Good morning, folks. It’s a busy end to a busy week in the regional logistics sector and we have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s dive right in.

HAPPENING TODAY-

It’s the third and final day of the Airports Council International annual conference — better known as WAGA 2024 — in Riyadh. The day will kick off with an invitation-only session with the CEOs of Saudi-based Cluster 2, Riyadh Airports Company, Hermes Airport, Airports Company South Africa, and Delhi International Airport. Also, UK-based global travel data, and analytics provider Official Airline Guide — aka OAG — will release its aviation 2024 outlook report on the sidelines of the event. You can check out the full program here.

Also on the agenda: The prospects for air cargo, sustainability in aviation, innovation in customer experience, and future-proofing the industry’s workforce.

Panelists to look out for:

• Steven Gillard, Boeing regional director for Middle East and Europe sustainability;
• Ayman Aboabah, Riyadh Airports Company CEO;
• Michael White, Red Sea International Airport CEO;
• Yara Wehbe, Matarat Holding general manager of customer experience;
• Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed, Maldives Airports Company CEO,
• Eleni Kaloyirou, Hermes Airports CEO;
• Kerati Kijmanawat, Airports of Thailand president; and
• Glyn Hughes, The International Air Cargo Association director general.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Are CVC and ADIA also in talks to acquire DB Schenker’s logistics unit? A consortium led by CVC Capital Partners and Carlyle Group submitted a bid valuing the company at EUR 14 bn, and are in talks to partner with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Singapore wealth fund GIC on the acquisition, sources told Bloomberg.

There’s a queue: European logistics giants DSV, AP Moeller-Maersk A/S and MSC have also made offers, the people said, but the consortium is reportedly more “aggressive” in terms of pricing. Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ was also reportedly vying for a bid, as was Saudi shipping firm Bahri.

#2- Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) and Global Maritime Services Company have finalized the blueprint for a SAR 219 mn development at Globe Park in Jeddah Islamic Port, according to a statement. The project — spanning 135k sqm — will include container and cargo storage facilities and looks to provide integrated logistics services and boost the port’s competitiveness.

REMEMBER-Mawani recently inked an agreement with MSC logistics arm Medlog to establish a SAR 175 mn integrated logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port for the handling and storage of empty containers. The 100k sqm hub will increase the volume of containers handled at the port to 2 mn TEUs over a ten-year period and introduce the use of alternative energy to curb emissions.

IN OTHER KSA NEWS- Saudi Arabia has promised Japan a steady supply of oil, Reuters reports, citing statements by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Japan counts on KSA to assume a primary role in maintaining stability in oil markets, including through additional production increases, Kishida said.

KSA and Japan also inked a slew of MoUs on Tuesday at the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 business forum, spanning energy, manufacturing, and other sectors. “Saudi Arabia is Japan's biggest supplier of crude oil and one of the most important partners in terms of energy security,” Japanese industry minister Ken Saito said on the forum’s sidelines.

And IATA is heading to Riyadh: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is looking to open a regional headquarters in Riyadh, IATA Africa and Middle East VP Kamil Al Awadhi told Asharq Al Awsat.The move comes as the body expects air traffic and passenger numbers in the Middle East to see a 4% to 6% bump this year compared to 2023, the outlet said.

#3- Advanced weapons held by Yemen’s Houthis can reach the Mediterranean, Bloomberg reports, citing an anonymous senior US defense official. Non strikes in the Mediterranean have been detected so far, the official added. It is also unclear whether the Iranian-backed group has the ability to hit moving vessels at such a range with successful strikes so far limited to waters nearby Yemen, the outlet said. The Houthis had said two weeks ago that they plan to expand the scope of their attacks “immediately” to target Israel-bound vessels in the Mediterranean.

#4- Flag states facilitating operations for Russia’s dark fleet are looking to bribe port states to sidestep detection, according to a Paris MoUstatement (pdf). Unnamed states have “attempted to conclude bilateral agreements with other port states to avoid detentions,” the statement said. The UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a resolution in December 2023 that looked to crack down on shadow fleet operations and called on port states to subject ships to “enhanced inspections” if they know these ships are taking measures to avoid detection.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices continued to ease this morning as markets expect that persistent inflation in the US would delay interest rate cuts and stifle demand for oil, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures dipped 0.6% to USD 81.44 by 04.24 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dropped 0.7% to USD 77.03, the newswire reports. Both benchmarks fell over 1% on Wednesday.

Russia’s crude exports rallied for the week ending 19 May, as the country switches out caps on oversea exports to “deeper” OPEC+ production cuts, Bloomberg said. Higher output from refineries which have recovered from damage caused by Ukranian drone strikes also boosted weekly export figures. OPEC+ oil ministers are set to convene on 1 June to discuss production policy, where Russia and other group members are expected to settle on whether voluntary production cuts will be extended into 3Q 2024, Bloomberg also said.

#2-Baltic index dips, yanked by drop in capesize rates: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — was down 0.97% to 1,829 points on Tuesday, as falls in capesize offset gains in the panamax subindex, Reuters reports. The larger capesize segment decline 1.96% to 2,655 points, while panamax surged 0.61% to 1,822 points. Meanwhile, the supramax index ticked down 0.72% to 1,382 points, the newswire said.

DATA POINTS-

UAE’s Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) recorded a 105% y-o-y surge in bunkering licenses in 1Q 2024, according to a statement. The growth parallels Dubai’s improved maritime performance and efficiency, which saw a 3.4% increase in anchoring approvals and a 82% rise in ship towing operations.

Morocco’s airports saw a 26% y-o-y boost in air cargo to 30.7k tons in the first four months of 2024,Al Arabiya reports, citing figures from Morocco’s National Airports Office (ONDA). Passenger number rose 18% during the period to 9.52 mn passengers, the report said, citing Hespress.

GCC exports to the US spiked 20% y-o-y to USD 6.2 bn in 1Q 2024, according to US government data seen by Mubasher. The total value of GCC imports from the US also rose, hitting USD 12.25 bn, compared to USD 11.2 bn last year. KSA came in as GCC’s largest exporter to the US, exporting some USD 3.28 bn worth of goods in 1Q. Nevertheless, the Kingdom’s exports to the US were down 25% y-o-y.

Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) handled 6.5k tons of air cargo in April, up 27.5% y-o-y, Petra reports, citing operator Airport International Group (AIG). Aircraft movements bumped down 6.3% during the period to 5.78k aircraft, while passenger numbers were also down 6.2% to 669.2k passengers, Petra said.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Oman will host the Comex Technology Show from Monday, 27 May to Saturday, 30 May in Muscat. The event will see representation from industry leaders and decision makers to showcase buyer potential in innovative technology, in transportation, logistics, energy and healthcare sectors.

Egypt will host ProPak MENA from Sunday, 26 May to Tuesday, 28 May in Cairo. The conference will see F&B manufacturing industry professionals network and discover the latest equipment and logistic solutions for processing and packaging.

The UAE will host the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit from Sunday, 2 June to Tuesday, 4 June in Dubai. The event will bring together aviation industry players to showcase what can be achieved through supportive government policies and decisions. Airline leaders will make decisions during the event to formalize industry positions and set IATA’s strategic agenda.

Lebanon will host the East Med Maritime Conference on Thursday, 27 June in Beirut. The event will gather industry leaders to discuss the latest developments in shipping, maritime, and offshore industries to discuss industry innovations, alternative fuels, and decarbonizing emissions in the maritime sector and ports.

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