Author: Jochebed Menon

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has finished off the construction of two model bus stations at Oud Metha and Al Satwa. The stations feature unique designs that form a blend of creative and practical blends to engineering designs and a new concept of mass transit means. “The construction of stations for public bus riders complements RTA’s efforts to upgrade public transport infrastructure to encourage people to use public transit means in their daily movement. “The new stations boast contemporary designs that cater to the needs of sustainability and people of determination, yet coherent with the identity and shape of…

DP World and its partner Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a global investment group, signed a long-term agreement with Indonesia’s leading conglomerate Maspion Group to start the construction of an international container port and industrial logistics park in Gresik. Work on the projects is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2021, with a total investment of up to USD1.2 billion, enhancing East Java’s position as a key trade gateway for Indonesia. Under the agreement, a joint venture company will be established between DP World and CDPQ’s global investment platform and Maspion Group, the first of…

Dolphin Marine Group, a leader in maritime safety equipment and services, has opened its new office in Djibouti, after successfully capturing markets in Egypt and Dubai. The new office in Djibouti will be a one-stop-shop, providing an array of safety and inspection services. The company will carry out works including inspection of Life-Saving Appliances (LSA), safety equipment, and Fire Fighting Equipment (FFE) onboard the boat. The new division will offer servicing, repair work, and maintenance of boat parts and provide replacement of damaged parts for all leading brands in the market. It will also offer additional services in the form…

In this issue of Logistics News Middle East, we speak to logistics companies on the eCommerce boom. Abdulla M. Alashram, Group CEO of Emirates Post Group, says: “The pandemic has vastly accelerated digital adoption and put eCommerce at the forefront of retail.” Yury Duzhnikov, Peugeot’s Head of Sales, shares how the company has seen a steady increase in business for its light commercial vehicles since the pandemic began last year. Can machines think? Marek Lukaszczyk, European and Middle East Marketing Manager at motor and drive manufacturer WEG, likes to think so. He says: “AI holds huge potential, especially for electric…

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has awarded a contract to a national IoT service provider, MachinesTalk, for the provision of smart wearable technology and wireless tagging solutions for its construction workforce and fleet of vehicles at its site on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. MachinesTalk will be tasked with deploying a LoRaWAN network to cover more than 3,500 sqkm, implementing a state-of-the-art IoT platform, and providing smart badges for up to 36,000 construction workers, and wireless tags for up to 3,000 vehicles. “Delivering a project of this scale against an ambitious timeline while aiming to meet and exceed…

His Excellency Khalifa Al Qubaisi, Deputy Director General of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) received Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Chairman of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reform of Kazakhstan at the Fund’s headquarters. The meeting was attended by Rashed Al Kaabi, Director of Investment Department at ADFD and senior Kazakh government officials. They discussed ways to develop the strategic and mutually beneficial relations, especially through infrastructure and investments projects. Al Qubaisi highlighted the relations between the Fund and the government of Kazakhstan that had withstood the test of time. He pointed out that the Fund had supported Kazakhstan in…

Port operators in the region are reimagining their operations, shifting to a broader concept of port-centric logistics, where they are part of a larger integrated ecosystem of global trade. However, the rapid increase in port capacities across the GCC region has led to a drop in utilisation, as supply growth has outpaced demand. Global trade patterns are gradually changing, with regional trade replacing the traditional east-west international routes. These are among the key findings of Anchored in the new reality – Ports perspectives, a new report by KPMG Lower Gulf, which captures the evolving dynamics of the region’s maritime sector…

The Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) has signed an investment agreement with Medtra, producer and manufacturer of healthcare equipment and products, to expand the latter’s operations in the MENA markets. Under this agreement, Medtra, which operates in 40 countries, is set to invest some Dhs100 million in HFZA through the construction of state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, using the latest technologies and innovations. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia since 2004, Medtra is serving MENA’s health care sectors, along with food, agriculture, farming, poultry, hospitality, oil, and gas, as well as industrial sectors with more than 3,000 high-quality products, while the company has been…

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has kickstarted operations of the new enhanced generation of traditional wooden abras conforming to the highest security, safety, and environmental standards. The debut of these new abras, which retain the traditional shape of abras, is part of RTA’s strategic plan to upgrade marine transport services to fit the needs of people. Mohammed Abu Baker Al Hashemi, Director of Marine Transport, Public Transport Agency, RTA, said: “The design of the new enhanced generation of traditional wooden abras caters to a string of security, safety and environmental standards such as the relocation of the driver’s position…

Following the 20-year concession agreement signed in January by António Bengue, Chairman of Porto de Luanda and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, the latter has begun operation of the Multipurpose Terminal (MPT) at the Port of Luanda. DP World has appointed Francisco Pinzón, as CEO of DP World Luanda. A Panamanian national, he has more than 20 years’ experience in port operations and management, having worked at ports in Panama, Bahrain, Peru, Georgia, Djibouti, and Algeria. He joined DP World in 2016 as COO for DP World Djibouti, and in 2018 was appointed as…