Iran's Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has announced plans to order new 18,000 TEU (Triple-E type) container vessels from Chinese yards, according to Iran's Press TV.

A battle for leadership is erupting in a variety of industries across Africa, with Africa-focused companies and multinationals vying for market share and each group counting on its unique strengths to gain an advantage, according to a report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Dueling with Lions: Playing the New Game of Business Success in Africa.

With U.S.-led sanctions expected to be lifted soon as part of July's nuclear deal, Iran has unveiled a $120bn fleet expansion campaign.

A.T. Kearney's 2015 African Retail Development Index (ARDI) reconfirms the potential of many nations throughout Africa.

Just one year after its announcement, Egypt's expanded Suez Canal is open for business. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi led the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by several Middle Eastern and European world leaders. The publicly-funded expansion cost about $8.5bn.

Iran has traditionally been a high-volume automotive market, whose geographic advantage has endowed it the potential to serve as a production hub in the Middle East. The recent lifting of economic sanctions has burnished the country's reputation as a business hotbed, with the automotive market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.4 per cent from 2014 to 2022. Unsurprisingly, global original equipment manufacturers, suppliers and other market participants are exhibiting unprecedented eagerness to be a part of the Iranian growth story.