Chinese shipbuilders secured contracts for five out of seven large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers ordered globally in October 2026, according to data from Clarkson Research reported on November 10. A primary catalyst for the order volume was fleet-building contracts from the United Arab Emirates' ADNOC Logistics & Services alongside global shipping partners. Between January and October 2026, Chinese shipyards captured 32 of 76 international LNG carrier orders, representing a 42.1 percent global market share.
In a parallel Middle East supply chain expansion, Saudi Postal and Logistics (SPL) and JINGDONG Industrials, an industrial supply chain subsidiary of JD.com, signed a Strategic Collaboration Framework on November 11, 2026. The partnership aims to develop a business-to-business (B2B) digital procurement platform supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 industrial targets.
The signing ceremony in Riyadh was attended by SPL President Eng. Anef Abanomi and JD.com Middle East CEO Feng Guo, and signed by SPL Chief Commercial Officer Eng. Rayan Alsharef and JINGDONG Industrials Middle East CEO Steven Mei. The platform will integrate SPL's nationwide distribution capabilities with JINGDONG Industrials' supplier network of over 230,000 manufacturers and distributors, covering more than 97 million stock-keeping units across 80 industrial product categories.
The initiative builds on JD.com's operations in the region, where the company deploys logistics services through JoyLogistics and JoyExpress as well as industrial property development.
Sources
- UAE-China Chamber of Commerce (UECN) · 2026-11-10
