Thursday, 20 March 2025

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

ADNH Catering finalizes Food Nation Catering Services acquisition

PLUS: DP World rolls out green freight fleet at Jebel Ali

M&A-

ADX-listed ADNH Catering has wrapped its acquisition of Food Nation Catering Services, a Dubai-based school catering company, for an undisclosed sum as part of its broader expansion strategy, it said in a disclosure (pdf). The move was first announced in January and was expected to close in the first quarter of the year. How ADNH Catering plans to integrate Food Nation into its operations post-acquisition remains under wraps.

REMEMBER- This marks ADNH Catering’s second acquisition in recent months. In December, the company signed a sales and purchase agreement to boost its stake in its Saudi joint venture with Compass Group, Compass Arabia. The transaction is also set to be completed this quarter and will see ADNH Catering hold a controlling stake in the venture alongside Al Rushaid Group.

DIGITIZATION-

Digital Dubai and Microsoft partner to train government employees in AI: Digital Dubai partnered with Microsoft to launch a three-track AI training program aimed at equipping government employees with essential AI skills, according to a press release. The program caterers to a broad range of roles — from IT developers to executives — to build AI proficiency across Dubai’s government sectors.

The breakdown: The program comprises three tracks — the IT Developers Track for software developers, data scientists, and technical experts; the AI for All Track, offering foundational AI knowledge via Dubai’s Learning Management System; and the Executive Track, providing leadership-focused AI content for organizational strategy.

ICYMI- Abu Dhabi also signed a multi-year sovereign cloud agreement with Microsoft and Core42 this week to advance its AI-driven government transformation. The initiative is part of the Abu Dhabi Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027, which aims to make the emirate the world’s first AI-native government by 2027.

LOGISTICS-

DP World rolls out green freight fleet in Jebel Ali: DP World and mobility outfit Einride rolled out an electric freight fleet at Jebel Ali Port to further decarbonize operations at the terminal and meet the firm's sustainability targets, according to a statement. The first phase of the electric fleet can move over 204k 20-ft containers annually, reducing 14.6k tonnes of carbon dioxide per year compared to diesel operations.

REMEMBER- DP World inked an agreement with Einride to deploy 100 driverless electric cargo vehicles at the port — the region’s largest fleet — back in May.

There's more to come: A second phase of electric freight solutions will be rolled out later this year, the statement adds, without disclosing a specific date. Once integrated, the full fleet will be capable of shifting 2 mn 20-ft containers annually. The full project will also integrate AI-driven operating systems and charging infrastructure provided by Einride.

AVIATION-

Wizz Air expands its Lebanon services…: Low budget-airline Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is launching three weekly flights to Beirut, effective from 4 June, according to a statement. The move serves as an indicator that Lebanon is “normalizing and focusing back again on visiting friends and relatives traffic, but also building tourism back in the region,” managing director Johan Eidhagen told the National. Demand for commercial routes into the country has been increasing since Israel and Hezbollah signed the ceasefire agreement in November.

…and begins flying to Azerbaijan: The airline also announced it was launching flights to Azerbaijan’s Gabala International Airport, effective from 19 June.

TECH-

G42 and Nvidia debut AI-powered weather forecasting tool: G42 and Nvidia partnered up on an AI-powered weather forecasting system developed through their Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi, according to a press release. The tool uses generative AI to simulate hyper-local weather patterns and predict extreme events, offering faster, lower-cost simulations than traditional methods. G42 and Nvidia had launched the Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab last year to advance climate technology through research, development, and innovation.

The details: The system, a customized version of Nvidia’s CorrDiff platform adapted by G42 subsidiary Inception, provides forecasts at a 200-meter resolution for urban areas like Abu Dhabi. G42’s digital infrastructure unit, Core42, will host the platform using Nvidia hardware for high-performance computing.

What's next? G42 is exploring expanding the tool to climate-vulnerable regions in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia to aid disaster preparedness.

REAL ESTATE-

Egyptian real estate developer Madinet Masr is in talks with potential partners in the UAE and the KSA for its planned GCC expansion, its CEO Abdallah Sallam told Zawya. Sallam didn’t name the companies they’re talking to nor did he share a concrete timeframe for the developer’s first foray outside Egypt. Its stop is likely Riyadh, Sallam said, adding that “we are talking with three to four companies in Saudi Arabia…some of them have their own lands.” The company is also in talks with a local and foreign firm in The UAE.

INFRASTRUCTURE-

Passavant lands AED 169 mn water treatment contract in India: Drake and Scull subsidiary Passavant Energy & Environment secured a AED 169 mn contract to build and operate a 70 mn liters per day water treatment plant and pipeline network in Maharashtra, India, according to a press release (pdf). Awarded through a competitive tender by Maharashtra Industrial Township, the project is set for completion within 36 months. It covers the design, construction, and commissioning of the plant, along with a 900 mm-diameter pipeline in the Auric Bidkin Industrial Area. Passavant will also operate and maintain the facility for 10 years.