Get EnterpriseAM daily

Available in your choice of English or Arabic

aptions go under the image. This is great for SEO and should have attribution, alt text — important for those with disabilities who may be using screen readers.

Egypt’s Al Mansour Group to build a new USD 135 mn car manufacturing factory

WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

TODAY: Egypt getting MG vehicle manufacturing plant + Ibnsina Pharma leasing land in Egypt’s Yanmu

Good morning, friends, and a happy new year to all. We have a very light read this morning to wrap the year, with some updates from Egypt on the exports and warehousing front along with some shipping and rail updates from Oman and Saudi. Before we dive in, a quick announcement…

A QUICK PROGRAMMING NOTE- EnterpriseAM Logistics will be off for the rest of the week as we take a publication holiday to gear up for 2025. We’ll be back in your inboxes at the usual time on Monday, 6 January.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Yamna eyes Salalah Port for green ammonia bunkering: UK-based global green hydrogen investment company Yamna is eyeing Oman’s Salalah Port among five potential international ports for a green ammonia bunkering hub, Oman Daily Observer reports. The company is part of a consortium that has already secured a land block in Dhofar governorate for a green ammonia project. Yamna is also exploring the ports of Suez, Rotterdam, Algeciras, and Jurong.

#2- Turkey’s Karpowership might supply Syria with power: Turkish operator of floating power plants Karpowership confirmed that it is being considered among other options for providing electricity to Syria, Reuters reports. Besides supplying electricity through the grid shared by the two countries, Turkey also has the option to use ships equipped with floating power plants, referred to as powerships, which Karpowership already uses to supply power to 12 countries.

MARKET WATCH-

Oil prices rose in early morning trading on the back of strong data emerging from China’s manufacturing sector this month, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures rose USD 0.47 to USD 74.46 a barrel by GMT 01.30 while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) inched up USD 0.49 to USD 71.48 a barrel. Brent prices have declined overall 3.2% in 2024, while WTI is down 0.6% across the board this year.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Qatar’s private sector exports reached QAR 2.6 bn in 3Q 2024, down 2.5% from 2Q, according to a Qatar Chamber report. Export performance differed based on the type of certificates of origin issued by the Qatar Chamber in 3Q 2024. Certificates categorize exports according to the destination and trade agreements. Exports using the general model reached QAR 2 bn, which marks a 1.3% increase. Meanwhile, exports using the Arab region model grew by 17.1%, reaching a total of QAR 82.2 mn. The unified GCC model dropped 20.4% to QAR 402.4 mn. Fuel exports grew 48.6% to QAR 646.2 mn, while aluminum exports increased 64.2% to QAR 496.4 mn.

#2- UAE dominated intra-GCC trade in 2023: UAE’s share of intra-GCC trade increased 7.8% y-o-y to USD 66.5 bn in 2023, representing over half of the total value at USD 131.6 bn, according to a report by the GCC Statistical Center (GCC-Stat).

The details: National-origin exports from the UAE to GCC countries also increased 7.6% y-o-y to USD 26.5 bn, accounting for a 35.5% share. Meanwhile, re-exports saw an 8% increase to USD 40.1 bn, representing 70.2%.

Top exports: Oil exports came at USD 31.7 bn, representing 24.1% of total intra-GCC trade in 2023, followed by gold and precious metals (10.4%), machinery and electronics (10.1%), and ships (4.5%). Oil exports also dominated national-origin exports at USD 31.2 bn (41.9%), while machinery and electronics topped re-exports at USD 11.9 bn (20.8%).

***YOU’RE READING EnterpriseAM Logistics, the essential MENA publication for senior execs who care about the industry that connects producers and retailers to global markets. We’re out Monday through Thursday by 9:15am in Cairo and Riyadh and 11:15am in the UAE.

EnterpriseAM Logistics is available without charge thanks to the generous support of our friends at Hassan Allam Utilities, Transmar, and AK-Ships.

Were you forwarded this email? Tap or click here to get your own copy of Enterprise Logistics.

Want to send us a story idea, request coverage, ask for a correction, or otherwise get in touch? Reach out to us on logistics@enterprisemea.com.

DID YOU KNOW that we also cover Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the MENA climate industry ?
***

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.

Tags:

INVESTMENT WATCH

Egypt’s Al Mansour Group to build a new USD 135 mn car manufacturing factory

Al Mansour to manufacture MG vehicles in Egypt: Egypt’s Al Mansour Automobile Group and Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer SAIC Motor have inked an agreement to build a USD 135 mn factory to manufacture MG vehicles in the New October Industrial Zone, according to a statement. The move aims to boost local vehicle production by 45% as well as increase export capacity.

Land + licenses secured: Egypt’s Transport Ministry inked a land usufruct agreement with Al Mansour Auto, granting it a 126k sqm plot in New October City for its factory. SAIC also inked an agreement granting Al Mansour Auto the technical license to produce MG cars in Egypt.

The details: The factory will have a production capacity of 50k units annually during its first phase and its production capacity is set to double during its second phase. The project is set to kick off production in 2Q 2026 and will have a local component ratio exceeding 45%.

EVs will not be prioritized in the short-term: The factory will mainly produce the MG5 Sedan model, but Al Mansour has future plans to begin manufacturing four-wheel drive vehicles and EVs, according to a separate statement.

A confirmation after weeks of unconfirmed reports: The news follows weeks of unconfirmed reports regarding the partnership, the factory, and the land usufruct agreement. Last we heard, the annual production capacity and the land allotments for the factory were much lower than the official announcement, with 15k units for production and 21k sqm for the factory’s area.

A long time coming: The two have been working together for some time now, with Al Mansour securing the rights to be MG’s exclusive distributor in Egypt back in 2018. Just a year after this, we first heard about Al Mansour Automotive’s plans to produce MG-badged vehicles in partnership with MG Motor parent company SAIC.

While Chinese automotives have been making moves in Egypt: Chinese automotive and truck manufacturer Great Wall Motors (GWM) is reportedly inching closer to setting up a factory to produce vehicle and spare parts in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone.

Tags:

STORAGE + WAREHOUSES

Ibnsina Pharma to set up a warehouse in Yanmu East Logistics Park

Egypt’s Ibnsina Pharma will lease 11k sqm of warehousing space in Egypt’s Yanmu East Logistics Park, a JV between our friends at Hassan Allam Utilities and Kuwait’s Agility Logistics Park, according to a statement. The move looks to strengthen the firm’s distribution capacity and meet increasing demand for pharma goods. The investment ticket and a timeline for the project have not been disclosed.

Background: Hassan Allam and Agility formed a JV dubbed Yanmu in March 2023 to set up and operate two logistics parks in Egypt, Yanmu East and Yanmu West. Yanmu Logistics Park inked an agreement with Egypt’s Commercial International Bank in September 2023 for an EGP 1.5 bn (USD 48.5 mn) loan to finance the construction of Yanmu East Logistics Park.

Yanmu’s been busy: Haier agreed to lease 11k square meters for a warehouse at Yanmu East Logistics Park earlier this month. The project is set to strengthen Haier’s supply chain efficiency by using Yanmu’s easy access to key markets and transportation routes.

About Ibnsina Pharma: The firm, established in 2001, is one of Egypt’s largest pharma distribution companies, the statement notes. Ibnsina distributes a host of pharma goods to over 350 local and international players, with a fleet of around 830 vehicles.

Tags:

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Saudi Arabia Railways to transfer freight trains to new Al Ahsa track

RAIL-

SAR transferring freight trains to Al Ahsa: Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) is transferring freight trains to a new route in Al Ahsa Governorate, where they are expected to start operations on 28 January 2025, SPA reports. The new track at Al Ahsa will provide greater flexibility in the movement of freight between King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and the dry port in Riyadh. The new track is part of the SAR-operated East Train network with a cargo train operating on a 556km line starting at King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam and ending in Riyadh.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

  • Iran gains EAEU observer status: Iran expects a surge in trade with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) after gaining observer status and finalizing a free trade agreement that will cut tariffs on 87% of Iranian exports. (Mehr News)
Tags:

AROUND THE WORLD

Airlines cancel flights to Russia after Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash

Airlines cancel flights to Russia: Several airlines have suspended flights to Russian cities after Western reports blamed the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines jet last week on Russian air defenses, Al Arabiyah reported on Saturday. Russia has not commented on the reports.

What happened? The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was heading to Grozny in Russia, diverted from an area where Russia was targeting Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, Reuters reported last Thursday. The plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 out of 67 people on board.

Flight cancellations: The UAE’s Flydubai cancelled their flights between Dubai and the southern Russian cities of Mineralnye Vody and Sochi from 27 December 2024 to 3 January 2025, Al Arabiya reports. Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air has also suspended flights to Russia’s Yekaterinburg until the end of January 2025. Israeli airline El Al said it is also suspending its flights to Moscow for a week. Turkmenistan Airlines canceled regular flights between the country’s capital of Ashgabat and Moscow from 30 December 2024 to 31 January 2025.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

  • Security concerns delay Gwadar Airport opening: Pakistan’s Gwadar International Airport, a USD 250 mn project under the China-Pakistan economic corridor, is facing indefinite delays due to security concerns in the region. (The Economic Times)
Tags:

JANUARY 2025

20-24 January (Monday-Friday): World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Davos, Switzerland.

27-29 January (Monday-Wednesday): World Cargo Summit, Ostend, Belgium.

28-29 January (Tuesday-Wednesday): Green Shipping Summit, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

29-30 January (Wednesday-Thursday): ShipTek International Conference, Dubai, UAE.

FEBRUARY

3-5 February (Monday-Wednesday): Middle East Bunkering Convention, Dubai, UAE.

4-5 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Seatrade Maritime Qatar, Doha, Qatar.

4-5 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Airport Expansion Conference, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

10-11 February (Monday-Tuesday): Middle East Breakbulk conference, Dubai, UAE.

10-11 February (Monday-Tuesday): MRO Middle East, Dubai, UAE.

10-12 February (Monday-Wednesday): Sustainable Aviation Futures MENA, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

10-12 February (Monday-Wednesday): Japan Kyoto Trade Exhibition, Dubai, UAE.

10-13 February (Monday-Thursday): Future Warehouses & Logistics, Dubai, UAE.

18-19 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Argus Green Marina Fuels Asia Conference, Singapore.

18-19 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Middle East Procuretech Summit, Dubai, UAE.

19-21 February (Wednesday-Friday): Air Cargo Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

20-22 February (Thursday-Saturday): Dubai Freight Camp, Dubai, UAE.

25 February – 1 March (Tuesday-Saturday): WCA Worldwide Conference, Dubai, UAE.

MARCH

No events announced at the moment.

APRIL

2-4 April (Wednesday-Friday): Global Supply Chain and Logistics Summit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

3-4 April (Thursday-Friday): Africa Supply Chain Optimization, Johannesburg, South Africa

10 April (Thursday): Gulf Ship Fiance Forum, Dubai, UAE.

14 April (Monday): CargoIS Forum, Dubai, UAE.

15-17 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Transport Middle East 2025, Aqaba, Jordan.

15-17 April (Tuesday-Thursday): IATA World Cargo Symposium, Dubai, UAE.

16-17 April: Global Ports Forum, Dubai, UAE.

MAY

6-8 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Airport Show, Dubai, UAE.

12-15 May (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Smart Logistics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

13-14 May (Tuesday-Wednesday): Global Ports Forum, Dubai, UAE.

20-22 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Seamless Middle East, Dubai, UAE.

27-29 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Saudi Warehousing & Logistics Expo, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

JUNE

1-3 June (Sunday-Tuesday): Annual General Meeting & World Air Transport Summit 2025, Delhi, India.

2-4 June (Monday-Wednesday): Propak MENA, Cairo, Egypt.

5-6 June (Thursday-Friday): Supply Chain & Logistics Innovation Summit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

11-13 June (Wednesday-Friday): Sustainability World Summit, Frankfurt, Germany.

17-19 June (Tuesday-Thursday): Terminal Operations Conference & Exhibition, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

19 June (Thursday): East Med Maritime Conference, Athens, Greece.

25-26 June (Wednesday-Friday): Decarbonizing Shipping Forum, Hambury, Germany.

JULY

1-3 July (Tuesday-Thursday): ASEAN Ports and Logistics, Jakarta, Indonesia.

SEPTEMBER

24-26 September (Wednesday-Friday): Routes World, Hong Kong.

OCTOBER

1-2 October (Wednesday-Thursday): Saudi Maritime & Logistics Congress, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

14-15 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): Investing in Africa Conference and Expo, London, UK.

NOVEMBER

3-6 November (Monday-Thursday): ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

4-6 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Air Cargo Forum, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

17-21 November (Monday-Friday): Dubai Airshow, Dubai, UAE.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

Mid-2025: Iraq will complete phase one of the construction of the Grand Faw Port.

DHL and Aramco’s logistics and procurement hub in Saudi Arabia will commence operations.

AD Ports-operated Safaga Port’s multi-purpose terminal will become operational.

Phase 3 of APM Terminals Tangier MedPort to be complete and operational.

1Q 2025: Sadr Park’s Logistics Center in Riyadh to be completed.

1Q 2025: Phase two of Jafza Logistics Park to be completed.

2026

2026 UNCTAD Global Supply Chains Forum, Saudi Arabia.

2027

4Q 2027: Oman’s Musandam Airport construction to be completed.