model at a combined investment ticket of USD 15 bn, AfDB’s President Sidi Ould Tah said at The Africa Investment Forum last week (watch, runtime: 0:46).

Here’s what we know about the line-up of logistics projects:

Tanzania is looking to raise funds for the USD 2.3 bn Tabora-Kigoma railway project, which will link the country’s port on the Indian Ocean at Dar es Salaam to the port of Mwanza on Lake Victoria. The line will also stretch to reach nearby Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, in a bid to support intracontinental trade;
Zambia is in talks with AfDB to secure funds for its Lobito Corridor, which is slated to connect the mines in the copperbelt region in landlocked Zambia to Angola’s Lobito port. The project has an estimated EUR 1 bn ticket, and has secured financing interest for up to USD 500 mn from the US International Development Finance Corp;
Ethiopia is also shopping for financial backing for the Bishoftu Airport’s first phase development. The project — valued at around USD 12.5 bn — is already on AfDB’s radar, which is looking into providing a USD 500 mn facility while mobilizing up to USD 8 bn investments. The project is scheduled to wrap up construction by 2030.

Several projects have already secured financing from AfDB: Mauritania nabbed USD 275 mn from the AfDB and EIB Global to back the expansion and rehabilitation of the iron ore freight line, the Zouerate–Nouadhibou. Meanwhile, AfDB approved a USD 214.5 mn facility to support the second phase of the South Sudan-Ethiopia-Djibouti road corridor, which will include building 67 km of new roads in Ethiopia and upgrading 363 km of existing roads across the countries.

Calendar

DECEMBER

10-11 December (Wednesday-Thursday): GAD World, Lisbon, Portugal

16-17 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Saudi Airport Exhibition, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

JANUARY 2026

19-23 January (Monday-Friday): World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos, Switzerland.

21-22 January (Wednesday-Thursday):IOSA Operator Workshop, Dubai, UAE.

FEBRUARY 2026

3-4 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Middle East Bunkering Convention, Dubai, UAE.

4-5 February (Wednesday-Thursday): Breakbulk Middle East, Dubai, UAE.

4-5 February (Wednesday-Thursday): MRO Middle East, Dubai, UAE.

9-11 February (Monday-Wednesday): Future Warehouses & Logistics, Dubai, UAE.

10-12 February (Tuesday-Thursday): Sustainable Aviation Future MENA, Dubai, UAE.

12 February (Thursday): Technical Seminar on Marine Biofuels, London, UK.

15-17 February (Sunday-Tuesday): World Advanced Manufacturing Logistics Summit and Expo, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

17-19 February (Tuesday-Thursday): WorldLegalSymposium (WLS), Warsaw, Poland.

20-22 February (Friday-Sunday): Dubai Freight Camp, Dubai, UAE.

24-25 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Green Shipping Summit, Athens, Greece.

25-27 February (Wednesday-Friday): Air Cargo Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

25-27 February (Wednesday-Friday): Air Law Treaty Workshop Tanzania (Third Edition), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

MARCH 2026

5-6 March (Thursday-Friday): CargoIS Forum, Miami, United States.

9-13 March (Monday-Friday): WCA Worldwide Conference, Singapore.

10-12 March (Tuesday-Thursday): World Cargo Symposium, Lima, Peru.

18-19 March (Wednesday-Thursday): IntraLogisteX, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

18-19 March (Wednesday-Thursday): Green Marine Transport Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

26 March (Thursday): Gulf Ship Finance Forum, Dubai, UAE.

APRIL 2026

12-15 April (Sunday-Wednesday): Saudi Smart Logistics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

16-17 April (Thursday-Friday): Global Supply Chain and Logistics Summit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

MAY 2026

19-21 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Ground Handling Conference (IGHC), Cairo, Egypt.

12-14 May (Tuesday-Thursday):Aviation Energy Forum (AEF), Paris, France.

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