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The airlines signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes a framework for negotiating a future joint business agreement. The proposed arrangement would deepen their existing codeshare relationship and could allow closer coordination across schedules, sales, network planning and passenger services.

The partnership is expected to explore single-ticket journeys across the two carriers’ combined networks. Garuda Indonesia passengers could gain easier access to Saudia-operated destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, while Saudia customers could connect through Garuda’s domestic network and services to Australia.

The carriers will examine coordinating flight schedules between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia to improve connection times and reduce lengthy transfers. They will also assess joint sales, marketing and distribution initiatives in markets where both airlines see opportunities for traffic growth.

Cooperation could extend to frequent-flyer programmes, airport services, technology systems and customer handling. The memorandum also places particular emphasis on services for Umrah and Hajj passengers travelling from Indonesia, one of the world’s largest markets for pilgrimage-related air travel.

Saudia Chief Commercial Officer Arved von zur Muehlen and Garuda Indonesia Director of Transformation Neil Raymond Mills signed the agreement. The ceremony was attended by Saudia Group Director General Ibrahim Al-Omar and Garuda Indonesia Vice President Director Thomas Sugiarto Oentoro.

Von zur Muehlen said the agreement reflected Saudia’s strategy of building commercial partnerships that strengthen its international network. He said the proposed cooperation would offer passengers greater flexibility between Indonesia, Australia and destinations served by Saudia across three regions.

Mills said the partnership carried strategic value beyond expanding flight networks. Improved access to the Middle East, Europe and Africa would support pilgrimage travel, family and community movement, business links and wider economic cooperation.

A joint business agreement would represent a deeper form of cooperation than a conventional codeshare. Codeshares allow airlines to sell seats on flights operated by a partner, while joint business structures can involve coordinated scheduling, pricing, sales and capacity planning, subject to regulatory approval.

Such arrangements allow airlines to extend their market reach without immediately adding aircraft or launching a large number of new routes. They can also improve aircraft utilisation and feed passenger traffic through major hubs. Regulators, however, generally examine these partnerships to ensure that closer coordination does not weaken competition or limit consumer choice.

The proposed partnership builds on the airlines’ membership of the SkyTeam alliance. Saudia joined SkyTeam in 2012, while Garuda Indonesia became a member in 2014. Alliance membership already supports shared passenger benefits, lounge access, priority services and frequent-flyer recognition across participating carriers.

Saudia operates from hubs including Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Medina, connecting Saudi Arabia with destinations across Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Its Jeddah hub is particularly important for religious travel because of its proximity to Makkah and its role as a gateway for pilgrims.

Garuda Indonesia’s network is centred on Jakarta and Bali, with domestic services covering major commercial centres and tourism destinations across the archipelago. Its international operations connect Indonesia with markets in Asia, the Middle East and Australia.

The agreement comes as Garuda expands commercial cooperation with overseas airlines during its continuing operational and financial restructuring. The carrier launched a codeshare partnership with Scandinavian Airlines in June, offering connections between Indonesia and Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo through hubs including Amsterdam and Tokyo.

Greater cooperation with Saudia could strengthen Garuda’s access to markets that are difficult to serve economically with direct flights. The arrangement could also help generate connecting traffic for domestic destinations beyond Jakarta, including cities that supply significant numbers of Umrah and Hajj travellers.

Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have sought to expand economic and transport ties alongside their strong religious and cultural links. Agreements between companies from the two countries valued at about $27 billion were announced in 2025 across sectors including clean energy, petrochemicals and aviation fuel services.

Trump announced that generic drugs entering the United States would remain free of import duties until August 1, 2028. A tariff of 100% would then apply for one year, followed by a 200% levy from August 2029. The proposed schedule extends Washington’s pharmaceutical reshoring campaign beyond patented and branded medicines, which were targeted earlier.

India faces the greatest exposure because the United States is its largest pharmaceutical export market. Drug exports to the country were valued at about $9.7 billion in 2025, representing roughly 38% of total pharmaceutical shipments worth $25.8 billion.

The policy nevertheless does not automatically remove the price advantage enjoyed by manufacturers such as Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla, Lupin and Zydus Lifesciences. Many generic medicines produced in India are priced seven to 10 times below branded alternatives, leaving room for some products to remain competitive even after steep duties.

A medicine imported for $10 would cost $30 after a 200% tariff, excluding distribution and retail charges. It could still undercut a branded equivalent priced at $70 or $100. The calculation is less favourable for commodity generics, where several manufacturers compete on narrow margins and buyers demand the lowest possible price.

Generic medicines account for more than 90% of prescriptions dispensed in the United States but less than 13% of prescription-drug spending. That imbalance reflects their importance to American healthcare as well as the pressure placed on manufacturers by pharmacy chains, wholesalers, insurers and purchasing organisations.

The United States imported pharmaceutical products valued at about $213 billion in 2025. Finished medicines sold in retail packaging, including generic products, accounted for about $94.1 billion. Replacing those imports would require extensive investment, specialised workers, regulatory approvals and dependable supplies of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Building a pharmaceutical plant can take several years. Companies must install production lines, validate manufacturing processes and secure approval from the US Food and Drug Administration before commercial sales begin. Each medicine may also require separate technical submissions and inspections, complicating attempts to shift large portfolios within the two-year exemption period.

Several major drugmakers have already established manufacturing or research operations in the United States, providing limited protection against future tariffs. Companies may expand those facilities, acquire local plants or transfer selected high-volume products while continuing to manufacture lower-margin medicines overseas.

The tariff could affect businesses unevenly. Manufacturers with specialised generics, injectable drugs, inhalers and complex formulations may have greater pricing power. Producers dependent on crowded categories such as basic tablets and capsules could face heavier pressure because customers can switch suppliers more easily.

Shares of leading pharmaceutical companies fell after the announcement, with some declining by more than 3% during Wednesday’s trading. The reaction reflected concern over long-term earnings rather than an immediate change in export conditions, as the duty-free window remains open for two years.

Implementation is also uncertain. Trump disclosed the schedule through a social-media statement, but no detailed executive order or customs framework had been issued. The administration must still clarify whether exemptions will be available for companies building factories, medicines facing shortages, critical hospital products or imports from countries covered by trade agreements.

Industry participants are expected to seek exclusions for essential medicines, arguing that tariffs could raise treatment costs and deepen shortages. The American generic-drug market has already faced supply disruptions linked to plant closures, quality failures and unsustainable pricing. Higher import costs could encourage some manufacturers to withdraw products rather than invest in additional capacity.

Washington’s strategy also faces a supply-chain constraint beyond finished medicines. A large portion of the active ingredients and chemical intermediates used by global manufacturers originates in China. Moving final production to the United States without diversifying those inputs would provide only partial protection against overseas disruption.

Drugmakers in India now have until August 2028 to adjust their production networks, negotiate with customers and identify medicines capable of absorbing higher duties. Expansion into Europe, Africa, Latin America and other regulated markets could reduce dependence on the United States, although none offers comparable scale.

The newswire guarantees online postings on USA Today and increases its guaranteed distribution on high-domain-rating local US news sites to empower AI visibility

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 July 2026 – Media OutReach Newswire, the first global newswire founded in Asia Pacific, has expanded its USA distribution network with additional guaranteed news postings.

Through new strategic agreements, Media OutReach Newswire now provides clients with guaranteed online postings in flagship American media outlets like USA Today, Yahoo Finance, and The Associated Press, alongside more than 650 trusted news sites with domain authority. This latest service upgrade specifically targets guaranteed online news postings in media with domain authority to empower AI visibility. By combining distribution with JSON-LD Schema Markup that provides context and meaning to the press release for search engines and AI models to interpret its content accurately, Media OutReach Newswire’s press release distribution structures answers for AI discoverability and AI citation. Media OutReach Newswire’s press release distribution service has been helping companies and government agencies to actively build their AI visibility.

Media OutReach Newswire guarantees news release placements in the official, public-facing press release section of USA Today. With a Domain Authority (DA) rated between 92 and 94 out of 100, USA Today ranks as one of the most trusted news sources for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Attracting more than 120.5 million unique monthly visitors, this integration delivers the public visibility necessary to build client brand credibility and trust on a national stage. Additionally, the newswire has secured guaranteed news postings on real local and regional news websites, including The Arizona Republic, Detroit Free Press, Indianapolis Star, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Tennessean, and The Oklahoman.

“By improving the quality of our guaranteed news postings on trusted, Google-indexed news sites with domain authority, coupled with the direct delivery of press releases to journalists’ inboxes, Media OutReach Newswire has successfully helped many Asian corporations to build their brand reputation in the US market,” said Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire.

“We are pleased to have built a USA press release distribution network that focuses exactly on what PR professionals need, a distribution that reaches journalists and provides quality news postings on real media. Our comprehensive journalist database built by in-house media researchers covers more than 500 trade news categories and 65,000 media titles across quality media titles. This has helped our clients secure earned media coverage and journalist inquiries from business, technology, ESG, automotive, travel, and many other media sectors in the USA. In addition, Media OutReach Newswire’s partnership with The Associated Press delivers clients’ news releases directly into newsrooms across the United States,” added Jennifer.

Over the years, the newswire has cultivated brand trust with journalists at USA media outlets who actively engage with its client releases. Through its Media and Journalist Insights, Media OutReach Newswire is able to report on how many journalists by publication in the USA have opened its clients’ press releases and the earned media write ups achieved.

Through its Total PR and Communications Solution, Media OutReach Newswire’s global distribution network delivers client press releases directly to journalists, guarantees verbatim news postings on trusted news sites with domain authority to empower SEO and GEO, and provides post-release reports packed with data insights and PR Campaign Intelligence that tracks performance over time.

This total solution addresses the needs of PR and communication professionals from press release distribution through to reporting with data insights and PR Campaign Intelligence across both in-country and global PR campaigns. It has been entrusted by hundreds of clients in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and across APAC to expand their business and brand awareness overseas to markets in Canada, USA, UK & Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, ASEAN, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Gulf States and Africa.
Hashtag: #MediaOutReachNewswire #pressrelease #USA

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Media OutReach Newswire

Media OutReach Newswire is Asia Pacific’s first global newswire, serving as a trusted partner to media, corporations, agencies and governments across the region and the globe.

Founded in 2009 as a champion of the PR industry, Media OutReach Newswire leverages AI and SaaS technology to redefine press release distribution with a Total PR and Communications Solution. The newswire is focused on its core service of delivering press releases to journalists and editors in targeted media, posting client news releases on real media sites with domain authority (DA), and providing post release reports with data insights along with PR Campaign Intelligence that tracks performance over time. In March 2026, the newswire integrated JSON-LD Schema Markup into its online news postings to empower AI visibility for its clients.

With a global network of over 200,000 journalists and editors, 70,000+ media titles, 1,500+ media partners, and more than 40 languages, Media OutReach Newswire’s focus on providing guaranteed verbatim posting on real media sites powers SEO and GEO for building brand trust and AI visibility, as press releases published on authentic media with domain authority are trusted by search engines and AI models.

Headquartered in Hong Kong SAR with global press release distribution network spanning USA & Canada, Latin America, UK & Europe, the Middle East, Gulf States, Africa, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia and ASEAN.

For more information about our services, solutions, and network, please visit www.media-outreach.com

More than 32 companies from the UAE and India joined a business forum organised by the UAE Food Cluster and the Andhra Pradesh government. The gathering brought food producers, agricultural businesses, logistics operators and technology companies together to identify projects across manufacturing, farming, seafood, cold storage and distribution.

The forum, held under the theme “Building Strategic Partnerships Across Value Chains”, coincided with a visit by a UAE economic delegation led by Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, senior state officials and representatives of the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board also attended.

A memorandum of understanding signed by the UAE Food Cluster and the state’s Economic Development Board provides a framework for investment, trade, innovation and institutional cooperation. It covers sustainable production, value-added manufacturing, technology transfer, knowledge exchange and business missions.

The agreement also advances plans for a UAE-backed food cluster in Andhra Pradesh, an initiative discussed during Naidu’s meeting with Al Marri at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. The proposed cluster is expected to connect farms, processors, cold-chain operators, ports and overseas buyers through integrated commercial networks.

Initial work will focus on building value chains for mangoes, bananas and cocoa, three products in which Andhra Pradesh has established production and export strengths. UAE-based Floor Masters International has proposed investing ₹100 crore in a food-processing facility at Gangadhara Nellore in Chittoor district.

The company, which supplies products to about 25 countries, plans to use the facility as an export base. The proposal is the first identified investment under the broader partnership and could serve as a test case for subsequent projects involving Emirati businesses.

Discussions at the forum covered seafood, aquaculture, dairy products, poultry, pulses, horticulture, food sourcing and distribution. Companies also examined cold-chain systems that could reduce spoilage between farms, processing centres, ports and retail markets.

Andhra Pradesh’s long coastline, commercial ports, agricultural output and links to Gulf markets have made the state a potential supply base for UAE food businesses. Stronger maritime connections could shorten delivery times while providing producers with access to consumers across West Asia and other markets served through UAE logistics networks.

Naidu presented opportunities in horticulture, aquaculture and food processing, while promoting Rayalaseema as a future horticultural centre. The state is seeking public and private investment in irrigation, storage, packaging, processing and branding to raise the value of agricultural production rather than relying mainly on raw commodity sales.

Andhra Pradesh accounts for 15.6 per cent of the country’s fruit production and leads nationally in crops including papaya, cocoa, tomato, coconut and oil palm. It is also a major producer and exporter of chillies, bananas, seafood and aquaculture products.

The state allocated ₹1,223.86 crore to horticulture and allied departments in its 2026–27 budget. Its plans include expanding commercial horticulture, supporting micro-irrigation and developing West Godavari as a cocoa hub. Nearly 120,000 tonnes of bananas are exported annually, highlighting the potential for additional sorting, packaging and processing capacity.

For the UAE, the partnership supports a strategy of securing diversified and commercially sustainable food supply channels. The country has built an ecosystem covering farming, manufacturing, imports, distribution, food technology and logistics, but remains dependent on overseas supply for much of its consumption.

The UAE Food Cluster, launched two years ago, connects more than 2,000 businesses across production, processing, distribution and innovation. The wider national food sector includes more than 10,000 companies and over 38,000 farms, alongside tens of thousands of registered food-related trademarks.

Al Marri and Naidu also discussed cooperation in tourism, hospitality, infrastructure and knowledge-based industries. Emirati companies are assessing coastal tourism projects and logistics opportunities, indicating that the food initiative could form part of a wider investment relationship with the state.

The agreement gives Bespoke Logistics responsibility for warehousing, vehicle inspection, technical preparation, stockyard management and transportation before motorcycles are delivered to customers. The company will also operate a VinFast-authorised service workshop at the site.

The 20,000-square-metre facility is located in Carmona City in Cavite province, south of Metro Manila. It can store as many as 30,000 vehicles, providing VinFast with a central base from which to manage product checks, preparation and distribution.

The partnership is intended to reduce delivery times while ensuring that motorcycles meet the manufacturer’s technical and quality standards before reaching buyers. It will support the first deliveries of VinFast electric motorcycles in the country and provide capacity for a wider rollout as sales volumes increase.

VinFast will train and certify technicians employed at the facility. The two companies will also introduce standardised operating procedures, quality-control systems and a supply network for replacement parts. These measures are designed to reinforce aftersales support, an area that can influence consumer confidence in emerging electric vehicle brands.

Bespoke Logistics provides automotive warehousing, pre-delivery inspection, vehicle transport and stockyard services. Its Philippine operations include technical work conducted within warehouses and inventory-management services for automotive companies.

Bui Viet Hung, VinFast’s deputy chief executive for global aftersales service, said strong infrastructure and dependable aftersales operations were necessary to support the company’s products. He described the agreement as an important step in aligning Philippine distribution and servicing with VinFast’s international standards.

Bespoke Logistics president and chief executive Allan A. Mina said the company would operate the centre according to VinFast’s requirements while expanding the technical capabilities of its workforce. Irineo Niño Fabros, chief executive of VinFast Electric Motorcycles Philippines, represented the manufacturer at the signing ceremony.

The logistics arrangement forms part of a broader strategy to establish an integrated electric motorcycle ecosystem rather than relying solely on vehicle sales. VinFast is expanding its dealership network, service operations and battery-swapping infrastructure across the Philippines.

The company has signed agreements with 14 distributors to develop showrooms in areas including Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. The initial product range includes the Evo, Feliz II and Viper, which use swappable batteries intended to reduce the time riders spend waiting for vehicles to recharge.

VinFast has also outlined plans for about 30,000 battery-swapping points nationwide through infrastructure partnerships. The proposed network would allow customers to replace depleted batteries with charged units, addressing concerns over charging access, limited residential parking and lengthy charging periods.

Electric motorcycles are viewed as a potentially significant growth segment in the Philippines because motorcycles remain a widely used form of personal and commercial transport. Traffic congestion, fuel costs and demand for affordable mobility have encouraged manufacturers to introduce more battery-powered models.

However, market expansion depends on more than vehicle availability. Buyers require accessible repair centres, reliable battery supplies, trained technicians and confidence that spare parts will remain available. The Carmona operation gives VinFast a high-capacity facility for handling these requirements before its motorcycle business reaches larger scale.

The move also reflects VinFast’s increasing focus on Asian markets. The Vietnam-based manufacturer has expanded its vehicle and mobility operations across the Philippines, Indonesia and other regional economies through local dealers, logistics companies and infrastructure partners.

Its Philippine presence already includes electric cars and the Green GSM electric taxi service. VinFast has also worked with charging infrastructure operator V-Green as it attempts to build connected transport, energy and servicing networks around its vehicles.

The company’s international strategy has shifted towards markets where motorcycles, compact vehicles and urban transport services offer a larger potential customer base. Its product portfolio includes electric sport utility vehicles, scooters, bicycles and buses, allowing it to compete across several transport categories.

The Carmona facility’s storage capacity gives VinFast room to handle imports and deliveries beyond its initial motorcycle launch. Centralised inspection and preparation could also help the company maintain consistent standards while its retail network expands across geographically dispersed markets.

Under the agreement, Bespoke Logistics will operate an integrated mobility processing center and VinFast-authorized service workshop, responsible for warehousing, vehicle inspection, technical preparation of electric motorcycles prior to delivery, vehicle yard management, and transportation. Located in Carmona City, Cavite Province, the 20,000-square-meter facility has a storage capacity of up to 30,000 vehicles, helping streamline vehicle preparation, improve operational efficiency, and ensure product quality before delivery to customers.

As part of the partnership, VinFast will work closely with Bespoke Logistics to implement technician training and certification programs, transfer standardized operating procedures and quality control processes, and establish a parts supply system to support aftersales operations.

Bespoke Logistics specializes in automotive logistics, offering an end-to-end service portfolio that includes pre-delivery inspection (PDI), warehousing, vehicle yard management, transportation, and vehicle delivery. The company also has extensive experience in warehouse-based technical operations and modern vehicle and inventory management systems, serving as a trusted logistics partner for multiple automotive brands in the Philippines.

Partnering with experienced local companies such as Bespoke Logistics will not only strengthen VinFast’s logistics and service capabilities in the Philippines but also provide a strong operational foundation for the delivery of its first electric motorcycles to customers.

The agreement forms part of VinFast’s long-term strategy to develop a comprehensive, international-standard electric motorcycle ecosystem in the Philippines. Alongside the launch of its diverse lineup of battery-swapping electric motorcycles, VinFast is steadily expanding its distribution network, aftersales services, and battery swapping infrastructure to deliver a seamless, convenient, and reliable ownership experience for customers.

Mr. Bui Viet Hung, VinFast Deputy CEO of Global Aftersales Service, said: “At VinFast, world-class products must be supported by robust infrastructure and exceptional aftersales services. Our partnership with Bespoke Logistics is a key milestone in strengthening our distribution and aftersales capabilities in line with global standards, ensuring that customers in the Philippines enjoy high quality products and services from day one of ownership.”

Mr. Allan A. Mina, President and CEO of Bespoke Logistics said: “We are proud to partner with VinFast as it develops its electric motorcycle ecosystem in the Philippines. We are committed to operating the facility in accordance with VinFast’s international standards while continuously enhancing our team’s capabilities and operational processes to support the brand’s long-term growth in the market.”

Over the past few years, VinFast has steadily built a green mobility ecosystem across the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and other international markets through strategic partnerships with local companies and ecosystem partners such as Green GSM and V-Green. In addition to electric motorcycles, VinFast is expanding its product portfolio to include electric cars, electric bicycles, and electric buses, providing consumers with more sustainable mobility options while accelerating the global transition to greener transportation.

Hashtag: #VinFast

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About About VinFast

VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS), a subsidiary of Vingroup JSC, one of Vietnam’s largest conglomerates, is a pure-play electric vehicle (“EV”) company with the mission of making EVs accessible to everyone. VinFast’s product lineup today includes a wide range of electric SUVs, e-scooters, and e-buses.

VinFast is currently embarking on its next growth phase through rapid expansion of its distribution and dealership network globally while expanding its production footprint with a focus on key markets across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.ph/

About Bespoke Logistics

Bespoke Logistics is a Philippine-based automotive logistics, warehousing, and mobility solutions company specializing in vehicle processing, stockyard management, electric vehicle support services, transportation, and distribution.

Through its Mobility Processing Center platform, Bespoke Logistics provides integrated solutions for automotive manufacturers, distributors, and emerging mobility brands operating in the Philippines.