AD Ports Group and CMA CGM Group have agreed to develop a rail-linked cargo network in the UAE to strengthen multimodal transport across sea, rail and road systems. The plan connects Khalifa Port with inland container depots, dry ports and cargo facilities, allowing containers to move more smoothly between ships, trains and trucks. The focus is on building a single integrated system where cargo does not stay dependent on one mode of transport. Goods arriving by sea at Khalifa

Global Medical Supply Chain (GMSC) has opened a new 2,500 sqm warehouse in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi. With this addition, its total warehouse space has increased from 2,266 sqm to 4,766 sqm. The company has also raised its pallet capacity from 2,000 to 6,500. The cold chain area has expanded from 20 sqm to 100 sqm, allowing more storage for temperature-sensitive medicines and medical products. Hamad Husein Al Marzooqi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Bio said, “This expansi

DHL Express’ Middle East airline, DHL Aviation EEMEA, has been renamed DHL Air (Bahrain), marking a shift in how the company is positioning its aviation operations in the region. The airline operates from Bahrain and runs 266 weekly flights to 23 countries using a fleet of 12 aircraft, including Boeing 767-300F and Boeing 737-800 freighters. It has also handled more than 70 per cent of Bahrain’s total air cargo traffic over the past five years. The change matters because it s

SolitAir has expanded its network into the Caucasus region with its first flight to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. This marks a new connection for the airline into a region located between Europe, the Middle East, and Eurasia, where cross-border trade depends heavily on air links. The move is important because Armenia is a landlocked country and does not have direct access to seaports. As a result, air cargo plays a key role in keeping goods moving in and out of the country

MSC has launched a new Europe–Gulf service built around a land bridge across Saudi Arabia. Cargo from Europe will arrive at Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea, then move by truck to Dammam on the Gulf coast before being shipped onward. The route avoids the Strait of Hormuz and relies on inland transport to connect the two coasts. The key shift is the use of Saudi Arabia’s road network to move containers between ports. Instead of sailing around the Arabi

LIFEPharma plans to invest AED 700 million in a new manufacturing platform at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), in partnership with AD Ports Group. The facility will produce vaccines, cancer drugs and advanced injectables, with a strong focus on improving pharma logistics by shortening supply chains and increasing local distribution capacity. For logistics, the project reduces dependence on long-distance imports of temperature-sensitive medicines. Vaccines and biologi

The new 7,450 sqm facility in Al Ghail Industrial Zone will boost production and improve storage and distribution to meet rising demand for insulation materials. Hira Industries Operations Director – Middle East & Africa, Umesh Unni, said "With this expansion, we are well-positioned to enhance our production capabilities and serve key markets with greater agility," he said. The site will produce thermal and acoustic insulation under the company’s Aerofoam and Aerosound lines,

Electric trucks are now operating at Sohar Port’s container terminal, introducing a new logistics model focused on faster and cleaner cargo movement. Hutchison Ports Sohar has deployed 15 electric terminal trucks (eTTs) to handle container transfers within the yard, replacing part of the diesel-powered fleet. For logistics operations, the shift mainly improves efficiency and turnaround time. The trucks support quick battery swapping in about five minutes, allowing near-contin

DHL Global Forwarding Türkiye has introduced multimodal road transport routes between Europe–GCC and Türkiye–GCC trade lanes. The solutions use two main corridors through Syria and Iraq to move dry, palletised cargo towards GCC markets. Transit times from Türkiye to GCC range from about 14–19 days via Syria and 17–23 days via Iraq. For Europe to GCC shipments routed through Türkiye, transit times are around 22–31 days via Syria and 25–35 days via Iraq. The cargo moves through

Qatar Airways Cargo has resumed freighter operations to Iraq, restarting capacity between Doha and Baghdad from May. The airline will introduce a weekly Boeing 777 freighter to Baghdad starting 7 May, marking a return of dedicated cargo services on the route. With this move, the carrier is bringing back more than 115 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity from Doha to Baghdad. The restart is important for trade flows between Qatar and Iraq, especially for time-sensitive and high-vol

Dubai International (DXB) handled about 213,000 tonnes of cargo in the first quarter of the year, maintaining freight movement despite regional airspace disruption that reduced flight capacity. The airport kept cargo operations running through February–March constraints and is now scaling up capacity as UAE airspace restrictions have been lifted. During the course of the disruption, DXB adjusted cargo schedules and ground handling based on available airspace, allowing essenti

SolitAir has launched scheduled cargo services to Djibouti, marking what it says is the first dedicated UAE cargo freighter link to the Red Sea corridor. With this addition, the Dubai-based airline has expanded its Africa network to 17 cities, strengthening its reach across East and Northeast Africa. Djibouti is a key logistics hub at the entrance to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. It also serves as the main sea gateway for landlocked Ethiopia and sits on major gl

ROX and JINGDONG Logistics have set up a regional spare parts hub in Dubai, UAE, to serve the MENA region. The facility, launched after a signing at Jebel Ali Port, will handle storage and distribution of auto parts. It is designed to enable next-day delivery within the UAE and about one-week delivery across regional markets as operations expand. For cargo and logistics agents, the hub creates a central stock point for automotive parts in the region. Instead of sourcing parts

Emirates SkyCargo has launched a weekly freighter service to Toronto Pearson Airport, expanding air cargo capacity between Dubai and Canada. The flight connects Dubai World Central to Toronto via Amsterdam and operates once a week. Badr Abbas, Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President, said: “Our freighter service to Toronto is an important milestone for Emirates SkyCargo as we continue to strategically expand our freighter fleet and network in line with evolving t

Turkish Cargo has started new cargo flights between Chengdu and Istanbul, in partnership with Air China Cargo. The flights run three times a week and are operated by Air China Cargo. The move adds a new link between western China and Türkiye, using Istanbul as a transfer point for goods moving to other regions. The new route helps improve cargo movement from Chengdu, which is an important manufacturing and technology centre in China. With regular flights, shipments can move f

DHL Global Forwarding has started a dedicated temperature-controlled air charter service from Liège to Jeddah for life sciences and healthcare cargo. The service operates three times a week and moves pharmaceutical shipments under controlled temperature ranges of 2–8°C and 15–25°C. From Jeddah, goods are further distributed across the Gulf through road feeder connections to Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. The aim is to improve the handling of sensitive medical car

Kanoo Logistics has opened a new temperature-controlled warehouse in Dammam in Saudi Arabia. The facility is located near King Abdulaziz Port and is built to handle goods that need controlled temperatures, such as food and pharmaceutical products. The company says this is part of its expansion in the region and its plan to grow its logistics operations in the Kingdom. Saffia Abdulla Kanoo, Chairwoman of Kanoo Logistics, said the investment is aimed at strengthening supply cha

AD Ports Group has signed an agreement with Azerbaijan Transport and Communications Holding (Azcon Holding) to explore cooperation in ports, shipping and logistics. The deal comes as the UAE-Azerbaijan CEPA trade agreement has just taken effect. The focus is on developing transport infrastructure, improving cargo movement and building stronger logistics links. Abdulaziz Zayed AlShamsi, Regional CEO, AD Ports Group, said, “Azerbaijan’s pivotal position bridging East and West o

Saudia Cargo has launched a new initiative with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to support the movement of pharmaceutical shipments. The plan includes up to 50 per cent reduction in air freight rates and added facilities to speed up the handling of medicines and medical supplies. The aim is to keep essential shipments moving without delays. The move is expected to directly lower logistics costs for importers and distributors of medicines. This is important at a time when su

Dubai Customs has launched a new unified platform to improve communication across trade and supply chain stakeholders. The platform brings together customers, business partners, and freight forwarders into one system where they can raise issues, share feedback, and discuss solutions. It is designed as a joint hub developed with strategic partners and will operate from Dubai Customs Headquarters in Port Rashid. The platform allows direct communication between different parties