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Saudi-Chinese Agreement to Manufacture 3 Quay Cranes in Dammam Port

SGP Chairman Abdullah Al-Zamil and SGP CEO Edward Tah during the signing ceremony. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SGP Chairman Abdullah Al-Zamil and SGP CEO Edward Tah during the signing ceremony. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi-Chinese Agreement to Manufacture 3 Quay Cranes in Dammam Port

SGP Chairman Abdullah Al-Zamil and SGP CEO Edward Tah during the signing ceremony. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SGP Chairman Abdullah Al-Zamil and SGP CEO Edward Tah during the signing ceremony. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Under the supervision of the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI), Saudi Global Ports (SGP) and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) signed on Thursday an agreement to manufacture three quay cranes at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam.

In a press statement, MAWANI said that the new cranes would have a minimum outreach of 25 rows to enable the handling of next generation giant vessels.

The deal was signed by Saudi Global Ports CEO Edward Tah and Liu Chengyun, Chairman and President of ZPMC, in the presence of Omar bin Talal Hariri, President of Saudi Ports Authority, and Captain Fahad Al-Amer, Director General of King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, as well as Saudi Global Ports Chairman Abdullah Al-Zamil and Wan Chee Foong, Regional CEO, Middle East and South Asia, and Head of Group Business Development at PSA International.

Hariri said that the agreement came within the framework of the Smart Ports Initiative, which was launched by MAWANI this year to enhance competitiveness and keep pace with the continuous changes in the maritime sector industry.

For his part, Al-Zamil underlined efforts to transform the Kingdom into a global logistic power in support of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, by considering the possibilities of using renewable energy in future coastal crane operations, as well as promoting the Green Saudi Initiative and its global participation in limiting climate change.

Speaking on the occasion, Wan Chee Foong said: “PSA is pleased to have worked alongside Saudi Global Ports to develop the optimal design and specifications of the quay cranes and support the rigorous evaluation process.”

He added: “PSA’s commitment to the transformation of King Abdulaziz Port into a leading port will ensure Saudi Global Ports remains relevant and future-ready, realizing the Kingdom’s plans to become a global logistics hub.”

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Euro Zone Poised to Enter Trade Quagmire as Trump Wins

A container ship unloads its cargo in the German port of Hamburg (Reuters)
A container ship unloads its cargo in the German port of Hamburg (Reuters)
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Euro Zone Poised to Enter Trade Quagmire as Trump Wins

A container ship unloads its cargo in the German port of Hamburg (Reuters)
A container ship unloads its cargo in the German port of Hamburg (Reuters)

As Trump 2.0 becomes a reality, Europe is poised to enter a new geopolitical and trade quagmire with its biggest trading partner.

Donald Trump's victory may harm Europe's economy as proposed 10% US tariffs risk hitting European exports such as cars and chemicals, eroding Europe's GDP by up to 1.5% or about €260 billion.

Analysts warn of European Central Bank (ECB) rate cuts, euro weakness, and a recession risk.

According to several economic analyses, there is broad agreement that Trump's proposed 10% universal tariff on all US imports may significantly disrupt European growth, intensify monetary policy divergence, and strain key trade-dependent sectors such as autos and chemicals.

The long-term effects on Europe's economic resilience could prove even more significant if tariffs lead to protracted trade conflicts, prompting the European Central Bank (ECB) to respond with aggressive rate cuts to cushion the impact, according to Euronews.

Trump's proposed across-the-board tariff on imports, including those from Europe, could profoundly impact sectors such as cars and chemicals, which rely heavily on US exports.

Data from the European Commission shows that the European Union exported €502.3 billion in goods to the US in 2023, making up a fifth of all non-European Union exports.

European exports to the US are led by machinery and vehicles (€207.6 billion), chemicals (€137.4 billion), and other manufactured goods (€103.7 billion), which together comprise nearly 90% of the bloc's transatlantic exports.

ABN Amro analysts, including head of macro research Bill Diviney, warn that tariffs “would cause a collapse in exports to the US,” with trade-oriented economies such as Germany and the Netherlands likely to be hardest hit.

According to the Dutch bank, Trump's tariffs would shave approximately 1.5 percentage points off European growth, translating to a potential €260 bn economic loss based on Europe's estimated 2024 GDP of €17.4 tn.

Should Europe's growth falter under Trump's tariffs, the European Central Bank (ECB) may be compelled to respond aggressively, slashing rates to near zero by 2025.

In contrast, the US Federal Reserve may continue raising rates, leading to “one of the biggest and most sustained monetary policy divergences” between the ECB and the Fed since the euro's inception in 1999.

Dirk Schumacher, head of European macro research at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking Germany, suggests that a 10% tariff increase could reduce GDP by approximately 0.5% in Germany, 0.3% in France, 0.4% in Italy, and 0.2% in Spain.

Schumacher warns that “the euro area could slide into recession in response to higher tariffs.”

According to Goldman Sachs' economists James Moberly and Sven Jari Stehn, the broad tariff would likely erode eurozone GDP by approximately 1%.

Goldman Sachs analysts project that a 1% GDP loss translates into a hit to earnings per share (EPS) for European firms by 6-7 percentage points, which would be sufficient to erase expected EPS growth for 2025.