Author: Kasun Illankoon

Emirates SkyCargo continued to deliver a strong performance in a highly competitive market with dampening demand, contributing to 14% of the airline’s total transport revenue. In an airfreight market facing unrelenting downward pressure on yields and slowing demand, Emirates’ cargo division reported a revenue of AED 13.1 billion (US$ 3.6 billion), an increase of 5% over last year, while tonnage carried slightly increased by 1% to reach 2.7 million tonnes. Freight yield per Freight Tonne Kilometre (FTKM) for the 2nd consecutive year increased by a further 3%, demonstrating Emirates SkyCargo’s ability to retain and win customers on value despite fuel price…

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Foster + Partners and Aurecon’s House of Wisdom welcomes the community of Sharjah and the world into a space which is conceptualised as a social hub for learning, supported by innovation and technology. In celebration of Sharjah’s status as the UNESCO World Book Capital 2019, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, unveiled the ‘House of Wisdom’ in April 2019. This iconic library and culture centre is being developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and designed by Fosters + Partners. Embodying a sense of clarity and lightness, the two-storey…

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Kasun Illankoon spoke to Oweis Zahran about his rise to the top and how his upbringing shaped him to the person he is today. As a dynamic entrepreneur in the automotive industry, Oweis Zahran is the force behind launching innovative solutions in this sector in the Middle East. Born and educated in the USA, Oweis has strong affinity to this region since his father set up businesses in the UAE under MZ Holdings in the early 90’s. MZ Holding has 16 subsidiaries, in three different continents, are primarily in the field of equipment supply, industrial manufacturing, automotive R&D, oil and…

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Fero has formally launched their intelligent freight interface at the AiEverything Exhibition- an event that brought together 300+ exhibitors, speakers and startups to showcase revolutionary technology that will encompass the UAE’s Ai Strategy for 2031. For the very first time in the MENA Region, Fero has introduced an AI-enabled voice agent for the logistics industry- a technology that will replace repetitive human interaction and eradicate any room for human error. Logistics & Supply-Chain Industry Leader, Carolin Neubauer, joined Fero’s Press Conference & Panel discussion as the official moderator where she shared brief introductions on the minds behind the strategic engineering,…

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The UAE’s industrial and logistics space is increasingly attracting global investor interest, with the recent sale-and-leaseback of Transworld Group’s logistics facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, showcasing positive investor sentiment and signalling future growth in the sector, says JLL. The rise in e-commerce and subsequent digitisation of the supply chain industry are major factors fuelling growth and investor interest for high quality assets in the industrial logistics space. A recent major transaction, advised by JLL, was the sale-and-leaseback of Transworld Group’s facility, a high quality warehouse and office property spanning over 19,000 square meters that will continue to be…

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Byrne Equipment Rental have announced that as part of their ongoing expansions plans, and to further enhance their “one stop equipment rental” offering, they have launched their new Climate Control Division. In the weeks and months ahead, this division will be rolled out across their 20 strong network of offices and depots across the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman & Bahrain to complement their growing equipment rental fleets The decision to add this product range was fuelled, not just by the promising future of the HVAC industry in the region, but even more so the demand from existing Byrne clients.…

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Building information modeling (BIM) is an increasingly important component of construction project delivery, but is currently limited by a lack of collaboration, reliance on multiple applications, and missing integrations. The Oracle Aconex Model Coordination Cloud Service eliminates these challenges by enabling construction design and project professionals to collaboratively manage BIM models across the entire project team in a true common data environment (CDE). As such, organizations can reduce the risk of errors and accelerate project success by ensuring each team member has access to accurate, up-to-date models.  The BIM-methodology uses 3D, 4D and 5D modeling, in coordination with a number…

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Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has appointed Chris Deakin as Rail Leader – Asia to lead the company’s rail and mass transit practice in the region. In his role, Chris ­will be responsible for leading, developing and managing the rail and mass transit service line and teams within Aurecon’s Asia business. Based in Singapore, Chris will lead key relationships with clients and industry partners to enhance Aurecon’s market growth and positioning. In addition, Chris will lead the digital delivery programme for the Singapore infrastructure business. “I am delighted to welcome Chris to drive Aurecon’s business in rail and…

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Al Hamra Real Estate Development, the Ras Al Khaimah-based real estate development and investment company, is offering the most competitive rental rates for an elegant lifestyle in the heart of the emirate across its world-class residential developments in Al Hamra Village. An iconic residential destination in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Village brings a unique blend of local heritage and modern design. Set by an 18-hole championship golf course and a sandy beach, the community is at the centre of Ras Al Khaimah’s major tourist attractions. With cost of living lower than other cities and locations, Al Hamra Village is…

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SOHAR Port and Freezone recently launched SOHAR Navigate, a unique online route planner, which provides information on available connections to hinterland destinations. The platform is the first of its kind in the region and will comprise of sea schedules connecting to 550 ports worldwide. Commenting on the launch of the proprietary tool, Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of SOHAR Port and Freezone noted, “The Navigate platform was initially launched by our partner, Port of Rotterdam. It is considered the most comprehensive route planner of its kind. Capitalising on this technology, we have modified SOHAR Navigate to suit our regional and global stakeholders…

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