TODAY: Budget Saudi subsidiary acquires Overseas Development’s UAE arm

Good morning, folks. The news cycle appears to be relentless as we hurdle to 2024’s finish line, with news flowing in from across the region and several subsectors of the logistics industry. We have a packed issue to delve into this morning, but first, there are more deadly accidents involving Boeing aircraft as we close out the year…

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- More bad news for Boeing? Some 179 people were killed when a Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean airline Jeju Air flight crash landed and veered off the runway at Muan International Airport in South Korea yesterday. The plane slammed into a wall and burst into flames, resulting in the deadliest air accident ever in South Korea. At least two people, both crew members, have been rescued from the plane and are being treated for injuries, which had 175 passengers and six crew members on board.

What happened? The flight arriving from Bangkok attempted to land then skidded down the runway with no apparent landing gear before exploding into flames. South Korean authorities are currently investigating the incident, with airport authorities saying a bird strike may have potentially caused the landing gear to malfunction, but no official confirmation has been made as of yet.

This is the second incident involving a Boeing 737-800 in one weekend: A KLM Airlines plane headed for Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing at Oslo Torp Sandefjord Airport on Saturday, after the Boeing 737-800 experienced a hydraulic failure, according to a statement. A loud noise was heard during take off, causing the team to decide to divert the plane, which after landing veered off the runway into the grass. All 176 passengers and six crew members were unharmed. The incident is being investigated by the relevant authorities.

The story grabbed a lot on ink in the int’l press: Reuters | AP News | Bloomberg | The Washington Post | The New York Times | CNBC | CNN | BBC | The Guardian

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Ongoing regional escalations have cost the Suez Canal some USD 7 bn in revenues this year alone, according to a statement released on Thursday. While the statement doesn’t mention how much the canal made in revenues this year, it says that the figure is 60% lower than 2023’s figure.

SPEAKING OF THE SUEZ CANAL- The canal has successfully tested a new 10km lane in the southern section of the waterway, according to a separate statement. The trial saw the passage of two ships through the new stretch. Four other ships meanwhile navigated the original eastern canal.

Details of the upgrade: The extension increases the length of the canal’s two-way section to 82 km — up from 72 km. “The extension is set to enhance navigational safety, reduce the impact of winds and currents, and raise the canal’s capacity by an additional 6-8 vessels daily,” Suez Canal Authority head Osama Rabie said.

ON THE TRADE SIDE- Egypt secures wheat supply through June 2025: Egypt’s grain buyer Mostakbal Misr for Sustainable Development has secured around 1.26 mn metric tons of wheat to cover the country’s needs until mid-2025, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The imports will mainly be sourced from Russia, and have begun arriving at Egyptian ports, with further deliveries set for the next few months.

AND IN OTHER EGYPT UPDATES– All of Egypt’s airports are now up for privatization with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) set to spearhead the project, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told private sector players at a meeting last week (watch, runtime; 2:21:47). Madbouly also noted that the IFC’s offerings of airports’ managements and operations should be accompanied by the private sector’s establishment of new airlines, which will help Egypt expand its aviation fleet. The move brings the number of airports on offer up from the previously announced five.

#2- Algerian state-owned oil giant Sonatrach plans to expand its oil refining capacity and increase exports of hydrocarbons and derivatives starting next year, according to a press release issued on Thursday. This is in response to rising EU demand amid expected disruptions in Russian gas supplies, Asharq Business explains. Sonatrach’s 2025-2029 plan, which focuses on enhancing exploration, production, and pipeline infrastructure, is in line with Algeria’s target of increasing hydrocarbon production 2.5% by 2025.

IN OTHER ALGERIA NEWS–Algeria has sent a 5k-ton gas shipment to Tunisia, which will meet increased demand amid cold temperatures in the country’s north, Tunisian news outlet La Presse reported last week. The shipment was received at Bizerte Port on Wednesday, Tunsian National energy firm Agil Energy center director Saleh Al Barkaoui told TAP.

Sounds familiar? Algeria supplied Lebanon with fuel back in August to help ease the impact of a massive energy shortage, after Lebanon’s state electricity firm, Electricite du Liban, warned that its fuel supplies were exhausted and announced a nationwide power outage.

#3- Shell Oman to sell storage + supply facilities: Shell Oman Marketing Company is in talks with several unnamed parties on selling its assets of petroleum products storage and supply facilities in Muscat’s Mina Al Fahal, Muscat Daily reported on Thursday, citing a Muscat Stock Exchange disclosure (pdf). Shell Oman will provide further details after signing purchase agreements or when they conclude discussions.

What’s on the table? The assets include multiple petroleum product storage tanks, a single buoy mooring, undersea pipelines, above-ground integrated pipelines, an eight-bay gantry, and other supporting facilities, according to the statement.

MARKET WATCH-

Oil prices rose this morning as traders await economic data from China and the US later this week to assess market demand from the world’s largest oil consumers, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures climbed USD 0.05 to USD 74.22 a barrel by GMT 04.30 while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) inched up USD 0.03 to USD 70.63 a barrel. Both benchmarks gained almost 1.4% last week on the back of larger-than-expected demand on US crude inventories due to the holiday season.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Saudi Arabia releases logistics report: Saudi ports processed some 308.7 mn tons of cargo in 2023 — the highest across the board, while land transport accounted for 24.9 mn tons. Railways moved 14.3 mn tons, and air freight handled 918k tons of cargo over the same period, according to a General Authority for Statistics (Gastat) report (pdf). The number of logistics centers in Saudi Arabia rose 267% to 22 in 2023, compared to 2021 as a base year.

Geographical distribution: The Eastern Region boasts six of the country’s 22 centers, covering 6.3 mn sqm. Makkah and Riyadh follow closely with five centers each, spanning 20 mn sqm, and 4.9 mn sqm respectively.

The country is also home to nearly 12.5k warehouses with a combined area of 22.8 mn sqm, according to the report. Riyadh has 6.6k warehouses spanning 10.6 mn sqm, leading in both count and area, followed by Makkah with 2.2k warehouses covering 6.5 mn sqm.

#2- Iran sees mixed trade performance with the EU in 2024: Iran’s exports to the European Union (EU) saw a 6% increase in the first 10 months of 2024, with a total of EUR 695 mn, Tehran Times reported on Sunday, citing Eurostats data. The overall trade volumes dipped by 1%, and total trade between Iran and the EU amounted to approximately EUR 3.77 bn, with EU exports to Iran falling 2% to a little over EUR 3 bn. Germany remains Iran’s largest trade partner with a total of EUR 1.2 bn in trade, followed by Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

Iran’s trade with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) saw a 20% increase from March to December 2024, IRNA reported on Sunday, citing Head of Iran Export Confederation Mohammad Lahouti. The country’s exports to EAEU reached USD 1.5 bn between April and December 2024, while the imports from the same region rose to USD 1.6 bn.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Belgium will host the World Cargo Summit from Monday, 27 January to Wednesday, 29 January in Ostend. The event will focus on air cargo economics, strategy, and market trends with a specific focus on how the industry will tackle disruptions and how firms can adapt their business models.

The UAE will host the ShipTek International Conference from Wednesday, 29 January to Thursday 30 January in Dubai. The two-day conference will gather industry experts, including managing director at Hapag-Lloyd Carolin Stumm, CEO Adani Ports Nicolai Friis, VP International Maritime Industries Justin Taylor, CEO Tristra Tim Coffin, and others to discuss new tech and developments in the maritime industry.

The UAE will host the Middle East Bunkering Convention from Monday, 3 February to Wednesday, 5 February in Dubai. The event will focus on the marine fuels sector to address the future of the industry in light of geopolitical issues, environmental regulation, and the future of artificial intelligence and digitalization.

Saudi Arabia will host the Airport Expansion Conference from Tuesday, 4 February to Wednesday, 5 February in Riyadh. The two-day conference will feature over 30 speakers to discuss challenges faced by Saudi Airports and highlight Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 with a clear focus on expansion, tech, and strategic partnerships.

The UAE will host the Middle East Breakbulk Conference from Monday, 10 February to Tuesday, 11 February in Dubai. The event gathers giant manufacturers, EPCs, and service providers to discuss the latest solutions in breakbulk and heavy-lift logistics across the Middle East and Africa. The two-day event features an artificial intelligence (AI) seminar, heavy lift workshop, chartering workshop, and a women in breakbulk panel.

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