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Cyprus And Qatar Forge Strategic Maritime Alliance To Advance Sustainability And Innovation

Strategic Vision For The Future

Cyprus and Qatar have formalized their commitment to enhanced maritime cooperation through the signing of a comprehensive memorandum of understanding. This agreement, endorsed by Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis and Qatar’s Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, reflects a mutual ambition to become pivotal regional hubs in the shipping industry.

Broad Spectrum Of Collaborative Initiatives

The memorandum addresses a wide range of key areas, including education, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and the green transition of shipping. Moreover, the agreement aims to enhance competitiveness in shipping, promote knowledge exchange in registry management, and accelerate decarbonization efforts, setting the stage for a future where maritime safety, digitalisation, and seafarers’ welfare are central to the industry’s evolution.

Tangible Deliverables And Future Engagements

Deputy Minister Hadjimanolis underscored the significance of the MoU, emphasizing that the aim is not merely a ceremonial gesture but a pathway to concrete outcomes. The agreement outlines plans to secure meaningful progress ahead of the upcoming official visit of the President of the Republic to Qatar, ensuring that maritime challenges and opportunities remain a focal point of bilateral discussion.

Aligning Regional Strengths

Both nations are poised to leverage their strategic and geographical advantages. Cyprus, noted as the most easterly located European country at the heart of the Arabian Gulf, and Qatar have distinct strengths that together promise to redefine regional maritime frameworks. Their collaboration is expected to drive innovation and sustainability, ultimately setting a benchmark for international maritime partnerships.

A Commitment To Sustainable Shipping

As the world inches closer to a sustainable future, this alliance not only bolsters maritime infrastructure and logistics but also integrates environmental stewardship into its core mission. The leadership expressed confidence that the forthcoming joint initiatives would yield substantial advancements, reflecting a shared vision for an industry that is both competitive and eco-conscious.

Cyprus-Based ASBIS Hits Record $1.05bn In Monthly Revenue, Up 216% Year On Year

The technology distributor ASBIS Group, headquartered in Limassol, has exceeded $1 billion in monthly sales for the first time in its history, reporting preliminary consolidated revenue of $1.05 billion in September 2026, more than three times the amount recorded a year earlier.

The figure represents a 216% increase from $332 million in September 2025, making it the highest-revenue month in the company’s history.

ASBIS reported its strongest sales growth in servers and server components, while CEO Serhei Kostevitch pointed to growing demand for artificial intelligence solutions and computing infrastructure as an opportunity for the business.

For a company operating across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, September marked a new sales milestone following several months of substantial year-on-year growth.

Kostevitch attributed the record performance to the group’s existing operations, highlighting its broad product portfolio, international market presence and strong relationships with manufacturers and trading partners.

“Most importantly, this result is the outcome of our regular operating activities,” he said.

The CEO also highlighted the company’s portfolio of projects as a reason for confidence in continued AI-related development.

However, the group’s growth was not limited to AI-related technologies. Smartphones also performed strongly in September, with Kostevitch stressing that “we are growing beyond the AI segment as well.”

Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine accounted for the largest shares of ASBIS’s September revenue, followed by Slovakia and Poland.

Growth Follows Record First Half

September’s results follow a period of strong financial performance for ASBIS.

In July, the company reported preliminary consolidated revenue of $531 million, an increase of 89% compared with the same month in 2025. August brought a further rise to $604 million, up 91% year on year.

September’s $1.05 billion figure represents a substantial increase on both months, although the company has not provided a detailed breakdown explaining the acceleration.

The results also follow a record first half of 2026, when ASBIS generated approximately $2.97 billion in consolidated revenue, up 76% year on year.

Net profit after tax reached $80.6 million, compared with $19.4 million in the same period in 2025.

The second quarter was particularly strong, with revenue reaching $1.69 billion, an increase of 78.7%, while quarterly net profit more than tripled to $44.3 million.

ASBIS has emphasised that its September revenue figures are preliminary estimates and may differ from the final reported results.

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