Dubai stevedore enters North–South corridor

This announcement followed a meeting between Oleg Belozerov, General Director and Chairman of Russian Railways, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of DP World, during the XXXIV plenary session of the Coordinating Council for Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT) in Dubai.


JOIN FORCES


The companies have decided to develop a joint container service along the eastern route of the North–South International Transport Corridor, attracting shippers from South Asia and Africa, while continuing to identify obstacles that obstruct the development of BRICS transport routes.

Oleg Belozerov emphasized the need to enhance logistical connectivity among the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, ASEAN, the Middle East, and BRICS. “We are confident that by leveraging the global port capabilities and logistical expertise of our partners such as DP World, we can enhance our focus on the Middle East and Africa,” he stated.

The CEO of Russian Railways further stated that the CCTT, which he chairs, is poised to become a permanent platform that will facilitate the removal of barriers along international transport corridors.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World, emphasized, ‘The alliance with KSTP and its members across Europe, China, India, and the CIS represents an exciting opportunity for us to grow our presence in new global markets.’

NEW IMPULSES

Recent developments underscore the growing significance of the North-South International Transport Corridor. Agreements forged during President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to India may provide renewed impetus for this initiative. The President highlighted that bilateral trade between Russia and India is expected to rise by 12% in 2024, amounting to around $65 billion, with comparable results anticipated by year-end. Vladimir Putin suggested that reaching a $100 billion trade volume in the future is feasible.

Linking St. Petersburg in the north with Mumbai in the south, the North-South trade corridor holds promise as a crucial artery for bilateral commerce. Oleg Belozerov stated at the CIS Council for Railway Transport meeting in Baku on November 25-26 that considerable advancements in transportation along this route are anticipated by 2025. Notably, container traffic along the eastern branch traversing Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan has experienced an almost twofold increase.

THE EASTERN BRANCH

The potential of the eastern branch of the North-South Transport Corridor remains largely untapped, stated Grigory Krutonog, Vice President of the International Association of Logistics Business and Honorary Railwayman of the Russian Federation, at the forum "Transport Corridors of Eurasia – New Horizons and Opportunities," held in Moscow on December 5. He emphasized that five transport routes can be organized through the Serakhs border crossing between Iran and Turkmenistan, providing access to Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf for the entire European part of Russia, the Urals, and Siberia. "Russia needs a robust and reliable land rail link to the Indian Ocean," Krutonog emphasized.

According to Marat Zembatov, director of the HSE Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, international transport corridors are increasingly becoming crucial instruments for managing the global economy. This highlights the critical need for adequate infrastructural support. "Russia, possessing the largest transit space, and the UAE, recognized as the 'heart' of Eurasian port logistics, can together establish infrastructural superiority for multimodal transport and logistics hubs along the North-South Transport Corridor. The new transshipment facilities will enhance existing capabilities and create new cargo assembly points near the international transport corridors jointly utilized by Russia and the UAE," the expert notes.

Dmitry Koptev