عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Dubai Airports, GMR Hyderabad Agree Deal to Aid Vaccine Distribution

A general view of terminal three at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 15, 2019. (Reuters)
A general view of terminal three at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 15, 2019. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Dubai Airports, GMR Hyderabad Agree Deal to Aid Vaccine Distribution

A general view of terminal three at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 15, 2019. (Reuters)
A general view of terminal three at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 15, 2019. (Reuters)

Dubai Airports and the operator of Hyderabad airport, GMR Hyderabad, have agreed a logistics deal for COVID-19 vaccine distribution to handle up to 300 tons of vaccines per day, the companies said on Monday.

The vaccine corridor between Dubai and Hyderabad connects leading vaccine manufacturers in India with markets around the world through the Dubai International Airport cargo hub.

“A major surge in demand for the efficient, safe and reliable global distribution of high volumes of COVID-19 vaccines is expected in the coming months,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

“We wanted to be ready to respond to and accommodate that demand.”

Hyderabad is the world’s emerging vaccine capital, with five major vaccine producers in the vicinity.

India, which has the second-highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, on Sunday approved two coronavirus vaccines for emergency use – one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, the other by local company Bharat Biotech.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Gold Drops Nearly 2% on Profit-booking, Trump's Treasury Secretary Pick

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
TT
TT

Gold Drops Nearly 2% on Profit-booking, Trump's Treasury Secretary Pick

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold dropped nearly 2% on Monday, weighed down by profit-taking after a five-session rally, with further pressure from the announcement of fund manager Scott Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary.
Spot gold was down 1.8% at $2,664.53 per ounce, as of 0619 GMT, after declining more than 2% earlier in the session. Bullion had hit its highest since Nov. 6 earlier in the day.
US gold futures shed 1.7% to $2,666.40.
Gold's five-session rally has paused due to some profit-taking and Donald Trump's pick of Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary, hinting at tempered use of tariffs and easing US-China trade uncertainty, said IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong.
President-elect Trump has floated the idea of a 60% tariff on Chinese goods and at least a 10% levy on all other imports.
Gold is considered a safe investment during times of economic and political uncertainty.
Investors are also awaiting minutes of the Federal Reserve's November meeting, GDP data (first revision), and core PCE figures, all due this week.
Traders currently see a 56% chance of another 25-basis-point rate cut in December, compared to 62% last week, according to the CME Fedwatch tool.
Recent less dovish signals from US policymakers suggest any unexpected rise in inflation could strengthen expectations of a rate hold in December, Rong said.
Higher interest rates tend to make gold less appealing, as they yield no interest.
Some Fed policymakers last week expressed concerns that inflation progress may have stalled, advocating for caution, while others emphasized the need for continued rate cuts.
On the geopolitical front, Hezbollah fired heavy rockets at Israel on Sunday, following an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 29 in Beirut. There were reports of damage near Tel Aviv.
Spot silver fell 2.2% to $30.63 per ounce, platinum was down 1.2% to $952.00 and palladium slipped 1% to $998.88.