ZONES-<\/p>\n
#1- <\/strong>Two <\/strong>Chinese textile firms to set up shop in Egypt\u2019s West Qantara<\/strong>:<\/strong> Egypt\u2019s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) has inked two strategic agreements with Chinese textile firms for two projects in the West Qantara Industrial Zone with a total investment figure of USD 28 mn, according to a statement<\/a>. The two new facilities will be fully dedicated to exports. <\/p>\n The details: <\/strong>Changzhou Kingcason Printing & Drying Company will establish a USD 24.5 mn facility spanning 60k sqm dedicated to textile production, including textile threads, dying, printing, knitting, and design, and Shanghai Honor and its UAE-based subsidiary Home Hub Textile will invest USD 3.5 mn to establish a 40k sqm factory for the manufacturing of fabric and home textiles. <\/p>\n Things are heating up in West Qantara: <\/strong>The SCZone has so far attracted 15 companies to West Qantara, signing some 14 agreements over the last 20 months for new projects with total investments of USD 542.3 mn, the statement notes. The projects include a USD 30 mn factory<\/a> by Chinese textile manufacturer Kelida and a USD 70 mn factory<\/a> by Chinese dyeing and finishing outfit Zhejiang Hengsheng. <\/p>\n #2- Egypt\u2019s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) and Kuwaiti logistics giant Agility have <\/strong>inaugurated <\/strong>a new USD 60 mn customs logistics center<\/strong>, according to a statement<\/a> released on Thursday. The facility \u2014 spanning 100k sqm \u2014 will include a secure storage facility and offer transportation services in a bid to ensure the seamless efficiency of operations. It will integrate a digital platform that will connect investors to a large network of Egyptian transport firms in a bid to offer more flexible logistics solutions. <\/p>\n Sounds familiar? <\/strong>The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) chose Agility\u2019s automation solutions subsidiary Transfora to develop a digital operations platform for SCZone back in October 2024<\/a> to enable the SCZone to handle inquiries from potential investors and manage essential investor documentation. <\/p>\n #3- Egypt\u2019s <\/strong>Prime <\/strong>Minister <\/strong>Moustafa <\/strong>Madbouly spent last Thursday inaugurating a <\/strong>handful of <\/strong>factories<\/strong> by local and international companies in SCZone\u2019s Sokhna Industrial Zone. Here\u2019s a rundown of the export-bound projects:<\/p>\n \n CARGO-<\/p>\n #1- <\/strong>Iraq launches operation with TIR system:<\/strong> Iraq\u2019s Transport Ministry has launched its first transport operation in partnership with International Road Transport Union (IRU)<\/a> via their TIR system<\/a>, according to a statement<\/a>. The operation started from Turkey\u2019s Mesrin port via Iraqi territory to Ibrahim Al-Khalil port, then towards Umm Qasr port before reaching its final destination at Abu Dhabi\u2019s Khalifa Port. <\/p>\n What is the TIR system? <\/strong>It is the IRU\u2019s global transit system that streamlines procedures for goods to be shipped from country to country, reducing administration work for customs authorities, according to the IRU\u2019s website<\/a>. The system also saves time and banknotes for transport operators and logistics companies. <\/p>\n #2- <\/strong>Menzies<\/strong> Aviation to provide Air India with cargo services: <\/strong>Menzies Aviation \u2014 the ground handling subsidiary of Kuwait-based Agility \u2014 has inked a three-year agreement with Air India to deliver ground handling and cargo services at eight locations across four continents, according to a statement<\/a> released on Thursday. The firm is set to handle nearly 9k tonnes of cargo in the first year of the agreement, providing cargo warehouse handling services for Air India at Kuwait International Airport, the US\u2019 Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and Australia\u2019s Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport. <\/p>\n \n SHIPPING + MARITIME-<\/p>\n Egypt <\/strong>+ Maersk partner<\/strong> up to enhance ship recycling:<\/strong> Egypt\u2019s Maritime and Land Transport Holding Company has inked an MoU with shipping giant Maersk to enhance cooperation in responsible ship recycling (RSR) in the country, according to a statement<\/a> released on Thursday. The project will help scrap ships at Damietta Port to provide raw materials for the iron and steel industry and reduce the import of scraps. <\/p>\n ICYMI:<\/strong> Egypt's Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport<\/a> and El Wehda Industrial Development teamed up in May 2024<\/a> to launch Egypt's inaugural ship scrapping and recycling yard. <\/p>\n Not Maersk\u2019s first ship recycling project in the region:<\/strong> Maersk inked an MoU with Bahrain in July 2024<\/a> to develop and expand the ship recycling sector in the country to promote sustainable manufacturing and accelerate local economic growth.<\/p>\n \n E-COMMERCE-<\/p>\n Egypt\u2019s Paysky launches e-commerce platform for Ugandan market: <\/strong>Egyptian digital payment platform Paysky and the fintech arm of South African telecom giant MTN are collaborating to launch a new application, Market by MoMo, to enhance the online shopping experience for Ugandan merchants and consumers, according to a statement (pdf)<\/a> released last week.<\/p>\n \n TRADE- <\/p>\n Abu Dhabi and Italy ink cross-border investment partnership to boost <\/strong>business expansion:<\/strong> The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) and Italy\u2019s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), a national promotional institution, signed a pact to support Italian and UAE businesses expanding into each other\u2019s markets, according to a press release<\/a> from last week. <\/p>\n Under the partnership, Adio will connect Italian firms \u2014 including CDP-backed companies \u2014 with Abu Dhabi investment opportunities<\/strong>, while UAE businesses gain streamlined access to Italy\u2019s market. The two entities will organize trade delegations, seminars, and knowledge-sharing programs to foster commercial ties.<\/p>\n In context: <\/strong>The UAE revealed plans earlier this week<\/a> during President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan\u2019s visit to Rome to invest USD 40 bn across strategic sectors in Italy. The two nations agreed to pursue a comprehensive partnership, formalizing over 40 agreements spanning data centers, AI, space tech, defense, cybersecurity, energy, health, and critical minerals. <\/p>\n RAIL- <\/p>\n UAE and Pakistan to cooperate on railways: <\/strong>Etihad Rail<\/a> and Pakistan\u2019s Railways Ministry signed MoUs to ramp up the operational efficiency of Pakistan\u2019s rail network and explore the development of a new railway network to improve connectivity and support economic growth, according to a statement<\/a> released last week.<\/p>\n OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-<\/strong><\/p>\n Stories on our radar this morning from around the region<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84857,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_primary_brand":0,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[235,62,122,49,242,201,35,160,152,118,215,123,196,129],"brand":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"class_list":["post-84856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-also-on-our-radar","tag-agility-logistics","tag-also-on-our-radar","tag-cargo","tag-egypt","tag-etihad-rail","tag-india","tag-iraq","tag-kuwait","tag-logistics-hub","tag-maersk","tag-menzies-aviation","tag-shipping-maritime","tag-suez-canal-economic-zone","tag-uae","wpautop","entry"],"acf":{"mongo_id":"5a5746d7-50f8-4f61-b613-3c7a4cc72711","order":"12","is_powered_by":false,"story_type":"1","photo_url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/2025\/3\/88.jpg","photo_position":"above","homepage_title":"","full_issue_title":"Updates on zones, cargo, shipping, rail and trade from Kuwait, Egypt, UAE, and Iraq","related_issue":[84836],"teaser":"Stories on our radar this morning from around the region","voice_url":"https:\/\/s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/ent.news\/audio\/2025\/3\/.a67a1ca2-a91e-453f-b4c9-6c9df003f1e3.mp3"},"yoast_head":"\n\n
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