Middle East/Africa

$1M in Support of Saudi Supply Chain Students

February 21, 2013

The International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA) announced that the ISCEA Ptak Prize is offering 1,000 scholarships for 3rd- and 4th-year Saudi Arabian university students. The scholarships allow the eligible students to obtain internationally recognized, CSCA (Certified Supply Chain Analyst) qualification free of charge. This initiative is to support the kingdom's supply chain and human capital development goals over the next ten years. Each year ISCEA Ptak Prize will award 100 scholarships with the total value awarded more than $1mn.

UNDP Joins Shipping Industry Initiative in Somalia

February 21, 2013

Supply Chain Asia

Shell, BP, Maersk, Stena and the Japanese shipping companies NYK, MOL and "K" Line have announced their joint collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to support job creation and capacity building projects in Somalia.

Gulf Cooperation Council Invests $36bn in Port Development

February 21, 2013

Saudi Gazette

The GCC countries are allocating $36bn to further develop their port infrastructure amid increasing foreign non-oil trade volumes. Saudi Arabia is powering ahead with port infrastructure development with more than $750m allocated to Dammam's King Abdul Aziz Port, which includes the launch of a second high-tech container terminal in 2015 with capacity for 1.8 million TEUs per annum.

Uganda Government to Construct Kampala Port

February 14, 2013

TransReporter

The government is to spend $180mn on construction of the new Kampala Port at Bukasa in Wakiso District. Cypriano Okello, the deputy project coordinator, said the government would acquire 500 hectares of land for the port in May.

Small, Mid-sized Businesses Depend More on International Trade, Survey Finds

February 13, 2013

DHL

International trade and cooperation has become a key driver of small business success, according to an in-depth and wide-ranging study by IHS and DHL Express.

Aerospace Supply Chain Companies in India on the Rise

February 11, 2013

Aviation International News Online

Slowly and steadily, a handful of Indian aerospace companies are getting absorbed into the global supply chain of OEMs. For instance, in the opto-electronics segment, the new Samtel-Thales Avionics joint venture "plans to become the first electro-optic house in the country," said executive director Puneet Kaura. By 2015, the company intends to supply the infrared search and track system as standard equipment for the Dassault Rafale fighter for the Indian Air Force. Meanwhile, the Thales-Bharat Electronics surface radar joint venture is on track and will be fully operational by March, said Eric Lenseigne, Thales's country head for India. "Offsets at a later stage could be a possibility."

Marketing to the Emerging Consuming Class of Africa

January 30, 2013

BCG Perspectives

Africa is not easily pigeonholed, and making generalizations about its consumers is a risky proposition. The continent has 1 billion inhabitants"”speaking more than 2,100 languages and spanning 54 countries that cover an area larger than China, the U.S., India, and Europe combined. Despite this diversity, one thing is clear, however: a new consumer class is emerging across Africa"”one with increasing purchasing power and a hunger for products and services that once seemed unattainable.

Are We in for Still Another Expansion to the Panama Canal?

December 18, 2012

Maritime Executive

The Panama Canal is due for at least one additional expansion, according to Alberto Aleman Zubieta, immediate past commissioner of the Panama Canal Authority.

North American Railroad Chiefs See Even Growth in First Half of 2013

December 17, 2012

Progressive Railroading

Steady, albeit slow business growth. A U.S. economy that continues to expand, but at a moderate rate. Weak fundamentals in most markets in the first half. Those are some of the comments of chief executive officers of Class I railroads as they assess the outlook for 2013.

Slow But Steady Growth in Air Cargo Seen Through 2016

December 12, 2012

Air Cargo World

IATA's latest Airline Industry Forecast predicts average international freight growth of three percent per year over the next five years. That would mean volumes will total 34.5 million tonnes by 2016, 4.8 million tonnes more than the 2011 total.

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.