Logistics News, October 2020
Page 1
Facilitate, accelerate
and protect
D i g i t a l
Data and automation are key to
success in Middle East supply chain
C a r g o
Insufficient Capacity Dampens
Air Cargo in August
t r u c k s
Renault Trucks Continues
To Grow
Connecting trade professionals with industry intelligence
october 2020
Saudi Customs
Transformation
Story
Aerial view of King Fahad Causeway
POWER
25
a comprehensive list
of the top 25
logistic leaders
in the region
Page 2
A MEMBERS OF EMIRATES TRANSPORT BUSINESS CENTERS:
Page 3
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 3
H.E. Ahmed
Abdulaziz
Alhakbani
H.E. Ahmed
Abdulaziz Alhakbani
10 News
22 Feature
Top 25 CEO’s
Logistics News returns once
again with a comprehensive
list of the Top 25 logistics
leaders in the Middle East
44 digital
Data and automation
are key to success in
Middle East supply chain
Khaled Al Shami, Director,
Solution Consulting, Middle
East & Africa, Infor, on how
Distributors in the Middle East
need to adopt vertical-specific
cloud solutions to prosper
amid a fast-changing logistics
landscape
46 Cargo
Insufficient Capacity
Dampens Air Cargo
The International Air Transport
Association (IATA) released data for
global air freight markets showing
that improvement remains slow
amid insufficient capacity
48 trucks
COVID-19 and
Expectations for 2020
Gregoire Blaise, Vice President at
Renault Trucks, discusses how the
company has operated amidst this
unprecedented year
50 trade
Value of Dubai Chamber member
exports up by 7.4%
in June-August 2020
Translating Saudi
Customs Vision
into Revolutionary
Action
18
in this issue
35
46
Page 4
Your business continuity
is our top priority.
Our initiatives and remote solutions
have got you covered in all situations.
du.ae/wegotyourb
Page 5
Page 6
6 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
All rights reserved © 2020.
Opinions expressed are solely those
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T
he domestic market for Courier,
Express and Parcel (CEP) in the UAE
is expected to gain momentum as
travel restrictions and e-commerce boom
generated demand for courier services in
the country, according to a report.
The CEP market in the UAE is
dominated by international B2B
deliveries, however B2C services are
picking up steadily after the pandemic
hit the country.
Modor Intelligence report said the
CEP market in the UAE is currently
dominated by international B2B
deliveries with more than 65 percent
share of the total market, according
to the report. However, domestic
courier services registered an upward
trend after the pandemic and the trend
is expected to continue in coming
months.
The UAE is home to major courier
and express service providers such as
Aramex, UPS, DHL, FedEx and the
government-owned Emirates Post.
With high competition, these major
international express integrators are
not able to gain significant footprint in
the domestic delivery business and the
market is being dominated by local
brands such as Aramex, Emirates Post,
Fetchr and Century Express Courier
Services.
Couriers, Express, and Parcel
to gain momentum
Kasun Illankoon
Deputy Editor
kasun@bncpublishing.net
subscribe
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construction business news me
Editor’s note
Lnme
Page 7
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Page 10
10 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
A
jman Free Zone signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with noon.
com, the regizt developed in the Mid-
dle East and North Africa (MENA) region at
4.2 per cent penetration rate.
Eng. Al Suwaidi said: “Our strategic partner-
ship with Noon, one of the country’s leading
e-commerce platforms, will benefit both our
investors and customers by opening up new
opportunities for business expansion and de-
velopment. The range of available services, for
instance, will grow and become diverse as a
result of this new collaboration, thus providing
our investors and customers with more op-
tions and advantages. We are confident that
this quality partnership will bring enormous
benefits – particularly with regard to bolster-
ing the growth of the e-commerce market
– supported by the government’s unwavering
assistance as well as the country’s continuous
modernization of its digital infrastructure for
more advanced services such as the offering
of secure and convenient electronic payment
methods.”
Ajman Free Zone signs MOU with Noon
regional news
Lnme
Page 11
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 11
regional news
I
n line with its strategic plan to provide
sustainable mobility solutions and
environment-friendly means of
transportation, Sharjah Roads & Transport
Authority (Sharjah RTA) has partnered
with the UAE-based sustainable mobility
solutions company ION to launch a
new on-demand ride-hailing service in
Sharjah, with a fleet of electric vehicles
(EVs) including Tesla Model S and Model
3 by the end of 2020. The service will be
available for the emirate of Sharjah and
will expand to the rest of the UAE.
The announcement coincides with
World Electric Vehicle Day, a day marked
to recognize the importance of global
e-mobility.
ION’s selection for the partnership was
due to its sustainable EV fleet, smart
operations and customer-oriented back-
end support. The new EV ride-hailing
service will be available through a mobile
application, which will offer passengers
estimated time of arrival, view the number
of available vehicles in the vicinity and
even the positive carbon impact by
travelling via ION’s service.
In addition, ION will take all necessary
precautions such as the disinfection of
vehicles pre- and post-rides will be taken
to ensure passengers are safe. ION’s
drivers are also highly qualified, and 40
percent of ION’s drivers are female, a
figure that epitomises a company driving
the nation’s diversification efforts to
enhance gender equality. This will also
offer culturally appropriate transport and
assurance for family-oriented commuters.
“Sharjah RTA is always striving to
provide the infrastructure for alternative
and environmental transport solutions.
We rely on clean energy whenever
possible in support of the UAE
leadership’s initiatives to transition
towards a green economy and
sustainable development. This will only
happen by adopting and embracing
sustainable innovations in the field of
transportation, which will contribute
to achieving our plan towards an
environmentally and civilized sustainable
transfer. Such an approach is in line
with the vision of His Highness Sheikh
Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi,
Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler
of Sharjah, regarding the need to adopt
the most sustainable methods in the
Emirate in order to further enhance its
position as an environmentally friendly
city,” said HE Eng. Yousef Saleh Al
Suwaiji, Chairman of the Sharjah Roads
and Transport Authority (SRTA).
ION and Sharjah RTA Announce Sustainable Ride-hailing
Service in Sharjah
A
l Faris provided their client with a complete solution for
transporting the 25m long rail tracks weighing 12,000t
in total using their lowbed trailers. This was the first
shipment of rail tracks delivered to the UAE for the Etihad Rail
Project. 250 trips were completed within 26 days in order to
transport and offload the rail tracks at their final location safely
and efficiently.
Al Faris fabricated 10 flatbed trailers specifically for this project
which were extended up to 25m in length in order to fit the
loads effectively and avoid any transport complications. The
fabrication was done in-house by their team along with technical
studies for the extension done prior.
The commute which covered a distance of over 250kms was
from Mina Zayed Port to Ghiyathi (Etihad laydown area) in Abu
Dhabi and each trip was about 4.5 – 5 hours.
The 1,200km Etihad railway project will connect the seven
emirates of the UAE to its neighboring GCC countries.
The transportation which was critical in nature due to the long
commute and long loads, required specialized techniques,
equipment and experienced staff.
All road surveys, planning, technical support documentation,
authority permissions, execution plans and schedules were
prepared in-house prior to job execution. This helped organize
all activities smoothly with minimum delays.
Al Faris transported 25m
long rail tracks weighing
12,000t in total for the
Etihad Rail Project
Page 12
12 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
regional news
Lnme
T
he Information and e-Govern-
ment Authority (iGA) issued its
foreign trade report of August
2020, encompassing data on the
balance of trade, imports, exports (na-
tional origin), and re-exports.
The value of imports increased by 9%,
reaching BD 428 million during August
2020 Compared toBD391 million for the
same month of the previous year. The
top 10 countries accounted for 74% of
the value of imports, with the remaining
countries accounting for 26%.
According to the report, Switzerland
ranked first when it came to imports to
Bahrain, with a total of BD84 million,
China was second with BD42 million; and
Australia was third with BD36 million.
Central heating boilers emerged as the
top product imported into Bahrain with a
total value of BD39 million, while air con-
ditioners without refrigeration unit was
second with BD37 million, and aluminum
oxide third with BD35 million.
The value of exports of national origin
increased by 2% to BD190 million during
August 2020, compared to BD187 mil-
lion for the same month of the previous
year. The top 10 countries in terms of the
value of exports of national origin pur-
chased from Bahrain Accounted for 72%
of the total value, with the remaining
countries accounting for 28%.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked
first among countries receiving Bahraini
exports of national origin, importing
BD58 million from Bahrain. Meanwhile,
the United States of America was second
with BD18 million and the Sultanate of
Oman Third with BD11 million.
Unwrought aluminum alloys emerged
as the top products exported during Au-
gust2020 with BD40 million, Unwrought
aluminum (not alloyed) was second
with a value of BD26 million and Semi-
finished iron and steel third with BD15
million.
The total value of-exports decreased by
20%to reach BD44 million during August
2020, compared to BD55 million for the
same month of the previous year.
The top 10 countries accounted for
94% of the re-exported value, while the
remaining countries accounted for the
6%.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked
first with BD14 million, United Arab Emir-
ates Second with BD9 million, and the
United States of America third with BD6
million.
Four-wheel drive cars the top product
re-exported from Bahrain with BD5.3 mil-
lion, gold ingots came in second place
with BD5 million, and cigarettes contain-
ing tobacco came third with BD4.2 mil-
lion.
The trade balance, difference between
exports and imports, the value of the
deficit of the trade balance reached BD
193 million during August Of 2020 versus
BD149 million for the same month of the
previous year with an increase of 30%.
Bahrain exports national origin
products worth BD190 mn in August
Page 13
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 13
A
l-Futtaim HINO, an Al-Futtaim
Automotive company that
exclusively franchises light,
medium and heavy-duty HINO
trucks in the UAE, has announced the
delivery of a major order of 200 HINO
trucks to the National Food Product
Company (NFPC) cementing its leader-
ship of the FMCG sector in the UAE.
Al-Futtaim HINO which has increased
its market share by around 300% in the
past 5 years, has been the preferred mo-
bility partner for many FMCG companies
thanks to HINO’s unmatched Japanese
quality and reliability and Al-Futtaim’s
dedicated aftersales support.
With the latest handover, NFPC’s
fleet of HINO trucks grows to 450
HINO trucks, following a similar deal of
250 trucks in 2019.
NFPC is one of the premier food and
beverage companies in the Middle East
with brands such as Oasis Water, Blu,
Lacnor, Safa, Gulf & Safa, Melco, Milco,
Royal Bakers, Aqua fresh amongst oth-
ers. The company will use the HINO
916XLWB_6TON trucks to boost its
delivery operations which include water
shutters, chillers and freezers.
“With this deal, we are further ce-
menting our strong relationship with
NFPC whose fleet primarily consists
of HINO trucks,” said Ramez Hamdan,
General Manager, Al-Futtaim HINO
“HINO trucks’ specifications, low
cost of maintenance, durability and
excellent aftersales support gives us a
clear edge versus the competition and
makes our trucks the perfect partner
for FMCG companies. The COVID-19
pandemic has resulted in a huge boost
to e-commerce and this has had a cor-
responding increase in our light-duty
truck sales which now makes up 65% of
our sales primarily to FMCG and logis-
tics operators,” he added.
The 200 HINO trucks will be custom-
fitted by Al Furat to meet the specific
requirements of NFPC and which ad-
here to UAE safety standards.
Al-Futtaim HINO delivers major order of 200 trucks
to National Food Product Company
regional news
Page 14
14 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
A
libaba Cloud, the digital
technologies and intelligence
backbone of Alibaba Group,
unveiled a series of innovative
products at its 12th annual Apsara
Conference, highlighting the technology
pioneer’s commitment in helping
people adapt to the more digitized
world and accelerate customers’ digital
transformation during and after the
pandemic.
A highlight is Alibaba Cloud’s first
cloud computer, a palm-sized personal
computer which, despite being just
about 60 grams and as light as an egg,
offers high-performance computing,
thanks to robust back-end cloud
resources. By simply connecting
the cloud computer with a normal
computer screen , a user can access
almost unlimited computing resources
anytime, anywhere, while paying on
a subscription model or for the actual
cloud consumption.
Alibaba Cloud also unveiled its
autonomous logistics robot for last-mile
deliveries. Developed by the Alibaba
DAMO Academy, the global research
initiative by Alibaba Group, the delivery
robot can carry 50 packages at one time
and cover 62 miles (or 100 kilometres)
on a single charge. It is estimated the
mobile robot should be able to deliver
as many as 500 packages a day to one
designated community or campus,
meeting the rising demand for speedy
last-mile delivery in China. Online
shopping is booming there, with 200
million packages delivered daily and
expectations that will rise to 1 billion
packages per day in the coming years.
Supported with reinforced learning
technologies, the intelligent robot can
schedule its route even in a crowded
environment. With proprietary, high-
definition positioning technology, the
robot can operate even where there’s
weak or no GPS signal. Leveraging
a self-developed heterogeneous
computing platform, 3D Point Cloud
Semantic Segmentation (PCSS)
technology and deep learning, the robot
can also identify obstacles and predict
the intended movement of passengers
and vehicles a few seconds ahead of
time to enhance safety.
regional news
Lnme
Alibaba Debuts Cloud Computer,
Delivery Robots at Cloud Computing
Conference
Page 15
A Smart Move For
New Possibilities
New Quester’s flexibility makes it suitable across a variety of applications and segments
such as general cargo, long haul and construction.
And now, ESCOTs’ added power and performance in New Quester means assignments can
be carried out with increased fuel and driver efficiency.
Optimized specifications such as reduced tare weight allow you to carry more.
And with the introduction of smart new connected features such as telematics,
you can stay on top of your tough daily schedule.
A smart move for your business
Page 16
16 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
regional news
Lnme
B
ridgestone, the leader in advanced
solutions and sustainable mobility,
has announced a new customer
campaign that they are running in
partnership with Amazon.ae, the largest
e-commerce platform in the Arab world.
The campaign, which will run until the end
of September or until stocks last, is aimed
towards providing a better customer
experience when buying tyres, especially
as we face these extraordinary times.
Under the terms of the promotion,
customers purchasing a complete set of
four tyres will get an Amazon voucher
in return. For those buying 17” tyres,
customers will get an Amazon voucher
worth over AED 200, meanwhile, purchase
of 18” tyres will entitle customers to an
Amazon voucher worth over AED 400.
Stefano Sanchini, Regional Managing
Director, Bridgestone MEA, said,
“Bridgestone is proud to announce a
new customer promotion that we are
running in partnership with Amazon.
ae. Buying a complete set of tyres will
entitle customers to Amazon vouchers.
This campaign falls in line with our global
efforts to continuously engage customers
and maintain continuity at the highest
level during this time of COVID-19.”
“Bridgestone places great importance
on the practice and observance of road
safety. In fact, we strongly encourage that
tyres are regularly replaced so that owners
can benefit from optimum handling and
control of their car–enjoying maximum
performance of their cars when driving.
Our promotion with Amazon.ae has been
designed to encourage our customers
into investing wisely–purchasing
tyres from our authorized dealers and
partners,” concluded Sanchini.
Bridgestone is widely known the world
over for its ability to deliver the highest
quality, safety and performance, even in
extreme conditions. It provides a range of
sustainable mobility solutions which aim
to contribute to social and environmental
advancement with care, confidence and
creativity.
Bridgestone ME reveals new campaign
in partnership with Amazon.ae
E
cocoast, a global leader in engi-
neered solutions for sustainable
coastal and marine development
founded by Australian entrepre-
neurs Lachlan Jackson and Dana Liparts,
announced today that it has acquired
Bolina, the European leader in marine
safety, security and environment booms,
headquartered in the United Kingdom.
The acquisition allows Ecocoast to offer
its clients an unmatched range of envi-
ronmental, safety and security solutions
globally.
The Bolina acquisition brings together
the best of two worlds. Both Ecocoast
and Bolina are leaders in their respective
core markets. Ecocoast with coastal and
marine protection, demarcation and navi-
gation; Bolina with safety and security
booms.
The inclusion of Bolina’s brand will al-
low Ecocoast to offer safety and security
solutions globally for inland waterways,
dams and critical infrastructure. Similarly,
the acquisition will give Bolina, with its
headquarters remaining in the United
Kingdom, a platform to grow on a global
scale.
“I am excited that Bolina is joining the
Ecocoast family,” said Lachlan Jackson,
CEO at Ecocoast. “The current team at
Bolina has done an amazing job, build-
ing Bolina to the brand it is today. We
believe our values and our vision for the
future are highly aligned.”
Jackson added, “The synergies are
substantial and will help strengthen our
market position as the leading provider
of marine products globally. The com-
bined strength of our marine engineering
expertise together with a broader prod-
uct offering enables us to provide a more
comprehensive solution for our clients, to
keep the world’s waterways healthy, safe
and secure.”
Now in 50 countries, Ecocoast is con-
tinuing its expansion internationally and
bringing new solutions for a better ma-
rine environment to market, to achieve its
mission of solving the world’s most press-
ing marine problems.
Ecocoast acquires Bolina to provide unprecedented
access to marine solutions globally
Page 17
Scania Touring HD range
a privilege
to own
The Scania Touring is a coach designed
to meet your needs for occasional
service and regular service over long
distances. You will enjoy full support
from a single point of contact since
all parts, maintenance and repairs are
backed by Scania’s comprehensive
global service work. The possibility
of fast deliveries gives your business
plenty of flexibility. If you’re focused
on good total operating economy, this
coach is destined to be a profit source
for years to come.
Page 18
18 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
When H.E. Ahmed Abdulaziz Alhakbani
took the helm of Saudi Customs following
his appointment as Governor in January
2017, he envisaged an ambitious future for
the authority where it would enhance its
offerings and to achieve one of the strategic
objectives of Vision 2030 to transform
the Kingdom into a logistics hub that can
compete on a global level.
cover story
Lnme
Page 19
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 19
T
he world has watched
Saudi Arabia making
tremendous qualita-
tive leaps in eco-
nomic growth and
development over
the past few years.
The changes that the
Kingdom has wit-
nessed, especially since its unveiling of
the bold Vision 2030 plan, took shape
at an unprecedented pace and were
truly remarkable and far-reaching.
Inspired by the audacious roadmap,
the country’s customs authority reached
several momentous milestones on its
eventful journey during these years thus
creating a strong growth momentum
in many crucial business sectors. The
expansion in sectors such as trade and
logistics has contributed significantly to
Saudi Arabia’s meteoric growth.
Saudi Customs has been playing a
vital role in enabling activities driven by
the government on economic, security,
and international cooperation fronts. It
facilitates trade across borders, contrib-
utes to national security by acting as a
gatekeeper to the Kingdom’s borders,
thereby blocking harmful substances
and terrorist activities, and promotes
international cooperation by forging
collaborative partnerships with trade
partners and organizations outside the
Kingdom.
When H.E. Ahmed Abdulaziz Alhak-
bani took the helm of Saudi Customs
following his appointment as Governor
in January 2017, he envisaged an ambi-
tious future for the authority where
it would enhance its offerings and to
achieve one of the strategic objectives of
Vision 2030 to transform the Kingdom
into a logistics hub that can compete on
a global level, and help build a prosper-
ous economy that maximizes gains from
its strategic geographic position as a
link between Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Translating Saudi Customs Vision into
Revolutionary Action
H.E. Ahmed Abdulaziz
Alhakbani
Saudi Customs vision aims to support the Kingdom in building a prosperous economy that utilizes its
strategic geographic position, increases the volume of international trade between Asia, Europe and
Africa, and maximizes gains from trade.
Images © Saudi Customs | customs.gov.sa
>>>
Translating Saudi Customs Vision into Revolutionary Action
Page 20
20 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
The determined leader outlined an
inspiring strategy that set forth attain-
able but pioneering, time-bound but
realistic goals for the authority to meet
over the coming years. With customer
experience, trade facilitation, revenue
realization, and security enforcement at
the core of its strategy and infrastruc-
ture, processes and procedures, and ser-
vice quality being its key pillars, Saudi
Customs embarked on its new mission
and H.E. Alhakbani’s targets material-
ized, one after another.
In a major achievement for Saudi Ara-
bia, it was ranked as the top-performing
country in the World Bank Group’s
Doing Business 2020 report. The King-
dom jumped 72 places on the “Trading
Across Borders” index to reinforce its
position to be among the top 10 global
investment environments. Saudi Cus-
toms’ efforts on efficiency and process
improvement, value chain integration,
and digitization were instrumental to
this exceptional accomplishment. The
authority slashed clearance time from 5
days in 2017 to 17.2 hours by the end
of 2019 and streamlined the documen-
tation and processes required for import
and export. The number of docu-
ments required for import and export,
previously 12 and 9, respectively, was
reduced to only 2 for both.
Customer Experience
As an entity that offers many customer-
intensive services, Saudi Customs
attaches great importance to customer
experience. It sought to transform
customer journeys targeting all touch-
points and develop communication
tools and channels to create exceptional
experiences for its customers including
traders, passengers, industrial play-
ers, private and public partners, and
e-commerce buyers.
The authority implemented company-
wide process improvement initiatives
through the adoption of the highest
international standards and launched
a round-the-clock Customer Contact
Center for enhanced customer experi-
ence. To deliver a more friendly travel
experience, Saudi Customs now allows
passengers to fill declaration forms
through its application or website
before leaving or returning to the
Kingdom.
Trade Facilitation
Facilitating the movement of goods
into and out of the Kingdom to support
economic growth while ensuring a fair
and competitive trade environment is
one of the main objectives of Saudi Cus-
toms. To deliver on this mandate more
efficiently and with excellence, the au-
thority set out to simplify and automate
clearance procedures and reduce their
time and cost through a multi-pronged
reform program in line with its strategy
to adopt the best global benchmarks in
trade facilitation.
Saudi Customs has been making signif-
icant progress in reducing the time be-
tween shipment arrival to full clearance
for all shipments. The authority is now
working towards a target of a two-hour
clearance milestone in 2021 through
constant efforts on regulatory reform,
process enhancement and automation,
and close collaboration with the entire
trade ecosystem. It implemented the Au-
thorized Economic Operator program
of the World Customs Organization and
the Transports Internationaux Routiers
(International Road Transport) Conven-
tion to facilitate the movement of goods
Contributing to the safety and protection of the
Saudi public and economy from harmful and fraudulent
products, terrorism, and unfair trade practices is a
cornerstone of Saudi Customs strategy.
Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the con-
struction of ports, railways, roads and airports. To take full advantage
of these investments, Customs plan to work with the private sector to
improve and link our infrastructure locally and internationally.
cover story
Page 21
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 21
for highly compliant traders offering
many procedural, logistics and security
benefits for the countries of origin, des-
tination and transit while guaranteeing
security through incentive alignment.
In another major development, Saudi
Customs launched Fasah, the unified
national system for all import and
export activities in the Kingdom. The
authority continues to work closely
with all government entities involved
in the clearance of goods to align and
synchronize the service to provide more
electronic services and improve their
quality. The single-window platform al-
lows the entities to submit the necessary
data for import and export procedures
electronically, thereby reducing the time
and cost of processing documents and
fast-tracking customs clearance.
Security Enforcement
Contributing to the safety and protec-
tion of the Saudi public and economy
from harmful and fraudulent products,
terrorism, and unfair trade practices is a
cornerstone of Saudi Customs strategy.
With the aim of further strengthening
security, the authority standardized
security procedures, automated selected
processes, and introduced advanced
technology for targeting and inspection
activities.
The authority’s major achievements
include the establishment of the Security
Operations Center, a full-fledged center
operating around the clock for customs
security reports from inside and outside
the Kingdom, and the Customs Target-
ing Center, which combines artificial
intelligence technologies with high
security capabilities, as well as strong
competencies in raising the accuracy of
expectations and managing future risks.
Saudi Customs also developed a field
operations center equipped with surveil-
lance rooms to monitor work in all
ports, document all footage, and ensure
the performance of the truck transit
tracking system. Further, it launched a
new hotline to report suspected cases of
smuggling and has further strengthened
the training of K9 sniffer dogs, which
have remained a major factor in the
success of Saudi Customs’ operations
since 1980.
A true visionary leader is the linch-
pin of a successful organization. H.E.
Alhakbani led the development of Saudi
Custom’s strategy and its effectual
translation into tangible, revolution-
ary outcomes to cement the author-
ity’s standing as a pivotal entity in the
Kingdom.
Translating Saudi Customs Vision into Revolutionary Action
Facilitating the
movement of goods
into and out of the
Kingdom to support
economic growth
while ensuring a fair
and competitive trade
environment is one of
the main objectives
of Saudi Customs.
Page 22
POWER25
a comprehensive list
of the top 25 logistic leaders
in the region
22 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
Page 23
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 23
M
ohamed
Juma Al
Shamisi
is the
Group
Chief
Execu-
tive Officer of Abu Dhabi
Ports, the operator and the
manager of commercial and
community ports within the
emirate of Abu Dhabi, as
well as Fujairah Terminals
and Khalifa Industrial Zone
Abu Dhabi (KIZAD).
In his role, he oversees the
development of Abu Dhabi
Ports’ portfolio of assets and
activities as well as directs
their strategy and opera-
tions. Under his leadership,
the transition from a proj-
ect-focused organisation to a
fully operational, customer
focused ports and industrial
zones business (KIZAD) has
been a remarkable success.
A strong, determined and
entrepreneurial leader, he
leads Abu Dhabi Ports’
role in supporting the
government’s objective of
diversifying the non-oil and
gas economy.
Al Shamisi is an experi-
enced maritime executive
with almost 20 years of in-
dustry experience, working
to ensure Abu Dhabi Ports
continues to hold a prime
position in the region’s
commercial maritime whilst
boosting the profile of Abu
Dhabi globally.
He joined Abu Dhabi
Ports in 2008 and has held
key leadership positions
within its portfolio, which
include the Executive Vice
President for the company’s
Ports Unit, where he was
instrumental in restructuring
this unit and rationalising
its assets. He also oversaw
the completion and commis-
sioning of the first phase of
Abu Dhabi Ports’ flagship
port, Khalifa Port and of its
adjacent Khalifa Industrial
Zone.
During his management,
Abu Dhabi Ports won more
than 40 prestigious local
and international awards,
including five categories
of Abu Dhabi Award for
Excellence in Government
Performance 2017 which
granted the company the
Main Award.
Al Shamisi is Chairman of
Abu Dhabi National Exhibi-
tion Company (ADNEC), he
is also a Board Member of
Etihad Rail DB, the Federal
Transport Authority - Land
& Maritime, and MAKE A
WISH Foundation UAE. He
also serves as a member of
the Board of Trustees to the
Emirates Maritime Arbitra-
tion Centre. He is currently
the Chairman of KIZAD
Board of Directors, and has
served as a Board Member
of Etihad Airways. He has
been recently appointed as
the Vice Chairman of Arab
Sea Port Federation.
Mohamed Juma
Al Shamisi
Group Chief Executive Officer
of Abu Dhabi Ports
01
POWER 25
Al Shamisi is an experienced maritime executive with almost 20 years
of industry experience, working to ensure Abu Dhabi Ports continues to
hold a prime position in the region’s commercial maritime whilst boost-
ing the profile of Abu Dhabi globally.
Page 24
24 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
POWER 25
Lnme
nour suliman
CEO, DHL Express
Middle East
and North Africa
02
Page 25
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 25
N
our Suli-
man is
the CEO
of DHL
Express
Middle
East and
North
Africa. In his current capac-
ity as CEO, he oversees
DHL’s operations across 19
markets and leads a strong
team of 5700 employees. Mr.
Suliman has been with DHL
for 41 years and has held the
position of CEO for the last
9 years. He was previously
the Country Manager for
DHL Express Saudi Arabia
where, under his leader-
ship, the office consistently
achieved stellar performance.
He also managed the busi-
ness in Bahrain for eight
years and prior to that held
various managerial roles
across multiple DHL Express
functions and departments
including Customer Service,
Sales and Marketing, and
Commercial, across other
regional countries including
UAE and Cairo.
Over the past 12 months
E-Commerce has been a key
driver for DHL and this has
resulted in DHL increasing
their capacity and enhancing
their network to meet the
demand. Nour told LNME:
“We have been investing
in adding air capacity to
enhance our network and
better our capabilities to
service high demand destina-
tions with greater speed,
reliability and efficiency.
We have been upgrading
our MENA airplanes and
adding more intra-regional
and intercontinental routes,
connections and flights to
our portfolio to support the
growing logistics needs of
our clients.”
Nour added: “Simultane-
ously, we have continued to
expand our facilities to ac-
commodate growth and the
space needed for more ship-
ment inflow. The most recent
milestones have been the
opening of our newly built
US$30.5 million logistics
facility in Dhahran, DHL’s
fourth infrastructure invest-
ment in KSA in the past 4
years; as well as our newest,
state-of-the-art logistics
facility and country office
in Amman at an investment
size of US$ 5.8 Million.”
2020 has been a unique
year due to the COVID-19
pandemic but this hasn’t af-
fected Nour’s leadership and
has maintained that even
prior to the pandemic it was
his duty to ensure the safety
and the wellbeing of the staff
were being maintained.
“We put their health on
the same priority list as
business continuity because
their mental and physical
state was critical to us main-
taining optimum levels of
service. We were transparent
and proactive in ensuring all
staff stay safe, informed, and
well prepared to tackle any
scenario. We definitely had
to make adjustments to our
business processes to reduce
risk of staff exposure and
mitigate possible effects, but
I have to say that our teams
have done an outstanding
job staying close to our
clients, communicating
regularly, and providing
necessary advisory and
support to facilitate their
logistics needs.”
Nour concluded: “Lead-
ers must trust in the
experience and knowledge
of their team members
and empower them with
the confidence and means
to perform their roles to
the best of their ability.
They should encourage
staff participation and the
exchange of ideas; and it
is imperative to recognise
and reward talent, hard
work and loyalty.”
“Leaders must trust in the experience and
knowledge of their team members and
empower them with the confidence and means
to perform their roles to the best of their ability.”
POWER 25
Page 26
26 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
Image © Saudi Customs
H
.E. Mr. Ahmed Abdu-
laziz Alhakbani was
appointed to the role
of the Governor of
Saudi General Cus-
toms Authority since
January 2017.
Mr. Alhakbani has also held several
senior management positions. He is
the Chairman of the Board of King
Fahd Causeway Authority and a
Chairman of the Board of Saudi
Company for Exchanging Digital In-
formation (Tabadul), a board member
at several Government entities and
Saudi organizations as well, including
the Saudi Ports Authority, Saudi Food
and Drug Authority, Saudi Arabian
Airlines, Local Content & Govern-
ment Procurement Authority. He is
also a member of the founding com-
mittee of Flyadeal and a Chairman
of the Board of Uptown Jeddah as a
representative of the Public Invest-
ment Fund.
In 2008, he was appointed as I.T.
and Strategy Advisor to the Deputy
Minister of Planning and I.T. at the
Ministry of Education (Previously
named Ministry of Higher Educa-
tion), primarily focusing on develop-
ing the Ministry’s e-government
strategy and launching its online
portal. H.E. Mr. Alhakbani was
Director-General of Information and
Technology. He led the transforma-
tion project at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs between 2010 to 2013. He
also served as Secretary-General and
board member in the Saudi Exports
Development Authority (Saudi
Exports) from 2013 to 2017. During
which, he was the Former Deputy
Minister of Foreign Trade at the Min-
istry of Commerce and Investment
during 2016, and overlooking all the
government’s international commer-
cial offices worldwide.
H.E. Mr. Alhakbani launched his
Microsoft career, where he managed
leading corporate accounts for Saudi
publicly listed companies. He later
became a technical consultant for
Microsoft at various government
agencies and authorities from 2002
to 2004.
Later in 2004, he joined the first
national e-government program “Yes-
ser” and held the project manager
position between 2004 and 2006. In
2006, he joined Cisco Systems as a
Business Development Manager for
the Economic Cities Project, which he
received an Extraordinary Achieve-
ment Award from Cisco’s Chairman
and CEO in 2008.
Furthermore, and throughout
his career, H.E. Mr. Alhakbani has
utilized his academic and professional
experience in supporting technology
startups as an investor or partner or
part of the initial startup team.
He holds a full-time MBA degree
from INSEAD and a Bachelor of
Science in Computer Information
Systems from King Saud University
in Riyadh. He also completed execu-
tive education courses at the London
School of Economics and Political
Science and IMD Business School in
Lausanne.
POWER 25
Lnme
H.E. Ahmed Abdulaziz
Alhakbani
Governor, Saudi General Customs Authority
03
Page 27
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 27
M
oham-
med Ali
Almaj-
douie has
been part
of the
Almaj-
douie Group for seven years.
Since taking charge of Alma-
jdouie Logistics, Moham-
med has strived to build on
the company’s momentum
while navigating the com-
plex challenges brought on
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regardless of size, loca-
tion, or industry, businesses
across the world are facing
one of the biggest crises in
recent history. However,
one of Almajdouie Logistics’
greatest strengths is our abil-
ity to turn challenges into
opportunities.
“We have adapted to new
ways of working to support
our Kingdom and customers
during these unprecedented
times, finding a new sense of
resilience in the process.
Our team members have
shown incredible profes-
sionalism, going above and
beyond to ensure we fulfill
our obligations and keep our
clients’ projects on track. We
are also proud to play a role
in keeping the supply chain
moving, delivering essential
products across the country
to make sure stores are
fully stocked,” Mohammed
explained.
Furthermore, under
Mohammed’s leadership,
the group has seen an
advancement in automation
and enhanced its digital
capabilities. Almajdouie Lo-
gistics has also streamlined
operations to enhance team
members’ skills and better
serve its customers.
Mohammed told LNME:
“Digitalisation remains an
active area of focus and, at
present, more than 80% of
our process and services are
fully automated and inte-
grated with stakeholder plat-
forms. In line with this, we
recently enhanced our fleet
with advanced telematics so-
lutions that have improved
safety and efficiency.”
“The implementation sup-
ports our ambitious digital
transformation programme,
enabling us to build our
business through real-time
fleet management capabili-
ties and data-driven insights.
Capitalising on the growth
of eCommerce in the King-
dom, we have added last-
mile delivery and fullfilment
services to our offerings.”
Almajdouie Logistics is
committed to continuous
improvement, both inter-
nally and while working on
major projects alongside our
partners and clients. The
company is concurrently in-
troducing new initiatives to
boost its capabilities. These
initiatives include redefining
the company’s structure and
strategy, and focusing on
technology, innovation, and
sustainability.
“Enhancing the customer
experience and strengthen-
ing our partnerships with
our valued clients is vital.
Accordingly, we are in the
process of revamping our
customer relationship devel-
opment department, which
will help us to deliver im-
proved levels of service.. We
are also working to improve
our internal communication
structure and further incor-
porate corporate social re-
sponsibility into our growth
strategy,” Mohammed said.
“Although the social and
economic effects of the
pandemic are beyond our
control, we can control how
we react to them. By focus-
ing on positive thoughts and
actions, we will overcome
this crisis and emerge stron-
ger and better prepared for
future challenges,” Moham-
med concluded.
Mohammed Ali
Almajdouie
CEO, Almajdouie Logistics
04
POWER 25
“The implementation supports our ambitious digital transformation pro-
gramme, enabling us to build our business through real-time fleet manage-
ment capabilities and data-driven insights.
Page 28
28 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
F
arooq Shaikh is the CEO
of LogiPoint, the leading
operators of Logistics
Parks and Economic Zones
in the Kingdom. LogiPoint
started its journey as the
first and only Bonded and
Re-Export Zone in the Kingdom and
has established itself as a platform
that enables the Logistics and Supply
Chain industry with innovative solu-
tions and pioneering initiatives.
Farooq has over 20+ years of high
impact experience in the Middle East
shipping and logistics industry and
has previously held senior leadership
roles with industry leading global or-
ganizations in UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait,
Iraq, and Jordan before coming to
KSA.
In 2009, Farooq joined the SISCO
(PUBLICLY LISTED: http://www.
bloomberg.com/quote/SISCO:AB)
Group’s SAR 2 Billion Red Sea Gate-
way Terminal project as part of the
core senior management team and
played an instrumental role in build-
ing, launching and operationalizing
the first privately built state-of-the-art
container terminal in the Kingdom.
Since 2018, Farooq has been leading
LogiPoint as the CEO and is commit-
ted to transforming the organization
into a Regional Logistics Hub, which
has a stated mission to act as enablers
of the Logistics Industry as a whole
and to go ‘One Step Further’ in
working extensively with the industry
stakeholders to anticipate and un-
derstand the needs of the market, to
identify opportunities for growth and
development, and to design, introduce
and implement innovative solutions
which contribute towards the realiza-
tion of Vision 2030.
Some of the Logistics solutions that
LogiPoint have rolled out over his
tenure are as follows:
Export Distribution Hub:
Petrochemicals is the Kingdom’s single
largest export, with hundreds of thou-
sands of containers exported annually
to destinations all across the world.
LogiPoint worked tirelessly with the
Petrochemical majors and with high
volume exporters to re-engineer the
entire export process and to bring the
clients closer to their markets by
reducing the lead time between order
and delivery. In this high-volume,
high-stakes industry, this efficiency
in logistics translates to vital com-
petitive edge for KSA exporters in
the international market.
Cross-border Gulf:
Shipments originating in Europe and
the Americas, and passing through
the Red Sea, typically have a transit
time of 8-12 days ahead of them to
reach the GCC ports in the Arabian
Gulf. LogiPoint introduced the
Cross-border Gulf service under
which shipments can be discharged
in Jeddah and moved to ports and
final destinations in the GCC coun-
tries via bonded trucking. This helps
reduce the transit times by 7-10 days
and translates to greater efficiency as
well as higher revenues and profit-
ability for the clients.
Sea/Air and Air/Sea:
LogiPoint have been working
extensively with the industry stake-
holders and the regulatory bodies to
design and streamline multimodal
movement of shipments seamlessly.
Thanks to the initiatives taken by
LogiPoint, it is now possible in KSA
to import one leg of a shipment
by sea, move it under bond to the
desired airport, and load it out by
air freight to its final destination.
Similarly, air-freight imports can be
moved to the LogiPoint bonded and
re-export zone for consolidation
before being shipped out by Sea.
This is an important development
in putting the KSA on the world lo-
gistics map as a strategically located
multimodal logistics hub.
As the world comes to terms with
the new set of normal in a post CO-
VID-19 world, Farooq is looking to
lead LogiPoint into this new world
as an important stakeholder in the
regional logistics market.
POWER 25
Lnme
Farooq Shaikh
CEO, LogiPoint
05
Page 29
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Page 30
30 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
N
abil Sultan’s career
spans close to three
decades in commercial
operation roles within
Emirates. Educated in
the United States, Nabil
holds a Bachelor Degree
in Computer Science and Manage-
ment Information Systems from the
University of Portland. He began his
career with Emirates in 1990 in the IT
department. And two years later joined
the company’s management training
programme within the Commercial
Operations Department.
Between 1995 and 2008, Nabil
gained extensive commercial experi-
ence at Emirates, working in various
management and leadership roles both
within and outside the UAE, heading
commercial operation as Vice President
for both the UK and then India for
more than 8 years after which he
moved back to UAE as a Senior Vice
President for Commercial Operations
West Asis, followed by Senior Vice
President, Commercial Operations
Gulf, Middle East, and then Senior
Vice President, Commercial Operations
for Europe & CIS.
In 2009, Nabil was promoted to Di-
visional Senior Vice President, Revenue
Optimisation and Distribution for the
Airline.
In June 2013, he was appointed to his
current position, as Divisional Senior
Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo.
According to the Emirates Group’s fi-
nancial results for 2019/2020, Emirates
SkyCargo continued to deliver a solid
performance in a highly competitive
market, contributing to 13% of the
airline’s total transport revenue.
With the lingering weakness in air
freight demand over most of the year,
Emirates’ cargo division reported a
revenue of AED 11.2 billion (US$ 3.1
billion), a decrease of 14% over last
year.
Freight yield per Freight Tonne
Kilometre (FTKM), after two consecu-
tive years of growth, declined by 2%,
largely impacted by the reduction in
fuel price, and a strong US dollar.
Tonnage carried decreased by 10% to
reach 2.4 million tonnes, due to the ca-
pacity reduction with the retirement of
one Boeing 777 freighter and reduced
available bellyhold capacity in the first
and last quarters of the year. At the end
of 2019-20, Emirates’ SkyCargo’s total
freighter fleet stood at 11 Boeing 777Fs.
Emirates SkyCargo continued to
develop innovative, bespoke products.
In October, it launched Emirates
Delivers, an e-commerce platform that
helps individual customers and small
businesses consolidate online purchases
in the US and have them delivered in
the UAE. More origin and destination
markets are being planned in the future,
leveraging Dubai as a hub for regional
e-commerce fulfilment. During the year,
Emirates Skycargo also strengthened
its pharma capabilities with the open-
ing of new facilities in Chicago and
Copenhagen.
POWER 25
Lnme
Nabil Sultan
Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President,
Emirates SkyCargo
06
Page 31
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 31
POWER 25
A
t a time of global disrup-
tion and uncertainty,
Bengt Ekstrand is a
steady hand at the GAC
Group’s helm.
Since being appointed
Group President in
January 2013, he has focused on the
Group’s strategic plan to ensure GAC
is structurally and operationally fit for
the 21st century’s challenges.
In 2020, that strategy has been put
to the test as the COVID- 19 pandem-
ics took its toll on countries world-
wide. GAC’s solid foundation and
corporate resilience have set it in good
stead to weather the storm and chart
its course for the future. The Group
continues to grow, as Bengt oversees
expansion in the Middle East, Asia
Pacific, Indian Subcontinent, Africa,
Europe, and the Americas.
Bengt told LNME: “2020 has taught
us in a spectacular manner how the
best-laid plans can be thrown into dis-
array. We have seen this many times
and in many locations throughout
GAC’s history of more than 60 years,
but the disruption brought about by
the COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps
a first in terms of its global impact.
Nonetheless, GAC’s strategy of a
long-term approach, looking well into
the future rather than chasing a quick
profit, has served us well both in the
past and amid the current crisis. Based
on our solid foundation, financial
security and corporate resilience, we
believe we will weather to coronavirus
storm and continue our course for the
future.”
Before his appointment, Bengt was
Group Vice President for the Asia
Pacific from 2009, accountable for
the GAC companies’ effective and
profitable management in the region.
Before 2009, he was Regional Direc-
tor for the Middle East for more than
six years. He joined GAC in 1992,
working in several stations in the Gulf
before taking on his regional respon-
sibilities.
Bengt
Ekstrand
GAC Group President
07
“2020 has taught
us in a spectacular
manner how the
best-laid plans
can be thrown into
disarray.”
Page 32
32 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
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M
ohsen Ahmad oversees
Dubai South’s entire Lo-
gistics District as its CEO.
Having set up its free
zone and established the
Dubai Logistics Corridor,
which connects Jebel Ali
Port with Al Maktoum International Airport
via a single, custom-bonded zone, Mohsen
leads the overall execution of the district’s
operations, manages its financial planning,
and is responsible for setting the district’s
strategic directions and goals. He was also
instrumental in laying the groundwork for
future developments to ensure the district’s
sustainable growth.
Anticipating the rapid growth of e-com-
merce and witnessing the growing number of
international and regional movers in Dubai,
Mohsen championed the development of EZ-
Dubai, a purpose built e-commerce hub that
supports the growth of the sector through
state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure
within the Logistics District.
Additionally, as an industry veteran, he
played an instrumental role in developing
Dubai’s overall e-commerce strategy to con-
solidate the emirate’s position as a hub for
global e-commerce.
Mohsen joined Dubai South in 2008 fol-
lowing more than twelve years’ experience in
the supply chains and logistics sector, having
held management posts at Al Futtaim Logis-
tics and tenure as head of inbound logistics at
Dubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL).
He had set his sights early on a career in
supply chain and logistics, with a bachelor’s
degree in logistics and transportation from
the University of Tennessee, USA and a
Master of Science in logistics and supply
chain management from Cranfield University
School of Management, United Kingdom.
POWER 25
Lnme
MOHSEN
AHMAD
CEO, Logistics District
Dubai South
08
Page 33
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 33
W
issam Khoury is involved
in leading installations
worldwide for Auto-
mated Warehouses and
Air Cargo Handling
Systems. Wissam is recognized amongst
the Logistics Industry experts for the
performance in Engineering Excellency
and successful handover of Projects.
Wissam manages multiple business enti-
ties; there were several projects under
Wissam’s supervision which included:
> Automated Warehouse for Pharma-
ceutical Manufacturer Al Dawaa
> Services and Consultancies for the
Logistics Industry worldwide
> Automated Car Park System for a
government-owned project in Dubai
> Multiple projects for Car Park Sys-
tems in the UAE.
As for future projects, Wissam told
LNME that they have plans to imple-
ment an Automated Car Park System
in KSA, to provide Consultancies and
Services for 2PL, 3PL, and 4PL market
players, and for e-commerce.
As a strategic vision during the past
business year, Wissam is involved in the
global expansion of Advanced Logistic
Systems, resulting in new offices estab-
lished in Europe and Asia.
LNME asked Wissam about his
leadership style during the COVID-19
pandemic, and he told LNME that it
was essential to adapt to the new era:
“Adaptation to a new work style
worldwide brought the remote work
to become a trend in all industries. The
pandemic situation enabled the use of
digital technologies that I and my team
have been applying in project manage-
ment.”
POWER 25
Wissam Khoury
Serial Entrepreneur,
Advanced Logistic Systems
09
Page 34
34 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
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POWER 25
Lnme
J
ens joined RSGT 4 years
ago and under his leadership
RSGT has seen a significant
rise. The company devel-
oped strategies that would
see RSGT become a niche
emerging market operator
as evident by their international growth
strategy and project wins.
RSGT has in 2019 signed a 30-year
concession agreement with Saudi Port
Authority, MAWANI, to consolidate
and redevelop the northern sector of
Jeddah Islamic Port.
This includes the takeover of the
adjoining Container Terminal, which
was previously named as Northern
Container Terminal, and develop it as
the largest container terminal in Saudi
Arabia and the Red Sea. Moreover,
there will be a total investment of $1.7
billion in infrastructure, equipment,
and technology by 2050, with annual
container throughput capacity growing
to 8.8 million TEUs.
Furthermore, by 2023 RSGT will
cover 1.5 million square meters and
have an increased annual container
throughput capacity to 5.2 million
TEUs. RSGT is the only Jeddah facil-
ity able to accommodate Ultra-Large
Container Ships (ULCS) of 20,000 TEU
+ capacity. By the end of the first three-
year investment phase in this expansion
project, RSGT will be equipped with 24
Super Post-Panamax quay cranes, 67
Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs),
and will offer 4,900 Reefer plugs. This
investment in equipment and capacity
will firmly establish RSGT as the larg-
est logistics gateway, and the busiest
container terminal, in Saudi Arabia and
the Red Sea.
In terms of Jens’ leadership beliefs, he
told LNME: “A good leader must be
able to balance the need for reaching
short term goals/profitability, while de-
veloping and executing a strategy that at
the same time will position the company
for medium and long term success. Only
when your strategy ensures customer
focus and employee engagement are you
in a position to finetune and optimize
allowing for attracting the right talent,
which is a prerequisite for becoming the
market leader.”
Jens O. Floe
CEO, Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT)
10
“A good leader must be
able to balance the need
for reaching short term
goals/profitability, while
developing and executing
a strategy that at the
same time will position the
company for medium and
long term success.”
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Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 35
POWER 25
A
lain Kaddoum is the
General Manager of
Swisslog Middle East,
an intralogistics provider
that delivers robot-based
and data-driven automa-
tion solutions for custom-
ers across a wide range of industries
including F&B, retail, e-commerce,
pharmaceuticals, spare parts as well as
third-party warehouses and distribu-
tion centres.
One of Swisslog’s winning stories for
2020 was the completed the instal-
lation and implementation of a new
fully automated and retrieval solution
for Mai Dubai, a leading Dubai-based
bottled drinking water company.
Following the implementation of
fully automated and data-driven in-
tralogistics system, the company has
benefited with double production,
storage capacity and reduced labour
costs.
As part of an order valued over
Euro 20mn, Swisslog planned and
implemented a fully automated
system based on intelligent software
in the context of big data. The major
expansion project included planning
and implementing a six-aisle auto-
mated high-bay warehouse for raw
material and packaging materials as
well as -only a few hundred meters
away- a high-bay warehouse with
17,560 pallet locations for finished
goods with 10 aisles.
Another project which will go live
in the coming few months is Almarai,
world’s largest vertically integrated
dairy company and the region’s larg-
est food and beverage manufacturing
and distribution chain. The multi-
million US dollar project was rolled
out in four phases and included the
supply and installation of storage
and retrieval systems, conveyors,
Automatic Reefer Loading System
(ARLS), automatic picking modules
supplied by KUKA, together with
electric monorail suspension systems.
Alain has emphasised the need to im-
plement policies to directly drive and
support sales and business teams;
develop effective strategies to support
the uptake of the company’s automa-
tion solutions for forward-thinking
customers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia
and bordering regions.
Alain told LNME: “Since I took
over the position of the General
Manager for the Middle East, I have
worked tirelessly to make businesses
in the Middle East more aware of
the benefits of automation. From
zero awareness, today we are seeing
more and more businesses requesting
Swisslog’s partnership in automating
operations. I have also been responsi-
ble for executing large scale projects
in the Middle East, such as Almarai
and Mai Dubai to name a few we
can talk about, as a result of which,
Swisslog’s profile in the industry has
gone up.”
Alain Kaddoum
General Manager,
Swisslog Middle East
11
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Lnme
C
hristopher Cook
joined Maersk
in the UK in
2002 and had
the opportunity
to grow through
commercial
leadership roles across the
UK, Africa, and Europe
and for the last few years in
Dubai, UAE.
Christopher’s roles have
been commercially orientated
and developing a customer
focus is one of the other
focuses he has brought to
the table, mainly how they
develop the structures around
the customer, engage with
them, and develop.
“At Maersk, our people
& people development is
something we focus on and
over the years the company
has invested in me and other
colleagues. It is something I
am very passionate about; I
have focused on developing
my teams and establishing
clear development plans for
them to grow further. I also
continue to take on mentor-
ship roles for colleagues in
different parts of the business
to support them with my ex-
periences,” said Christopher.
Maersk globally set a vision
to become an integrated
container logistics company.
This has meant transforming
many aspects of their busi-
ness. The two major ones in
the last year for us in UAE
were as follows:
In the early part of 2019, this
meant bringing together 200
colleagues from two different
parts of the business under
a single brand, building new
capabilities, and unifying
under the shared vision. It
also required establishing and
fitting out new office space
to support the business. In
12 months, we have seen our
internal engagement scores
lifting and customer satisfac-
tion rising.
The second focus was
around continuing our
digitization journey; wherein
we looked at transferring
several paper-based payment
and booking processes to
online platforms. Maersk
is at the point where they
had achieved around 95%
adoption from lows 30s in
2019, and this became a key
enabler for ensuring business
continuity when the CO-
VID-19 pandemic hit.
“Our ambitions around
digitization continue to play
a key priority – during 2020
we have moved a large part
of our quotations online. Go-
ing into 2021 we will look to
expand the service offerings
that can be bought through
our platforms. We will also
launch several new product
offerings for air freight and
LCL (less than container
load) and bringing those
to the marketplace will be
another key priority for us,”
said Christopher.
Christopher Cook
Managing Director, Maersk UAE
12
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Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 37
POWER 25
G
aurav spent 14 years in
International consulting
across the UK, US, and
the Gulf before start-
ing TruKKer. He is an
execution focussed, a
commercial champion
who strongly believes in the oppor-
tunity to organize a very primitive,
traditional but fundamental land
transportation sector.
TruKKer is currently the industry
leader in technology-enabled land
freight operations. TruKKer is the
most advanced digital freight plat-
form in the MENA region. Since its
beginning at the end of 2016, TruK-
Ker now operated 25,000+ trucks
across 16 offices in the region.
TruKKer has been on a tremendous
growth path constantly over the
last four years. It now services 500+
enterprise clients including multina-
tionals, regional large corporations,
and SMEs. Gaurav says, ‘On an
average day, the platform is moving
1000+ truckloads per day and this is
constantly growing month on month.
This kind of growth is very difficult to
execute without the right technology
and automation. This is where we
focus - to ensure we are constantly
creating tools that help us scale and
automate. Our engineering teams also
focus a lot on data sciences where
thousands of data points are created
daily. The ability to dissect, analyze,
and process this data for decision
making creates strong competitive
advantages for us.’
TruKKer’s primary products include
FTL (Full Truck Load) for cross-
border and domestic movements
across the MENA region including
services at most of the seaports.
TruKKer recently launched its LTL
(Less than Truckload) product in KSA
and will soon commence offering this
in its other markets. “The launch of
additional products within the land-
freight sector is now imminent as we
continue to find more solutions for
our clients. Our LTL product will sig-
nificantly improve utilization via the
use of technology, that should offer
immediate savings to the industry,”
adds Gaurav.
TruKKer is currently under incorpo-
ration in multiple additional markets,
while it continues to grow rapidly in
the region.
TruKKer’s investors include the
largest investment funds in the region
including STV and international in-
stitutions like IFC (part of the World
Bank).
Gaurav
Biswas
Founder and CEO, TruKKer
13
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Lnme
M
ohammed Al-Mudarres,
CEO at SISCO, has been
a part of the organization
for more than 13 years.
Mohammed has brought
a systematic and structured way of
managing their investment and portfo-
lio of companies.
Mohammed told LNME: “We have
improved our internal corporate
governance and reporting structure
tremendously. We have also developed
a refined 5-year strategy plan for SISCO
back in 2015, which we have already
implemented more than 95% of the
strategy recommendations up to now.
We are in the process of re-evaluating
our next 5-year strategy plan with the
focus on improving our position in the
marketplace and enhancing our inves-
tor’s relations programs.”
In the past 12 months, SISCO added
the North Container Terminal in Jed-
dah to their port sector, making SISCO
and its subsidiaries the largest container
terminal operator in Saudi Arabia.
SISCO also signed a new 25-year BOT
contract for our water business to de-
velop the city of Taif ISTP plant.
In regards to future projects, Moham-
med said: “The pipeline projects include
an international expansion of the ports
business. In the logistic sector we are
developing additional built-to-suit
warehousing and logistic facilities for
the growing e-commers industry in
Saudi Arabia; in addition, we are in the
process of evaluation a new multi-user
warehouse facility in the city of Jubail
for the petrochemical industry. We are
also in the bidding process for 2 major
BOT projects in the water sector and
embarking on new O&M projects.”
S
aud spearheads Dubai Industrial
City’s strategy and day-to-day
operations to contribute to
elevating Dubai into a global
hub for advanced, innovative,
and sustainable manufacturing in line
with the UAE’s leadership’s vision of
economic diversification for a more
sustainable future.
Saud believes that the fourth industrial
revolution is tipped to create major
opportunities across logistics. Robotics
will make warehouses smarter, intercon-
nected and less labour-intensive and,
alongside artificial intelligence, it will
create new jobs moving forwards.
Across the industry, predictive analysis
will empower warehouse operators
to forecast volume demand for goods
and identify risks in the supply chain
at speed. Blockchain will add greater
transparency and traceability to sup-
ply chains, making them more open,
sustainable and secure. And enhanced
data and analytics capabilities from
the Internet of Things will improve
productivity and profitability. Logistics
and manufacturing may have been
among the unsung heroes during the
pandemic, but the social and economic
value of these critical non-oil sector kept
the economy going during the lockdown
and will ensure a swift recovery. As a
catalyst for growth, Dubai Industrial
City will contribute to this.
Saud concluded: “We are key enabler
and strategic driver of the Dubai Indus-
trial Strategy 2030 and will work along-
side our business partners to unlock
the UAE’s potential to become a global
platform for knowledge-based, sustain-
able, innovative industries.”
Mohammed
Al-Mudarres
Saud Abu
Al-Shawareb
CEO, SISCO
Managing Director, Dubai Industrial City
14
15
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Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 39
POWER 25
K
uwaiti-based
company
Posta Plus was
founded in
2005 and has
since enjoyed
balanced growth, evolving
from a simple domestic cou-
rier company into a leading
regional provider of global
business, logistics and ship-
ping solutions.
Leading the charge is
32-year-old Ahmad Alje-
maiei, CEO of Posta Plus
Group, who joined Posta
Plus in 2015 and has quickly
risen up the ranks as one
of top CEO’s in the region.
Throughout his career, Ah-
mad held a number of senior
management positions with
notable logistics companies
such as DHL. His responsi-
bilities have included global
network strategy, strategic
sales, and business develop-
ment.
After acquiring the Board
of Directors trust to manage
the group in early march
this year He has put together
a highly skilled team of
specialists to create a border-
less world that curtails trade
barriers for a seamless and
convenient flow of parcels.
Furthermore, Ahmad was
responsible for transforming
underperforming operations,
optimizing processes, and
procedures, and driving
sales teams to breakthrough
results within a short span
of time introducing different
markets into our region with
partnering up with the big-
gest E-com Platforms known
to the Arab world.
Posta Plus vision is global
as they strive to connect
the globe’s logistical and
supply chain resources into
a single intelligent platform
that overcomes fulfillment
challenges and optimizes
convenient shipping and
logistics solutions for busi-
ness organizations across
a wide range of locations
including the GCC, Jordan,
Asia, Egypt, North America,
Europe and soon Turkey.
Ahmad told LNME: “For
more than a decade, our
most important resources
are our human capital who
are supported by innovative
systems and processes, which
has in turn helped Posta Plus
to plan, execute and oversee
the most convenient logistics
and shipping solutions that
provide business organiza-
tions with fast transit times
and seamless connections to
their desired locations fol-
lowing the world of block-
chain innovation tailored to
the GCC region as a start.”
Ahmad
Aljemaiei
CEO , Posta Plus Group
16
Posta Plus vision is global as they
strive to connect the globe’s
logistical and supply chain
resources into a single intelligent
platform that overcomes
fulfillment challenges and
optimizes convenient shipping
and logistics solutions for
business organizations across a
wide range of locations including
the GCC, Jordan, Asia, Egypt,
North America, Europe and soon
Turkey.
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H
ussein Wehbe is a logistics veteran with 20 years
of experience in the sector including over 15 years
with Aramex serving it in different leadership roles
is now tasked with leading Fetchr forward.
Fetchr, founded in 2012, with a cloud technology platform
and digital-only approach, Fetchr was born to disrupt the
traditional supply chain model.
Fetchr understands what it takes to succeed in the rapidly
changing digital world we operate in today. That’s why our
positioning, predictive and machine learning technologies
are so uniquely equipped to meet the transport and shipping
demands of the generations.
Agility, flexibility, reliability and service customization
are part of the Fetchr DNA. Joining the Fetchr logistics
family ensures a seamless brand experience throughout the
customer journey. Your brand is our brand. Your customer
is our customer.
Fetchr incorporates technology into conventional logistics
services to resolve three fundamental pain points that last
mile delivery service provider face in the Middle East which
include cash on delivery reconciliation, lack of clear address,
and scalability.
A
bhinav started his corporate
career with Danzas (DHL,
Dubai) after completing his
MBA in Logistics & Supply
Chain Management. Abhinav has
been instrumental in setting up the
Road Freight product/s in Danzas and
spearheaded Handling Operations at
four DHL DGF cargo terminals in
the UAE. His professional experience
spans over 15 years in strategy, plan-
ning, policy-making, and execution of
multiple complex logistics projects.
Now Abhinav is the Co-Founder
and CEO of Fero.Ai, which is a
B2B SaaS global play in the freight
& logistics space. They believe that
manual coordination is at the heart of
inefficiencies in freight hence they are
solving for it by using advanced Ai to
build technology solutions that opti-
mize and automate coordination &
collaboration across different freight
functions & processes.
The Fero.Ai team has built the
world’s 1st IVA for freight, called TiA
which is equivalent to the Google
Assistant/Alexa specifically for this
industry. The Fero.Ai product suite
currently has four products, suited for
the freight stakeholder’s spectrum’s
different types and sizes.
Fero.Ai aims to use revolutionary
automation systems such as Narrow
Ai, Speech Recognition & Natural
Language Processing, Machine Learn-
ing, and Computer Vision.
D
eepak has been involved with
Premier Logistics since its
establishment in Q1 2016.
In the last 12 months,
Premier Logistics have moved towards
an agile and asset-light strategy prov-
ing themselves more resilient during
the pandemic. Their asset-light model
helped serve numerous customer seg-
ments through numerous logistics
networks that are based on shared
assets and that leverage partners and
digital tools to foster large-scale agility
and responsiveness.
Deepak told LNME: “We at Premier
have been focusing primarily on retain-
ing our existing clients and providing
them with quality par excellence.”
To support their existing clients and
to entice new clients Premier Logistics
worked on implementing its Digital
Transformation strategy for this region.
They announced an exclusive partner-
ship with Parcelly - the world’s largest
Pick-up Drop-Off (PUDO) technology
service provider. Parcelly is the fastest
growing network of retailer and carrier
agnostic PUDO locations, managing
over 2,000+ parcel collection points
worldwide to date. By converting
redundant space in local businesses into
parcel storage capacity, Parcelly offers a
variety of B2C and B2B services.
“By delivering thousands of parcels to
thousands of individual doors, last-mile
fulfilment drivers spend far more time
on the road and have a much lower
successful delivery rate as compared
to delivering those same parcels to a
handful of PUDO locations, which are
guaranteed to be open for business and
able to accept deliveries,” Deepak said.
Hussein Wehbe
Abhinav Chaudhary
Deepak Khushalani
CEO, Fetchr
Co-Founder and CEO, Fero.Ai
CEO, Premier Logistics
POWER 25
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17
18
19
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Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 41
J
anardan Dalmia is the Founder
and the CEO of Trukkin and has
been involved with the company
from the time Trukkin was en-
visioned. Over time, they have worked
passionately to create an enterprise
which is fundamentally strong and will
not only survive any crisis but thrive.
In 2020, Trukkin was able to expand
their services to Pakistan during the
pandemic and further deepening their
roots in the Middle East. Looking
forward, Trukkin are looking
at breaking into the Oil & Gas,
Chemicals and Building Materials
sector for 2020 and 2021.
In terms of leadership, Janardan told
LNME: “A good leader facilitates
the change he wants in his team. At
Trukkin we have done just that. My
primary motive was to bring about
transparency, efficiency, and reliabil-
ity into logistics and it started from
within the organization in terms of
culture and then with our world-class
platform and customer-centric poli-
cies, we have been able to do just that
both internally and with our custom-
ers and partners.”
S
ince the beginning of 2000s,
Khamid has been success-
fully running the company
by making sure that all the
products and services are available
to customers quickly enough to beat
the competition. Being the founder of
WDC, Khamid pays a lot of attention
and affords to promote the company
and its products, improvement of the
customer services and education of the
company members.
Creative thinking, inspiring others
and constant innovation is what made
Khamid and his team stand out from
the crowd and gain the reputation
among his customers and business
partners.
Using a brand new state of the art
warehouse facility that’s over 50,000
sq. ft., and a fleet of modern delivery
vehicles, WDC FZCO distributes its
line of products in the United Arab
Emirates, Middle East, North Africa
and CIS countries.
The company principals have over
decades of experience in the distribu-
tion of FMCG. Worldwide Distribu-
tion Center is a leading Multi-Product,
Multi-Activity Distribution Company
located in the United Arab Emirates
with global reach.
I
rene Sutton is the co-founder & CEO of Innova
Supply Chain and have been involved in opera-
tions since its inception in its current form almost
10 years ago.
Irene told LNME: “I took over as CEO in Novem-
ber 2019. Almost immediately I was focused on devel-
oping the solutions side of the business and expanding
and developing new partnerships with solutions
providers and services companies in growth markets.”
Under her leadership Innova has become a strategic
partner in the Middle East for various supply chain
software solutions providers that cater to all levels of
organisations and have several projects which include
digitization readiness assessments and supply chain
healthchecks prior to solution tendering and imple-
mentation.
In 2019, Innova had several business transformation
projects, the biggest of which was in KSA for a major
3PL group. We have seen an increase in projects
for government and semi government organisations
around strategic supply chain management and opti-
mization.
Janardan Dalmia
Khamid Ismatullaev
Irene Sutton
Founder and CEO, Trukkin
Founder and Managing Director, Worldwide
Distribution Center FZCO
Co-Founder & CEO, Innova Supply Chain
POWER 25
20
22
21
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POWER 25
Lnme
O
pened in August, 2016, Ocean-
wide Logistics Dubai is the
newest addition to OL Holdings
USA, with 15 offices throughout the
USA; Canada, Shanghai, Hong Kong
and South Africa. Part of a global
agency network, with access to over
110 countries and experienced agents,
Oceanwide Logistics Dubai core
strength in this hugely competitive
market is good solid customer relations
and this stems also from a very good
team environment.
Paula maintains that digitization
is still the main word on any freight
forwarders lips. Logistics firms who fail
to automate and digitalize system-wide
or do so only partially, rather than
throughout their entire network, will
quickly become relics. This is therefore
on top of Oceanwide Logistics Dubai
moving forward.
Paula told LNME: “I am proud that
my team followed me to OL, and it’s
thanks to their commitment and sup-
port that we have achieved so much
in such a little amount of time. I look
forward to the future, continuing to
expand our brand in the UAE and
globally.”
A
TS is a fully integrated logistics
company with ISO 9001 & ISO
14001 standards, specializing in
Road, Air & Sea Freight, Warehouse
distribution, Liquid Terminal, Road
Transportation and On-site logistics.
With its headquarters in Dubai, UAE,
ATS operates across India (Mumbai/
Mangalore), Oman (Sohar), Bahrain,
Europe (Belgium), and USA (Texas).
Founded in 1991, the company has
grown by leaps and bounds ever since.
Growing from strength to strength,
its range of services has continuously
expanded over the years. ATS com-
pletes 29 years in the industry and is
a multi-modal organization that has
established itself as a leading NVOCC
in the region. Logistics remains its core
strength. Complementing that nucleus,
ATS range of services has expanded
to include storage, distribution, and
terminal services.
Vinit’s role in ATS has seen him recog-
nized by multiple customers as a hand
on solution expert to their logistical
requirements, various certificates and
awards by multiple customers.
Vinit .J. Malhotra
General Manager, ATS
25
POWER 25
Lnme
Paula Bellamy
Managing Director & Shareholder,
Oceanwide Logistics, Dubai
23
I
Q Fulfillment, the first robotic
fulfillment solution in the entire
MENA region. It’s an artificial
intelligence-driven business that’s
spearheading the digital transforma-
tion of the logistics sector.
IQ Robotics addresses a vital market
requirement, especially as the region
focuses on digital transformation.
“Our participation was based on
our aim to showcase the technology
we operate with and the revolutionary
concept that is the first of its kind in
the Middle East. We also wanted to
share our knowledge and expertise
in robotics, warehouse automation,
and supply chain management as well
as in software (WMS/OMS/TMS),
package protection, and dimensioning
solutions.IQ Fulfillment is offering
a connected fulfillment solution net-
work to SME’s to unlock their growth
at a pay as you go scheme,” says Fadi
Amoudi.
Fadi
Amoudi
Founder and CEO,
IQ Fulfillment
& IQ Robotics
24
Page 43
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Page 44
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S
pending on digital supply
chain and logistics in the Mid-
dle East, Turkey and Africa
(META) is forecast to reach
$8.5 billion during 2020-23,
with digital transformation in
the sector driven by a range of
trends including changing consumer
habits and the rise of e-commerce, the
encroachment of producers into the
logistics space, changing demands from
retailers, and the impact of COVID-19
on the overall sector, according to a
new white paper by IDC and spon-
sored by Infor.
The white paper outlines some of the
key challenges that distributors and
logistics providers face and discusses
the potential solutions that can help
players position themselves for suc-
cess in a fast-changing landscape that
is increasingly defined by data and
automation.
Distributors serving highly time-sensi-
tive sectors, such as food and bever-
age, have faced significant upheaval,
which has been further exacerbated
by the COVID pandemic. Indeed, they
face tighter service-level agreements,
high transportation costs, and have an
Data and automation are key to success
in Middle East supply chain
How distributors in the Middle East need to adopt vertical-specific
cloud solutions to prosper amid a fast-changing logistics landscape
digital
Lnme
Page 45
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 45
innate need for fast-paced distribution
methods. An increasing number of
regulations is compelling distributors
to optimize product shelf life, man-
age seasonal changes in supply and
demand, and guarantee end-to-end
traceability of products across the
value chain.
But the good news is that
distributors can address
these challenges, while also
providing fulfilment and
delivering scalable experi-
ences, by leveraging data
and automation. Many
forward-thinking distribu-
tors have already started
to digitally transform their
operations, elevating data
and automation as central
pillars. However, with the
datasphere expected to
exceed 110 zettabytes by
2024, with real-time data
growing at 1.5 times the
rate of overall data crea-
tion according to IDC, it is
imperative that organisa-
tions are able to extract
the right information at
the right time.
Distributors can look to
implement digital supply
chain and logistics pro-
grams that address four
key aspects of distribution
businesses: smart ware-
housing, inventory optimization and
extended planning, smart product man-
agement, transportation optimization.
However, these programs rely heavily
on the power of technologies such as
IoT, AI, Big Data analytics (BDA),
robotics, mobility, and blockchain, and
most distributors struggle to incorpo-
rate these technologies into their exist-
ing IT environments, according to IDC.
The distributed nature of business
operations and the need for data-driven
experiences make cloud computing one
of the most important considerations
for distribution players, with a digital
platform in such an environment
requiring the speed, agility, scalability,
and flexibility of cloud to produce the
intended results. Many organizations,
therefore, are considering a cloud-first
approach for new applications and
moving existing applications to cloud.
Enterprise IT infrastructure is increas-
ingly becoming a connected distributed
cloud that includes publicly hosted
systems, enterprise data centers, and
edge locations.
But when selecting technology, it is
important for players in the distribu-
tion business to choose vertical-specific
platforms rather than horizontal ap-
plications. Because vertical applica-
tions are built to address the unique
requirements of an industry, the need
for expensive and time-consuming
customizations diminishes, according
to IDC.
Such applications have inbuilt in-
dustry-specific capabilities that deliver
targeted intelligence, industry context,
and actionable analytics and guidance
to users. IDC believes that distribution
organizations that use integrated plat-
forms and cloud-based, vertical-specific
applications will be the most likely to
digitally transform themselves in three
to five years and emerge as true digital
pioneers.
Khaled Al Shami, Director, Solution Consulting, Middle East & Africa, Infor
Data and automation are key to success in Middle East supply chain
The distributed nature of
business operations and
the need for data-driven
experiences make cloud
computing one of the most
important considerations
for distribution players.
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D
emand moved slightly in a
positive direction month-
on-month; however, levels
remain depressed compared
to 2019. Improvement con-
tinues at a slower pace than
some of the traditional lead-
ing indicators would suggest. This is due
to the capacity constraint from the loss of
available belly cargo space as passenger
aircraft remain parked.
Global demand, measured in cargo
tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was 12.6%
below previous-year levels in August
(-14% for international operations). That
is a modest improvement from the 14.4%
year-on-year drop recorded in July. Sea-
sonally-adjusted demand grew by 1.1%
month-on-month in August.
Global capacity, measured in available
cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), shrank
by 29.4% in August ( 31.6% for interna-
tional operations) compared to the previ-
ous year. This is basically unchanged from
the 31.8% year-on-year drop in July.
Belly capacity for international air cargo
was 67% below the levels of August 2019
owing to the withdrawal of passenger ser-
vices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This
was partially offset by a 28.1% increase
in dedicated freighter capacity. Daily
widebody freighter utilization is close to
11 hours per day, the highest levels since
these figures have been tracked in 2012.
Economic activity continued to recover
in August reflected, among other things,
in the performance of the Purchasing
Managers’ Index (PMI) indicator of eco-
nomic health in the manufacturing sector:
> The new export orders component of
the manufacturing PMI rose by 5.1%
year-on-year, its best performance since
late 2017.
> The PMI tracking global manufacturing
output increased month-on-month and
remained above the 50-mark, indicating
growth.
Insufficient Capacity
Dampens Air Cargo
The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
released data for global air freight markets in August showing
that improvement remains slow amid insufficient capacity
cargo
Lnme
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Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 47
“Air cargo demand improved by 1.8
percentage points in August compared
to July. That’s still down 12.6% on
previous year levels and well below the
5.1% improvement in the manufactur-
ing PMI. Improvement is being stalled
by capacity constraints as large parts of
the passenger fleet, which normally car-
ries 50% of all cargo, remain grounded.
The peak season for air cargo will start
in the coming weeks, but with severe
capacity constraints shippers may look
to alternatives such as ocean and rail to
keep the global economy moving,” said
Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director
General and CEO.
August Regional Performance
Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand for
international air cargo fall 18.3% in Au-
gust 2020 compared to the same period
a year earlier. After a robust initial recov-
ery in May, month-on-month growth in
seasonally-adjusted demand declined for
the second consecutive month. Interna-
tional capacity is particularly constrained
in the region, down 35%.
North American carriers reported that
demand fell 4% compared to the previ-
ous year—the third consecutive month
with a single-digit decline. This steady
performance is due in part to strong
domestic and transpacific demand on
the Asia-North America route, reflecting
e-commerce demand for products manu-
factured in Asia. International capacity
decreased 28.2%.
European carriers reported a decrease
in demand of 19.3% compared to the
previous year. Improvements have been
slight but consistent since April’s per-
formance of -33%. Demand on most
key trade lanes to / from the region
remained weak. The large Europe–Asia
market was down 18.6% year-on-year
in August. International capacity de-
creased 33.5%.
Middle Eastern carriers reported a
decline of 6.8% in year-on-year interna-
tional cargo volumes in August, a sig-
nificant improvement from the 15.1%
fall in July. Regional airlines have ag-
gressively added capacity in the last few
months with international capacity im-
proving from a 42% fall at the trough in
April, to a decline of 24.2% in August,
the most resilient of all regions. Demand
on trade routes to and from Asia and
North America remained strong with
demand down 3.3% and up 2.3% re-
spectively year-on-year.
Latin American carriers reported de-
mand steady at -26.1% compared to
the previous year, ending three consecu-
tive months of deteriorating demand.
Demand on trade routes between Latin
America (particularly Central America)
and North America have compensated
for weakness on other routes. Capac-
ity remains significantly constrained in
the region with international capacity
decreasing 38.5% in August, the largest
fall of any region.
African airlines saw demand increase
by 1% in August. This was the fourth
consecutive month in which the region
posted the strongest increase in interna-
tional demand and only instance of year-
on-year growth among all regions in
international volumes. Investment flows
along the Africa-Asia route continue to
drive the regional outcomes.
Insufficient Capacity Dampens Air Cargo
Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand for international air cargo fall 18.3% in August 2020 compared to
the same period a year earlier.
Page 48
48 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
B
eing a regional office sup-
porting 21 countries the
travel ban has been the main
obstacle to conduct our
business. Fortunately, our
customers were often an es-
sential part of any economy;
most of our trucks were still operat-
ing during the highest confinement
period and needed support from our
partner’s importers. Keeping a very
close relationship with our network
by being creative and supportive, we
believe that we strengthened these
crucial partnerships.”
“We relaunched two markets suc-
cessfully and had a market share
growth target for our region that we
will meet. At the same time, unfortu-
nately, we will miss our sell-in target
due to the drop in the total market,
estimated at around 30%.”
Market Share
“Apart from Oman, where we have
seen a concerning decrease, all coun-
tries are either flat or improving,
while Saudi Arabia and Egypt are
significantly enhancing their market
share in 2020 with promising mo-
mentum.
We’ve also seen an increase in sales
in our used trucks, and we believe
that we still have room to improve
to better address this untapped
market.”
Renault’s T X -PORT model
“With the market share growth,
our Renault Trucks T X-Port is the
second positive development for the
Greater Middle East region. We see
more and more importers taking ad-
vantage of this complimentary offer
to address their customers’ needs.
This success is based on the trust
given by our unique factory-made
and certified downgrade from Euro
6 to Euro 3 solution combined with
our standard warranty.”
Strengthening Partnerships dur-
ing the Pandemic
“As for all kinds of relations, when
things get tough, you can better as-
sess their quality. By being genuine
to each other and as supportive as
possible, we indeed feel that our
relationships have grown stronger.
Meaningful but straightforward
initiatives towards our end cus-
tomers, such as our six months
additional warranty to offset the
confinement period or our monthly
Drivers Tips.”
Expectations for 2020
The Vice President at Renault Trucks discusses how the company
has operated amidst this unprecedented year
Gregoire Blaise
by Kasun Illankoon
trucks
Lnme
Page 49
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 49
Expectations for 2020 | Gregoire Blaise
“As for all kinds of
relations, when things
get tough, you can
better assess their
quality. “
Page 50
50 | Logistics News ME | october 2020
www.cbnme.com
trade
Lnme
E
xports of Dubai Chamber
members exceeded a combined
value of AED45 billion between
June and August 2020, mark-
ing a 7.4 percent increase com-
pared to the March-May period, 2020.
Over 151,000 Certificates of Origin
were issued by Dubai Chamber from
June-August, an 11.7% increase from
the 135,00 certificates issued during the
March-May period.
The average number of exporters over
the three months ending in August stood
at 4,630, increasing 14 percent from the
4,066 exporters accounted for between
March and June 2020.
Hamad Buamim, President and CEO
of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, said the latest export fig-
ures signal an uptick in activity within
Dubai’s trade sector, following the lift-
ing of Covid-19 restrictions, improving
market conditions and growing business
confidence. He underlined the impor-
tance of foreign trade to Dubai’s econo-
my, and noted that the emirate remains
resilient as it navigates new challenges
created by the pandemic.
Buamim also said that the gradual re-
opening of Dubai’s economy has been
successful, thanks to the government’s
swift and effective response in enforcing
preventative health and safety measures,
and introducing stimulus packages to
help businesses cope with the impact of
COVID-19.
He added that government-led efforts
to drive Dubai’s digital transformation
in recent years, along with close coop-
eration between the public and private
sectors, were crucial factors that helped
ensure business continuity and maintain
economic competitiveness.
Dubai Chamber currently provides 50
e-services to the business community
through its website and smart applica-
tions. The services include certificates
of origin, membership, attestation, ATA
Carnets, legal inquires, smart mediation,
credit ratings and the CSR Label, among
others.
Earlier this year, the Chamber
launched a new electronic attestation
service and authentication of signatures
on documents, which raised the percent-
age of the smart transformation of core
services to 98 percent.
Value of Dubai Chamber
member Exports up by 7.4%
Page 51
Logistics News ME | october 2020 | 51
Our SME eShop delivers.
So your business can keep growing.
du.ae/SME
Page 52
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