The Middle East should prepare to capitalise on the world shipping industry?s increasing focus on the East, an industry expert has said.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has announced it will expand its codeshare agreement with Royal Air Maroc, the national airline of Morocco, providing customers with access to more destinations in Morocco and West Africa.

Expansion work will begin next year to increase the capacity of the King Fahd Causeway, which links Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, to handle up to 100mn passengers a year. The plan will include the construction of two 400,000 sqm artificial islands, one on the Bahrain side and one on the Saudi side of the causeway.

Gulf Air has announced that it is on target with its fleet renewal programme, following the delivery of its eighth A320-200 last month. The arrival of the new aircraft marks the final delivery in the first phase of the Bahrain?s national carrier?s order for 15 A320-200s and brings the number of new aircraft in the airline?s fleet in the last 10 months to 10 - eight A320-200s and two E170AR regional jets, according to the company.