SUSTAINABILITY-

Government-led food tech company Food Tech Valley and Emirati firm ReFarmTm will team up to construct a 900k sqm “waste-to-value” farm in Dubai. The farm will have the capacity to recycle over 50k tons of food waste annually while cultivating 2 bn plants, according to a press release. The project will be able to replace 1% of the country’s fresh food imports and will commence by 2026, The National reports.

TRADE-

DP World has begun operations at its air cargo hub in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, according to a press release. The facility, announced earlier this year, is an air cargo logistics hub established in partnership with Punta Cana Freetrade Zone (PCFTZ) that aims to enhance the Domincan Republic's position as a major logistics hub in the Caribbean. In its first operational stage, the hub is receiving cargo via land transport from across the country and is shipping it via air through Punta Cana International Airport, according to the release. By year end, all DP World cargo operations in and out of the country will be centralized to this hub, the release said.

More to come: The facility is set to expand with a logistics center warehouse and manufacturing facilities that are currently under construction and set to be operational by 2H 2024, the release adds. A maintenance and repair workshop will also be completed and become operational in two years.

TOURISM-

UAE travel agency Musafir expands to KSA: UAE-based online travel agency Musafir has launched in Saudi Arabia as part of its expansion plans in the region, it said. It will “strategically target corporate clients, contributing to the kingdom's burgeoning tourism and corporate travel sector,” Musafir said.

INDUSTRY-

Sharjah Municipality is getting a AED 600 mn budget for industrial area development:Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi greenlit a AED 600 mn budget for the Sharjah City Municipality to help develop industrial areas (1-6-7) with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, GulfToday reports.

REAL ESTATE-

Egypt’s Ora Developers plans UAE investments: Egyptian real estate player Ora Developers plans to set up a USD 15 bn mega real estate project in the UAE over the coming 10-15 years, CEO and Chairman Naguib Sawiris said yesterday. Sawiris did not provide further details on the planned investments.

SPACE-

Emiratis on the moon this decade? Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is in talks with NASA to operate Moon missions manned with Emirati astronauts under the Artemis program launched last year, the National reports, citing NASA chief Bill Nelson. The UAE also has eyes on supplying NASA with infrastructure, such as an airlock for the Lunar Gateway station that holds astronauts before their descent to the Moon’s surface. The MBRSC previously launched a probe for Mars under Emirates Mars Mission, the first Arab mission to another planet.

TRADE-

Gulftainer holds China roadshow to promote trade gateways: UAE-based ports and terminal operator Gulftainer held a roadshow in Shenzhen, Nansha, Beijing, and Qingdao, China between 23 and 30 November according to a press release. The tour saw meetings with major players in China’s supply chain and logistics, freight forwarding, and manufacturing sectors to promote Gulftainer’s flagship terminals — Sharjah Container Terminal and Khorfakkan Container Terminal.

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