DP World Research Articles

Prospects of Transporting Kazakhstan’s Oil Using the So-called "Middle Corridor"

In January, 2023 the President of Kazakhstan welcomed the signing of an agreement between the Abu Dhabi Ports Group and KazMunaiGas National Company on a strategic partnership. Tokayev noted that the country intends to become a full-fledged transport hub in Central Asia and in the Caspian Sea region. Kazakhstan is working on the diversification of transport corridors, paying particular attention to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the International North-South Transport Corridor. Meanwhile, UAE aims at establishing a mutually beneficial partnership and providing various maritime services and solutions in the Caspian Sea and Central Asian region. The organization specializes in building ports, economic zones, and the development of logistics and digital businesses for their international partners. Dubai-based port operator DP World is reportedly also planning investment in freezone project and is said to invest $1bn in Kazakhstan Banking & Finance. There are plans to carry out joint projects with Abu Dhabi Ports/ DP World to develop the infrastructure of seaports in order to strengthen economic ties between Kazakhstan and the UAE, including partnerships in the transport and logistics sector. Keywords: Kazakhstan, UAE, Oil, Gas, “Middle Corridor”, Energy Security, Energy, Port Infrastructure.

TQM practices and ERP system to enhance the UAE DP world innovative work behavior through innovation culture: A review

TQM practices and ERP system to enhance the UAE DP world innovative work behavior through innovation culture: A review

Risk assessment and implementation of risk reduction measures is not associated with increased transmission of SARS-CoV-2 compared with standard isolation at professional golf events.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this prospective study was to report incidence and transmission of SARS-CoV-2, among professional golfers and essential support staff undergoing risk assessment and enhanced risk reduction measures when considered a close contact as opposed to standard isolation while competing on the DP World Tour during the 2021 season.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included all players and essential support staff participating in 26 DP World Tour events from 18 April 2021 to 21 November 2021. High-risk contacts were isolated for 10 days. Moderate-risk contacts received education regarding enhanced medical surveillance, had daily rapid antigen testing for 5 days, with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tesing on day 5, mandated mask use and access to outside space for work purposes only. Low-risk contacts typically received rapid antigen testing every 48 hours and RT-PCR testing on day 5.ResultsThe total study cohort compromised 13 394 person-weeks of exposure. There were a total of 30 positive cases over the study period. Eleven contacts were stratified as ‘high risk’. Two of these subsequently tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. There were 79 moderate-risk contact and 73 low-risk contacts. One moderate-risk contact subsequently tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 but did not transmit the virus. All other contacts, remained negative and asymptomatic to the end of the tournament week.ConclusionsA risk assessment and risk reduction-based approach to contact tracing was safe in this professional golf event setting when Alpha and Delta were the predominant variants. It enabled professional golfers and essential support staff to work.

The Role of Blockchain in E-Governance and Decision-Making in Project and Program Management

This paper discusses the impact of e-governance powered by blockchain in the project and program management industry. With the rise in technological innovations, many countries have turned to e-governance for efficiency in service delivery, transparency, and decision-making. E-governance backed by blockchain technology entails improving the public services provision by implementing structures of information and communication technologies. There are many challenges with the traditional project management approach that causes organizations and its stakeholders’ cost and time. Thus, the introduction of blockchain has given many organizations a new approach to adopt in order to eliminate the challenges associated with the typical project management approach. In spite of the cutting-edge technology of blockchain and its broad applications in program management and e-governance, there are still many challenges that restrain its adoption on a broader scale. The research discusses the challenges of the blockchain deployment in the program management field and e-governance in private and government sectors and it highlights the efforts put by both sectors to make use of the technology. Also, the research covers the opportunities and the advantages of a blockchain adoption in various segments. The paper uses various case studies in the UAE, in both private and government sectors, and a qualitative research approach was implemented. The case studies were on government entities such as Smart Dubai and the Ministry of Health Prevention and also private entities like DP World and Emirates NBD. The paper concludes with recommendations and solutions on how to maximize the benefit of blockchain in the program management industry and how it is improving the decision-making process.

The importance of Ukraine’s political and economic relationship with the United Arab Emirates for the Lublin Triangle

The presented research paper demonstrates the dynamic development of political and economic relations between Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates as well as their importance for projects involving the implementation of the Lublin Triangle. The results and findings of the research show that without taking into account the state-owned company from Dubai DP World, the success of the strategic cooperation between Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania in transportation, as well as in the energy sector, will be limited. For this reason, it is necessary to include the Emirate company in some projects of the Lublin Triangle. Moreover, strategic alliances of the United Arab Emirates with states and international organizations of the Euro-Atlantic community, including the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, should be noted. In this context, the strategic importance of the UAE’s partnership with Central and Eastern Europe should be taken into account. Moreover, a close, deep alliance with the United Arab Emirates will contribute to increasing the impact of the Lublin Triangle states on transatlantic partners. In addition, the UAE, being an economic and trade hub where the interests of Europe, the United States of America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia intersect, can contribute to increasing the role of Central and Eastern Europe in the global dimension. The Emirati company DP World is one of the largest global corporations, with around 150 branches in the world and working for seaports, terminals, industrial parks, logistics and economic zones. So, this Emirati economic entity has great potential in ensuring Central and Eastern Europe an effective supply chain and stable development of trade in the upcoming increasingly aggressive economic wars.

Berbera Port Special Economic Zone: Golden Calf or Trojan Horse?

The African country of Somalia has been designated a ‘failed state’ because of its persistent warfare, the presence of terrorist groups and the collapse of the central government. There is no effective rule of law and little protection of the private sector. The only real forms of income for the country are international assistance and remittances received from overseas Somalis. One possible means of increasing economic activity is to build a special economic zone in connection with Berbera Port, which has historically been an important trading centre linking East Africa and West Asia. Dubai’s DP World signed a contract to provide just such a development, but that agreement has subsequently been repudiated as a result of diplomatic issues. Meanwhile, China is seeking to extend its engagement in the region. Investment from either of these two sources would be problematic but it seems there are no other options available. Is it possible for Somalia to pursue a policy of economic development under current conditions without ceding sovereignty of its territory and its economic activities? Would it matter if this did happen? This case would be useful for students taking courses in international business or the political economy of international business.

Transport Infrastructure and Logistics in the Making of Dubai Inc.

AbstractThis article interrogates the political economy of Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, ranked among the top ten container ports internationally by traffic, and its operating conglomerate, Dubai Ports World (DP World). The article aims to situate trade infrastructure in the production of Dubai's economic geography as a sea–air multimodal trading hub. Three interrelated arguments are put forward: that port infrastructure plays an essential role in linking diverse moments of capital accumulation in Dubai; that Dubai's state‐owned conglomerates have overseen a substantial internationalization of Dubai's capital through maritime port public–private partnership arrangements; and that the particularities of Dubai's repressive labour regime underpin its role in the logistics industry internationally.

This used to be a dump... [landfill reclamation

Landfill sites in Essex are slowly being transformed into a fertile wildlife habitat that is rejuvenating a much-maligned landscape. Essex has for decades been a place where London went to wash its hands of its trash. Until fairly recently, an archetypal example of this could be found at a site going by an appropriately disgusting sounding name, Mucking (the name derives from a Saxon chieftain, `Mucca'). It gained notoriety as one of the largest waste disposal facilities of its kind anywhere in western Europe, but there is now scarcely a hint of this history. The site has blossomed into a verdant nature reserve, visitors to which have included Sir David Attenborough. Five years ago, as part of a £3m project aimed at reviving the ecology of the Thames estuary, landscape engineers - working in conjunction with London Gateway container port operator DP World and the Cory Environmental Trust -finally put a lid on tens of millions of tonnes of rubbish that had been spread across the Mucking marshes after being transported there by barge from the UK capital.

Evaluate and Analysis Efficiency of Safaga Port Using DEA-CCR, BCC and SBM Models–Comparison with DP World Sokhna

The competition among maritime ports is increasing continuously; the main purpose of Safaga port is to become the best option for companies to carry out their trading activities, particularly importing and exporting The main objective of this research is to evaluate and analyze factors that may significantly affect the levels of Safaga port efficiency in Egypt (particularly the infrastructural capacity). The assessment of such efficiency is a task that must play an important role in the management of Safaga port in order to improve the possibility of development and success in commercial activities. Drawing on Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA)models, this paper develops a manner of assessing the comparative efficiency of Safaga port in Egypt during the study period 2004-2013. Previous research for port efficiencies measurement usually using radial DEA models (DEA-CCR), (DEA-BCC), but not using non radial DEA model. The research applying radial - output oriented (DEA-CCR), (DEA-BCC) and non-radial (DEA-SBM) model with ten inputs and four outputs. The results were obtained from the analysis input and output variables based on DEA-CCR, DEA-BCC and SBM models, by software Max DEA Pro 6.3. DP World Sokhna port higher efficiency for all outputs were compared to Safaga port. DP World Sokhna position is below the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, on the Red Sea, Egypt, makes it strategically located to handle cargo transiting through one of the world's busiest commercial waterways.

Effect of Legal Issues in Infrastructure Development: The Case of Container Terminal Bids in Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust

Abstract The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is the largest container port in India, handling about 40% of India's container traffic in 2014-15. JNPT has five container terminals (CT) out of which three have already been operationalised, a standalone CT of 330 metres (m) is partially operationalised and a fourth CT is under construction. While the first CT, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal, is operated by JNPT, the second and third CTs are being operated by DP World and an APM Terminals-CONCOR consortium respectively. The standalone CT too is operated by DP World while the fourth CT was awarded to PSA International and is under construction. The development of the CTs is a case study to understand how various conflicts have been addressed or accentuated by policy makers, legal and regulatory authorities, and the mechanisms used to resolve them. Following a case-based analytical approach, case studies, court judgements, published and unpublished papers, media reports, primary data from discussions, and secondary data have been examined to construct a chronological story of the bids for the five CTs during the twenty five years since the commissioning of the port in 1989. The concessioning of each CT to a private stakeholder involved contentious issues which prompted the authorities to revise policy guidelines periodically to address them. Consequent and prolonged litigation resulted in time and cost overruns. Various issues, like policy formulation, contractual rights versus policy guidelines, strategic risks, monopoly prevention versus scale economies, market risks, effect of elections, leadership changes, security clearances, mutuality and clarity in documentation, that emerged during the bidding processes, have been crystallised as lessons learnt.

News Briefing: In Numbers - Giant cranes in DP World London Gateway

Giant cranes are now towering over quays on the north bank of the River Thames. They are the UK's technologically most advanced cranes, brought from China to operate at the new DP World London Gateway deep-sea port in Thurrock, Essex. Katia Moskvitch looks at what makes them special.

Трансграничные сделки слияний и поглощений между странами СНГ и Персидского залива

The article analyses cross-border mergers and acquisition deals (M&A-deals) between the CIS and Persian Gulf countries in the period from 1990 till the present day. The author defines distinctive features, number, value, status and transparency of such M&A-deals, estimates average deal value and volume of the largest M&A-deals. In addition, the author shows country, industry and type breakdown of M&A-deals. Then the author reviews the main cross-border M&A-deals by industries. In the financial sector the biggest M&A-deal is between the Ministry of finance of Abu-Dhabi and the Russian direct investment fund (RDIF), the two main players from the CIS side are RDIF and VTB. Then the author analyses M&A-deals in extractive sector, and defines the biggest project which is joint venture of LUKoil in Saudi Arabia. In the production sector Russian metallurgical companies are the main investors. In the transport and infrastructure sphere the biggest project is the building of international transit corridor between Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Oman. The main investor in port sector of CIS is DP World from UAE. The author defines the sectors with high growth potential of cross-border M&A-activity. These are energy, agriculture, construction and tourism. The most significant deals in these sectors are the acquisition of Russian Enel OGK-5 by Emirates investors, building of Abu Dhabi Plaza in Astana (Kazakhstan) with the highest tower in the whole Central Asia and Russian-Emirates partnership for the building of satellite city in Moscow region. As far as Persian Gulf countries are the largest foodstuff importers in the world the potential of M&A-deals in agriculture industry and prospects for CIS grain exporters are also high. In conclusion, the author resumes that the trend in the number of cross-border M&A-deals is positive and that a good potential for development of investment cooperation between countries exists.

The corporate geography of global container terminal operators

The terminal and stevedoring industry has expanded substantially in recent years with the emergence of global container terminal operators controlling large multinational portfolios of terminal assets. This paper deals with the emerging corporate geography in the container terminal industry with issues related to the similarities or differences among terminal locations, the processes leading to the expansion of these holdings and the interactions they maintain as nodes within the global freight distribution system. It will be demonstrated that terminal operators show varying degrees of involvement in the main cargo handling markets around the world and that business cycles and a changing world economic geography can alter the geographical orientation of operators’ investment strategies. We unravel the corporate geography of leading firms such as Hutchison Port Holdings, Port of Singapore Authority, DP World, and APM Terminals, but also operators that are more regionally focused, such as Ports America, Eurogate, SSA Marine, and ICTSI.

Islamic finance and sovereign wealth funds perspectives with focus on Shariah compliant transactions in India

Islamic finance, i.e., financing in compliance with Shariah law is an industry which runs into trillions of dollars today. Some of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds have emerged from Islamic countries and are picking up stakes in Western corporate entities – including investment banks and private equity groups. In India, Shariah compliant transactions are picking up. This paper deals with the basics of Islamic finance transactions, sukuk bonds – one of the major Islamic financing instruments, deal analysis using Islamic financing techniques (DP World), the juxtaposition of Islamic finance and private equity, influx of sovereign wealth funds, the India scenario (both with respect to Islamic funds and SWFs) including regulatory aspects and corporate governance aspects of Islamic finance. In most parts, differences between conventional finance and Islamic finance have been covered. Problems with the Islamic finance sector and adoption of Islamic financing practices in global transactions have also been discussed.

Examining Threats to the Economic Aspects of Globalization

Based on scholarship in economics and related fields and analysis of current events, this paper examined international economic institutions, shifting US priorities and naturalresources diplomacy as key elements in the shift away from economic globalization. More similar to the recent retreat of global democratization than the continuing technological revolution of the last two decades, the economic aspects of globalization are under pressure from a variety of political, military and economic threats. First, several of the world’s leading economic institutions – each formerly with a role in promoting globalization – have suffered setbacks. The EU constitution was defeated by voters despite the support of the major political parties (Laurent CohenTanugi, Foreign Affairs, 2005). The WTO’s Doha round of trade negotiations foundered on agricultural protectionism (Joseph Stiglitz, Guardian.co.uk, 10 Aug. and 24 Oct. 2006). The World Bank’s conditional lending is challenged by China’s global quest for natural resources (Moises Naim, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2007). The IMF’s neo-liberal “Washington Consensus” reform package has been abandoned by its originators as “stale ideological rhetoric of the 1990s” (John Williamson, Finance and Development, 2003). Second, the US has moved toward a protectionist stance focused on the risks of globalization, especially since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The fiercest debate may be over immigration, with a shift in popular sentiment from “a nation of immigrants” to a focus on national security, economic, cultural and rule-of-law issues. Other examples include reluctance to deal on Doha, restrictions on foreign visas, and widespread popular objection to certain foreign direct investment, such as by China’s CNOOC [oil] and UAE’s DP World [ports] (Scheve and Slaughter, Foreign Affairs, 2007). Third, economic globalization depended in part upon a plentiful, dependable, affordable commodity – oil. But oil supplies have become increasingly uncertain, with questions over quantity, but especially in availability: located in regions Int Adv Econ Res (2008) 14:110–111 DOI 10.1007/s11294-007-9125-8

Testing Times Ahead

Subtitle: DP World, the fourth largest operator of container terminals on the globe, has once again illustrated the fiscal strength of this industry, with a strong set of interim results. But as John Fossey reports, the next six months will be far from 'plain sailing' for the group.

How to win the respect and admiration of the rest of the DP world

At a recent Workshop organized by the APL Group in Denmark, the three of us were given the task of finding ways to improve APLs image in the DP community. This paper is the result of that work. We hereby present a strategy for reducing the clashes between US (APLers) and THEM (those dim-witted DP experts). The conclusion is that the rest of the world does have a right to their own beliefs. What's more, we found that some of the things they say about us are not entirely mad - APLers are quite often more ignorant of the rest of the DP world than they are of us, and we have a responsibility to do something about this. Here, in ten easy steps, is the way to make friends with the DP department and win their respect (and if you are lucky, perhaps even their cooperation). This is an OPERATIONAL plan which should be used in planning the use of APL within an organization. Based on common statements made by those who criticize us, we have found ten areas in which work is required within an organization if APL is to prosper as a valuable tool. One member of the group - Svend Frandsen - has hopes of implementing our plan at ATP, and hopefully, by the time this paper is presented, he will be able to tell us whether it works!

Potential for change: James Martin talks about expert systems and the future of programming

James Martin, guru and communicator on DP topics, says that every corporation has problems crying out for expert system solutions, but is suffering from lack of expertise. He also sees enormous potential for expert system to change society. Most important change, though, in the DP world is the prediction that the programmer's job is to be automated. Systems people will be seen sitting at graphics terminals mapping out complex logic and applications will be programmed using fourth generation languages. For this reason, Martin believes that Alvey and Esprit are on the wrong track in their support of projects concentrating on the needs of the programmer.