SAL Logistics completes Aviapartner Liège acquisition

SAL Logistics has completed its €28 million acquisition of Aviapartner Liège, marking its first operational presence outside Saudi Arabia. The deal gives SAL a base at Liège Airport and expands its network to 20 stations. The acquisition is intended to strengthen cargo links between Saudi Arabia, Europe and wider global markets. SAL Logistics Services Company, the Kingdom’s leading cargo handling and logistics solutions provider, today announced the completion of its acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Aviapartner Liège SA, marking SAL’s first operational presence outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and expanding its network to 20 stations. The approximately SAR 120 million (EUR 28M) transaction was completed in cash, funded through SAL’s internal resources, following receipt of all required regulatory approvals. With the acquisition, SAL expands its network and gains a direct operating base at Liège Airport in Belgium, Europe’s fifth-largest cargo hub by freight volume, handling more than one million tons of cargo annually and ranking among the world’s top 25 cargo airports. Liège has recorded one of the strongest cargo growth trajectories among Europe’s leading cargo a irports, with cargo volumes increasing by more than 50% since 2018. The acquisition gives SAL a strategic position in a major European cargo gateway. Located within Europe’s cargo “Golden Triangle”, a region through which more than 70% of European freight flows, Liège offers strong connectivity to major trade and transport hubs in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg. The airport’s advanced cargo infrastructure, 24/7 operations and absence of night-time curfew restrictions support fast, reliable and time-sensitive cargo movement across European markets. Through Aviapartner Liège, SAL gains an established cargo handling and warehouse logistics provider within this ecosystem, backed by the wider Aviapartner group’s 60-year presence at Liège Airport. The company brings long-standing airline, freight forwarder and logistics customer relationships, together with operational expertise across cargo handling, ramp assistance, warehouse logistics and specialist freight processing including pharmaceuticals, perishables, specialist freight, automotive and other high-value cargo segments. The acquisition creates strategic and operational synergies across air cargo handling, specialist freight processing, warehouse logistics and European road distribution. For SAL, this adds immediate operational depth in Europe, expands the scope of services it can offer at international airports, strengthens its ability to support cargo flows between Saudi Arabia, Europe and wider global markets, and enhances the value it delivers to both existing and new customers. It also creates opportunities to pursue broader customer mandates, develop new airline relationships and grow in higher-value cargo segments where speed, reliability and quality of handling are critical, while providing a strong platform for long-term growth in one of Europe’s most strategically positioned air cargo markets. Omar Talal Hariri, Chief Executive Officer of SAL, commented: “This acquisition is an important step in the next phase of SAL’s strategy. Our ambition is not only to grow our footprint, but to build a platform that connects markets, capabilities and customers across key global trade corridors. Aviapartner Liège gives us our first international operating base, supported by specialist expertise and customer relationships that can strengthen the way we serve airlines, freight forwarders and cargo owners. As we scale beyond the Kingdom, we remain focused on building capabilities that support our customers and contribute to the Kingdom’s ambition to become a leading global logistics hub under Vision 2030.” SAL’s presence at Liège also provides exposure to the airport’s long-term growth. Liège Airport’s “CargoLand” development is expected to add multiple phases of warehouse infrastructure expansion and first-line airside access. This is directly expected to support Liege Airport’s ambition to nearly double cargo capacity and annual flight movements by 2040. For SAL, this reinforces the long-term value of its first international operating base and provides additional capacity to support future growth in European cargo flows. The acquisition forms part of SAL’s strategy to scale its platform, expand into new markets and strengthen connectivity between the Kingdom and global markets, in support of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy as part of Saudi Vision 2030.