Middle East/Africa

Tech Firms Risk Sourcing Tainted Minerals, Report Says

April 20, 2017

Supply Management

Human rights abuses are present in the mining of minerals widely used by technology firms, according to a new report.

IBM to Train 25 Million Africans for Free to Build Workforce

February 14, 2017

Industryweek

International Business Machines Corp. says it's ramping up its digital-skills training program to accommodate as many as 25 million Africans in the next five years, looking toward building a future workforce on the continent.

RFID Saves Man-Hours, Boosts Safety At Middle East Construction Project

January 18, 2017

RFID Journal

Consolidated Contracting Co. (CCC), one of the largest construction and engineering companies in the Middle East, has built and tested an active radio frequency identification-based tool to automatically capture data regarding the comings and goings of thousands of workers at several gas-production plants in the region.

Google to Manufacture Smartphone in Africa

December 19, 2016

Industryweek

A Johannesburg startup is set to become the first company ever to manufacture smartphones in Africa, taking advantage of low costs and growing local demand to build handsets, tablets and other devices based on Google Inc.'s Android system.

Africa Could Become Fertile Ground for New Energy Investment

December 6, 2016

Environmental Leader

Africa wants to become fertile ground for new energy investment - investments that would help electrify parts of the continent and make it ripe for new businesses and new jobs, the African Development Bank says.

Mideast Aluminum Producers Filling Gap After U.S. Plants Close

November 30, 2016

Industryweek

Middle East aluminum producers are boosting metal shipments to the U.S. to fill a supply gap left from plant closings. Since 1980, U.S. output has dropped from 4.6 million metric tons by 32 smelters to about 700,000 tons by five smelters this year, said Jorge Vazquez, managing director of Austin, Texas-based Harbor Intelligence. The last U.S. smelter to open was in 1985, he said.

Report: Fuel Smuggling Caused Shipbreaking Blast

November 28, 2016

Maritime Exceutive

An official inquiry into the explosion on the scrapped FPSO Aces confirmed that the massive blast was caused by hundreds of thousands of gallons of petroleum products on board. The inquiry, as reported by local media, said that about 375,000 gallons of fuel and 425,000 gallons of lubricants were on board the vessel.

Blockchain Enabled Shareholder / Proxy Voting System at Blockchain Conference Abu Dhabi

November 20, 2016

B Conference Abu Dhabi are glad to announce the conference agenda

November 12, 2016

Drone Company Launches Healthcare Delivery Service in Rwanda

October 19, 2016

Supply Management

A drone service delivering blood for transfusions has been launched by the president of Rwanda. The drones are expected to make between 50 and 150 life-saving deliveries a day to remote and inaccessible clinics across the western half of the country, according to Zipline, the company behind the technology.

Middle East/Africa

The latest supply chain news, analysis, trends and best practices for companies operating in the Middle East and Africa. The Middle Eastern region consists of 18 countries that stretch from the western borders of Turkey and Egypt to the eastern edges of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Learn how businesses are optimizing supply chain and logistics performance in these regions, addressing a range of challenges such as poor infrastructure, complex customs and tax laws, unstable political climates and government controlled exchange rates - as well as capitalizing on new land and labor opportunities, particularly across Africa.