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Egytrans Approves NOSCO Acquisition Deal

An Egyptian truck transports a giant blade for a wind turbine. (Reuters)
An Egyptian truck transports a giant blade for a wind turbine. (Reuters)
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Egytrans Approves NOSCO Acquisition Deal

An Egyptian truck transports a giant blade for a wind turbine. (Reuters)
An Egyptian truck transports a giant blade for a wind turbine. (Reuters)

Egytrans, a leading provider of transport and logistics solutions, approved a deal to acquire the National Transport and Overseas Services Company (NOSCO), one of the leading companies in the transport field, particularly land transport and specialized transport for mega-projects.

The move comes as part of the company’s strategy for local and regional expansion.

Egytrans’ acquisition deal serves as a means of geographical expansion in Egypt, as well as a first step in the company's plans to expand into Arab markets, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The provider has plans to unlock markets in Africa later.

The company plans to penetrate the Saudi market by forming partnerships with Saudi investors in the equipment and machinery transportation sector for power stations, wind farms, oil and gas projects, according to Egytrans CEO Abir Leheta.

“Through this step, we aim to maintain the leadership position of both companies within the transport and logistics sector and build on it, all while strengthening the executive and operational capabilities of the group,” said Leheta.

“We strive to leverage NOSCO’s capabilities, especially its extensive fleet and technical experience to achieve maximum operational growth and target larger logistics opportunities and projects, in addition to expanding geographically and operationally across local, regional and global markets,” added Leheta.

Working across nine branches in Egypt, Egytrans aims to make integrated transport easy, safe, timely and cost-effective.

Egytrans enables and facilitates global and national supply chains through its extensive range of services including Sea Freight, Air Freight, Land Transport, Customs Clearance, Project Logistics, Exhibitions, and Storage.

It has developed several subsidiary and affiliate brands consisting of Egytrans Depot Solutions (EDS), Egyptian Transportation & Logistics S.A.E. (ETAL), Wilhelmsen Ports Service Egypt and Scan Arabia.

Gamal Moharam, Chairman of Egytrans, believes the transaction with NOSCO will be completed smoothly as all parties believe in the potential of this deal and its benefit for the ambitious growth and expansion strategies of both companies.

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Saudi Arabia's Digital Advertising Boom: Addressing Economic Leakage, Boosting Local Content

A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia's Digital Advertising Boom: Addressing Economic Leakage, Boosting Local Content

A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A digital advertising event recently held in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s digital advertising sector is experiencing rapid growth, but a significant portion of its revenues is leaking to foreign platforms. To maximize the impact on the national economy, experts are calling for strategies to curb this outflow and redirect it to local channels.

The importance of retaining digital ad revenues lies in the substantial size of this market. It is estimated that approximately $1 billion in ad spent is lost annually to foreign platforms, representing a considerable loss to Saudi Arabia’s economy.

Dr. Ebada Al-Abbad, CEO of Marketing and Communications at Tadafuq, a Saudi digital advertising network, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the problem stems from the fact that although advertisers, products, and audiences are often local, the largest share of financial gains goes to foreign platforms. He estimated that 70-80% of the $1.5 billion spent on digital advertising in Saudi Arabia in 2022 went to global platforms such as Google and Facebook. This results in the national economy losing nearly $1 billion annually from this sector alone.

Al-Abbad noted that government agencies in Saudi Arabia also contribute to the outflow. He explained that public sector spending on digital advertising, intended to raise awareness among citizens and residents, frequently ends up on foreign platforms. Government spending makes up about 20-25% of the total digital ad market in the Kingdom, meaning hundreds of millions of riyals leave the country annually, weakening the local digital economy.

Al-Abbad argues that Saudi Arabia needs strong local digital ad networks to keep this revenue within the national economy. These networks would help create jobs, drive innovation, and promote cultural diversity in digital content. Developing local platforms would also enhance Saudi Arabia’s digital sovereignty by ensuring that data remains within the country and is not controlled by foreign entities.

Moreover, local networks would reduce dependence on international platforms, ensuring that the economic benefits of digital advertising remain in the Kingdom, he said, stressing that this would align with Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 goals, which emphasize building a robust, diversified economy driven by local industries and digital transformation.

Globally, the digital advertising sector is growing rapidly. In 2022, worldwide spending on digital ads reached $602 billion, and it is projected to hit $876 billion by 2026. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the digital ad market grew to $5.9 billion in 2022, with Saudi Arabia’s market accounting for over $1.5 billion.

In other countries, the digital ad sector plays a crucial role in boosting national economies. For example, in the United States, the digital advertising industry contributed $460 billion to the GDP in 2021, about 2.1% of the total. In the UK, the sector accounted for 1.8% of GDP in 2022. This shows how important digital advertising can be in driving economic growth.

One of the key challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s digital ad sector is the dominance of global platforms like Google and Facebook, which control 60% of the global digital ad market, Al-Abbad told Asharq Al-Awsat. This dominance results in a significant outflow of revenue and allows these platforms to control digital data and content. He warned that this could undermine Saudi Arabia’s national sovereignty over its digital economy.

To counter this, he emphasized that Saudi Arabia needs to build competitive local networks that can retain a larger share of the market. This will not only keep more revenue in the country but also strengthen the Kingdom’s control over its digital data and content.