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Poland shipyard deadline missed
A Qatari investor has missed the midnight deadline to pay for stakes in two shipyards in Poland, Bloomberg has reported. The Qatari investor, whose name hasn't been made public, defaulted on a $129m payment for Polskie Stocznie SA, which holds assets in the Baltic ports of Gdynia and Szczecin. The investor is still in talks with the government, Shahzad Shahbaz, CEO of QInvest, which is advising the bidder, has said. A Qatari fund may be in talks to buy the ports instead. Poland must sell the shipyards by August 31 as part of a deal with the European Union, which had alleged the government gave the yards illegal state aid.
GAC opens Rotterdam centre
Dubai-based logistics solutions provider, GAC has announced the launch of a logistics and maritime service centre in Rotterdam, a major port city in the Netherlands, to increase efficiency and improve customer services. The new facility aims to bring its ship spares, logistics and freight forwarding operations under one roof at the new 6,500 sq.m office and warehouse complex in Pernis, Rotterdam.
Iraq agrees freezone deals
The Iraqi government has signed several agreements to create seven free trade and industrial zones with Turkey, Iran, Syria and Jordan, Aswat al-Iraq news agency has reported. The country's Ministry of Industry has signed agreements to set up three Freezones with Iran: one in the north, another in the middle and a third in the south; while two zones will be created with Syria: in Anbar and in Mosul. On August 5, the Iraqi government authorized the trade minister to negotiate and sign a draft agreement between Iraq and Jordan to create a free trade zone.
Bahrain Logistics inks Awal lease
The Bahrain Logistics Zone (BLZ) has signed its first tenant lease agreement with Awal Gulf Manufacturing Company, the Gulf Daily News has reported. Awal Gulf exports to more than 40 countries and will be occupying a land size of approximately 22,000 square metres, BLZ has said. The company is the first among 20 tenants that applied and were selected.
Suez Canal issues July revenues
Egypt's Suez Canal Authority has said the country's revenues from the waterway had dropped 22% to $382.9m in July compared to the same month last year, Reuters has reported. The figure is the highest for monthly receipts from the canal so far this year. The previous high for 2009 was June's figure of $348.2m.
DP World unit receives cranes
Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT), a joint venture between DP World (80%) and IPC (20%), with DP World as operator, has said it has taken delivery of two quay cranes and four rubber tired gantry (RTG) cranes, the first of three major deliveries expected from Shanghai-based crane manufacturer ZPMC. The quay cranes are capable of handling Panamax vessels, with an out-reach of 39 metres and 14 container rows on board ship.
National Air to extend cargo flights
US-based National Air Cargo has announced it will extend its weekly DC-8 cargo aircraft from Sharjah, UAE to Hahn, Germany before returning back to the United States. Cargo to be transported to Hahn includes garments, technology products, perishables and other time-sensitive air cargo, the company has said. The new flight has been scheduled to expand the all cargo transport options to Europe and to provide a service to Middle Eastern sea-air transport brokers, the cargo company has said.
Tenders issued for marina projects at Mina Zayed
Mubadala Development has issued tenders for marina projects at Mina Zayed, on the tip of Abu Dhabi island, The National has reported. The marina is tentatively called Marina Zayed, and is expected to house 500 berths for superyachts up to 180 metres. Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi's main port, is set for a major redevelopment as shipping activities are being shifted to Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone on the Abu Dhabi coast closer to Dubai.
Qatar Shipping Q2 profit down
Qatar Shipping Co, which is merging with Qatar Navigation, has posted a 53.4% fall in Q2 profit to QR80.8m, Reuters has reported. Net income in the first half of the year was QR158.58m, down from QR375.03m in the same period last year, when it booked a one-time QR114m gain on the sale of a vessel, the firm has said. First half profits fell 39% as the firm posted a loss on investments of about QR17m from a QR76.9m profit in 2008.
Crude carriers outnumber cargo needs
There are 20% more very large crude carriers (VLCCs) in the Middle East for hire over 30 days than there are cargoes that need to be shipped, according to Exim News Service. The fleet of VLCCs has expanded by 6% this year to 529 ships, while the Middle East producers in Opec cut their combined output by 3.7% to 19.3 million barrels a day. Oil companies and traders concluded about 50 rentals recently, an Oslo-based analyst has said, adding that there are normally about 90 such bookings a month.
Abu Dhabi dismisses radar rumours
The Traffic Engineering and Roads' Safety Section at the Traffic and Patrols Department of Abu Dhabi Police, has dismissed as baseless rumours being circulated by SMS and Blackberry that speed changes have been effected in the radars at highways, Wam has said. Col. Engineer Hussein Ahmed Al Harethi, director of the section has called on the public not to believe information being disseminated by unofficial sources.
Cargoitalia names UAE agents
Cargoitalia, the new Italian-owned all-cargo airline has announced the appointment of the Dubai arm of Heavyweight Air Express as its General Sales and Service Agents (GSSA) to market the airline's capacity in the UAE. Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) will provide all handling services, the company has said.
Dubai RTA raises water bus awareness
The Marine Agency at the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a campaign to attract passengers to a dedicated water bus service for tourists. The water bus service was launched last year on Dubai Creek, linking Al Shindagha and Al Seef Stations. The other four lines of the water bus offer point-to-point passenger service across the Dubai Creek. The water bus has a capacity to accommodate 36 passengers and the trip takes 45 minutes, with an interval of 15 minutes between services.
Aramex signs Vodafone Malta deal
Arab logistics company Aramex has signed an agreement with Vodafone Malta to manage its logistics on the island. Under the deal, the Dubai Financial Market-listed Aramex will provide a range of logistics services, including express and freight shipping, inventory management, and provision of warehouse space within its logistics centre located at Mriehel Industrial Estate in Malta.
Ramadan train service launched in Jordan
Jordan's Public Transport and Regulatory Commission (PTRC) and Jordan Hijaz Railway will launch a train service on a daily basis between Amman and Zarqa during Ramadan, the Jordan Times has reported. The measure seeks to reduce traffic jams during the holy month, PRTC has said.
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