APT inks land lease agreement with KEZAD, Starsurn inks land lease agreement with Sohar Freezone, Denzai Arabia + FTE establish KSA-based JV

ZONES-

Abu Dhabi’s Kezad inks agreement for APT plant: AD Ports’ Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad) and Dubai-based Al Ghurair Group subsidiary Automotive Precision Technology (APT) have inked a lease agreement for a 30k sqm plot of land for an automotive aluminum component manufacturing plant, according to a press release. The facility, set to be operational by early 2025, will be located close to aluminum manufacturing giant Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), providing easy access to molten aluminum, according to the release. Hosting the APT facility will strengthen Kezad’s metals and automotive ecosystem, Kezad Group CEO Mohamed Al Khadar Al Ahmed said in the statement.

Oman’s Sohar Freezone inks agreements with Starsun: Oman’s Sohar Port and Freezone and Starsun Sohar have inked a land lease agreement to set up a USD 3 mn lead acid battery recycling plant in the freezone, according to a statement released earlier this week. The plant will extract valuable materials from used batteries with a projected annual production capacity of 1k tons. The extracted material — including lead ingots, lead oxide, and red led oxide — will be exported to several markets including China, the EU, India, and Korea, and the materials will be traded on the London Metal Exchange, according to a statement.

LOGISTICS HANDLING-

Denzai Arabia + FTE to launch logistics JV:Denzai Arabia, a subsidiary of Japanese heavy lifting company Denzai, and Saudi logistics firm FTE are launching a logistics joint venture later this year, according to a press release (pdf). The JV will offer a range of services from port transportation to installation work at project sites.

STARTUP WATCH-

Saudi logistics startup Pieship has closed an undisclosed pre-seed investment round led by Seedra Ventures, Nama Ventures, and other angel investors, according to a press release. The company will put the funds into growing its business, research, and developing new products and services for its customers.

About Pieship: Founded in 2023 by Nasser Alharthi (LinkedIn), Musaed Al-Amri, and Mohammed Mohsen, the startup specializes in warehouse management solutions, shipment delivery applications, and technical solutions for logistics services.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

• Jumbo Offshore extends footprint into Middle East:Sea Horizon Offshore Marine Services will represent Dutch heavy lift shipping company Jumbo Offshore to clients in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. (Press release)