MANAMA: DHL Bahrain has donated BD5,000 in support of the First Arab Transportation Symposium, Moving People and Goods, which will be held in Bahrain next month. The company is one of the main participants of the symposium. DHL Bahrain country manager Nour Suliman presented the cheque to Interior Ministry Under-Secretary Major General Shaikh Daij Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa in a ceremony held at the Bahrain University's Centre for Transport and Road Studies in Isa Town. The symposium, which will be held from October 21 to 23, aims to discuss the local experience in Arab countries in transporting passengers and goods with the aim of identifying the opportunities and challenges within the region and anticipating a common vision for the future of Arab transportation

RIYADH: Aramex International has been appointed the exclusive carrier for the first on-line PC ordering facility in Saudi Arabia. The partnership with ZAI Technologies - the PC assembly arm of Al Faisaliah Group - allows customers ordering through the company's web site to receive computers configured to their specifications within 48 hours of ordering. Shoppers purchasing PCs through the website will not only receive their order at their doorstep, but pay when the consignment arrives, while ZAI's personalised service will allow computers to be customised according to the needs of the consumer.

Exel, the global leader in supply chain management, has just announced a substantial new logistics contract from Beautimatic International, a major producer of perfumes and body sprays, which this year received The Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

This is the first time Beautimatic has outsourced any of its supply chain operation.  Not only will the move allow expansion of the Company's production facility in Witham, Essex, but it also reflects a new strategy which focuses on effective distribution as key to business growth.  With over 90% of products going for export, the Company recognised the challenges of serving markets from which it was geographically isolated. Furthermore, demand for product is subject to peaks and troughs throughout the year, requiring a flexible supply chain solution.

Exel was considered by Beautimatic to offer both the effective central storage solution and the flexibility it sought. Exel's Stanton facility, where the Beautimatic operation is being handled, is a secure shared-user centre, which is flexible in terms of storage space and has a chemical store for the accommodation of hazardous materials ? necessary for some Beautimatic products.

"It was a major step deciding to hand over part of our logistics operation to a third party but now we can focus on production," says Barry Rughani, Managing Director at Beautimatic. "We see Exel as a long-term partner.  The relationship will allow us to expand and to give our customers a faster dispatch service since we are able to hold more product in stock which will be especially valuable during peak periods."

Some Beautimatic stock has been accommodated at Stanton since the end of last year but the operation has just gone fully live - two months ahead of forecast. Beautimatic now occupies 40,000 sq ft of the Stanton warehouse. In total, the centre will receive 26,000 pallets from the Beautimatic plant per year and dispatch 900,000 cases, mainly destined for the Middle East and Eastern Europe as well as Africa and South America.

Rapid exchange of information between the two companies is critical to ensure departing containers are fully loaded. Pick lists are generated by Beautimatic and are sent via a direct computer link to the Stanton facility. Once goods are packed, Exel confirms back the contents of each container. Exel also processes all the shipping documentation ? an
undertaking which has to be handled meticulously due to the hazardous materials and the products that are added at the last minute to fill containers.

"We are very pleased to have won this work," says Martin Sealy, Operations Director of Exel's Shared User business unit.  "Beautimatic is just the type of fast-growing, enterprising company that our flexible, shared-user services, as well as our approach to collaborative client relationships, are designed to serve."  

DUBAI: The New York-headquartered Polar Air Cargo has named Swiss WorldCargo as its sales agent (ASA) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This appointment continues Polar's ongoing efforts to establish sales representation and strengthen its presence in key markets, according to a company y press release. Swiss WorldCdargo, a division of Swiss International Airlines Ltd., already serves as Polar's general sales agent (GSA) in India. Polar Air Cargo currently serves Dubai with service to and from Europe and India, and onward service to the United States and Asia. "This step represents an expansion of an already successful cooperation together in India, and we look forward to continuing this productive partnership," said Hendrik Falk, vice- president Sales for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

BAGHDAD: Federal Express transportation company has added Iraq to its global network. FedEx Express is the first to offer door-to-door pick up and delivery for shipments in and out of the cities of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. Global Service Participant (GSP) Falcon Express will operate FedEx Express services in Iraq. The company has experience operating in the Middle East and currently provides delivery services for FedEx Express in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria and Yemen. With annual revenues of $22 billion, FedEx offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently.

DUBAI: SpL Food Service has appointed PWC Logistics UAE, to offer freight management and logistics support in the GCC region. The exclusive three-year agreement will bring in to play the 'just-in-time' services provided by PWC Logistics, towards hotel fulfillment of housekeeping and food items. 

PWC Logistics' agreement with SPL includes procurement of specialised food items and housekeeping products for use by hotel trade; logistics services to cover freight, customs and clearance formalities; product care and preparation, and delivery. The agreement will currently serve the GCC markets of the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, and will be expanded as required, Lee added. 

Commenting on the agreement, Jonathan Crouch, General Manager of SpL said:  “We are committed to fulfilling and exceeding customer service requirements, an approach that is vital importance in the hospitality industry. By creating a centralised order fulfillment centre, we will be able to provide real-time response to all our GCC-based customers and further, assist them in streamlining their delivery to various markets. We also expect a substantial reduction in shipment costs.

“It is a commendable tribute to PWC Logistics that SPL has appointed us for freight management and logistics support, within weeks of commencing our Dubai operations," said Mike Lee, General Manager of PWC Logistics UAE. “The just-in-time service agreement with SpL is an extension of our retail services currently on offer to the supermarket and hospitality industry sectors. With the backing of PWC Logistics' global supply chain model and systems platform we aim to maximise SpL's efforts in providing quality services to their customers in the region, and make a significant impact in growing their business regionally," he stated.

PWC Logistics is one of the largest and most sophisticated supply chain management companies in the region, providing solutions to a range of global companies, with an extensive, well-established network across the Middle East, a highly customer-focused team. Having recently started operations in Dubai, SpL offers a unique service: 'Total Supply Solution’ for the purchase of food and other consumable products for the hotel and leisure industry.

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DUBAI: SpL Food Service has appointed PWC Logistics UAE, to offer freight management and logistics support in the GCC region. The exclusive three-year agreement will bring in to play the 'just-in-time' services provided by PWC Logistics, towards hotel fulfilment of housekeeping and food items. 

PWC Logistics' agreement with SPL includes procurement of specialised food items and housekeeping products for use by hotel trade; logistics services to cover freight, customs and clearance formalities; product care and preparation, and delivery. The agreement will currently serve the GCC markets of the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, and will be expanded as required, Lee added. 

Commenting on the agreement, Jonathan Crouch, General Manager of SpL said:  “We are committed to fulfilling and exceeding customer service requirements, an approach that is vital importance in the hospitality industry. By creating a centralised order fulfilment centre, we will be able to provide real-time response to all our GCC-based customers and further, assist them in streamlining their delivery to various markets. We also expect a substantial reduction in shipment costs.

“It is a commendable tribute to PWC Logistics that SPL has appointed us for freight management and logistics support, within weeks of commencing our Dubai operations," said Mike Lee, General Manager of PWC Logistics UAE. “The just-in-time service agreement with SpL is an extension of our retail services currently on offer to the supermarket and hospitality industry sectors. With the backing of PWC Logistics' global supply chain model and systems platform we aim to maximise SpL's efforts in providing quality services to their customers in the region, and make a significant impact in growing their business regionally," he stated.

PWC Logistics is one of the largest and most sophisticated supply chain management companies in the region, providing solutions to a range of global companies, with an extensive, well-established network across the Middle East, a highly customer-focussed team. Having recently started operations in Dubai, SpL offers a unique service: 'Total Supply Solution’ for the purchase of food and other consumable products for the hotel and leisure industry.

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RIYADH: TNT/SAB Express is rolling an industry-first road-haulage service into Saudi Arabia with the leading freight express provider tipping it will generate $1.5 million in the first year and 10 times that in five years. "The Economy Express road network service will be a big help to oil industry in the Eastern Province as well as the IT sector in Riyadh," said Mark Pell, TNT/SAB Express general manager for Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states. He said the road network service is well established in other GCC states and Saudi Arabia "is the last piece of the Gulf jigsaw".

SHARJAH: As part of its strategic expansion plan for its dedicated logistics division, SNTTA Cargo, the international freight forwarding company headquartered in Sharjah, has set up a new branch office in the Sharjah Industrial Area to cater to the growing need for professional logistics solutions in this region. Heading the new division is Salim Gulam, Manager- International Freight & Chartering. 

The vision of SNTTA Cargo is to offer a one-stop shop transportation solution and air charter can be used as one of the links of the logistics chain. “We want to bring chartering forward as a viable transport solution. The demand for leasing and chartering worldwide is going to grow, because the airlines are looking for cheaper and less committed options to grow their businesses,” adds Gulam.

The company sees a good potential for its charter division. Since the launch it has already conducted charters for the US army and UN buying houses carrying outsized cargo from the UAE to Kuwait, which would then move to Iraq by land. Further, SNTTA Cargo is now in a position to also arrange for charters from Kuwait to Iraq and from the UAE directly to Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk.

An organization with 25 plus years of experience and with more than 200 offices of its 60 agents worldwide, SNTTA cargo is well positioned to cater to the growing demands from the region. It has also recently been accredited as a member of the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA).

SYDNEY: Australian flag carrier Qantas has unveiled plans to slash $650 million off its costs in a major restructuring amid increasing volatility in the global aviation industry. In a memo to staff released to the media, Qantas Airways Ltd chief executive Geoff Dixon said the airline would split operations into separate business units in what he described as "a sustainable future" programme to be launched immediately. The new stand-alone businesses, each with its own management, would cover three broad areas: flying operations; services such as engineering, maintenance and airports and associated business including catering, freight; and Qantas Holidays.

DUBAI: Trident Freight, the International forwarding arm of UAE based Rais Hassan Saadi Group and also the exclusive partner in UAE to global logistics giant Geologistics has won the contract to manage the regional hub and repair return process for Western Digital.

Western Digital, one of the world’s five top manufacturer of hard disk drives, has demonstrated it’s commitment to customer service in Middle east by opening a distribution centre, which will ensure rapid delivery of it’s products throughout the region. This initiative from Western Digital will make the company to be the first hard disk manufacturer to have both sales office and Distribution Hub in the region.

“We are really excited at this opportunity and this contract further consolidates our leadership in providing value added logistics through efficient integration of logistics services and seamless Distribution chain through advanced IT systems,” Madhav Kurup, General Manager for Trident Freight stated.

This would mean that all the current direct shipments going to the region from various Western Digital factories would now flow through our Distribution centre at Jebel Ali. This clearly demonstrates the rapidly changing global supply chain and our continued investment in state of the art logistics infrastructure,” added Madhav Kurup.

Trident’s fully integrated IT systems provide seamless information flow at every stage of the supply chain including the repair return process

DUBAI: Al Rais Cargo and Iran Aseman Airlines have together announced the launch of a thrice-weekly freighter service to the Iranian city of Shiraz. As part of this joint venture Iran Asman Airlines is providing  an  ATR-72 Freighter and Al Rais Cargo will market the capacity in the region.

The first  flight  departed Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 at 09:30am hours on July 28, 2003.

Announcing the launch of this new service Hossein Tehrani, General Manager, Al Rais   Cargo stated, “Due to the sheer demand for cargo capacity on this route and  other  destinations  in  Iran,   we have launched this service. The belly space  on all flights ex-Dubai  to  destinations in Iran are  full  and there are no regular  freighter services as yet. So we decided  that this is the right time to launch a freighter service.  The ATR-72 Freighter we are operating is equipped with 13 containers with a capacity  up to  450 kgs each.”

On outbound Dubai to Shiraz,  the cargo will mainly consist of general goods and courier.  From Iran back to Dubai,  a lot of general goods and perishables are expected to be  carried. Other destinations planned for in the near future include Khoramshar, Bushehr,  Abadan,  Bandarbas, Kish, Bahrain, and Muscat. “The idea is to act as a feeder service for  other  airlines. We  already carry  DHL  shipments  on  our   flights  and  agreements with  LTU and Singapore airlines are in the pipeline,” adds Hossein Tehrani.

Al Rais Cargo is one of the largest independent cargo agencies in the United Arab Emirates, offering a diverse range of Transportation, Warehousing, Logistics, Chartering Customs clearance, Projects, Exhibitions and all other related activities throughout the UAE and the World.

RIYADH: TNT/SAB Express is rolling an industry-first road-haulage service into Saudi Arabia with the leading freight express provider tipping it will generate $1.5 million in the first year and 10 times that in five years. "The Economy Express road network service will be a big help to oil industry in the Eastern Province as well as the IT sector in Riyadh," said Mark Pell, TNT/SAB Express general manager for Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states. He said the road network service is well established in other GCC states and Saudi Arabia "is the last piece of the Gulf jigsaw".

SAUDI ARABIA: TNT/SAB Express is rolling an industry-first road-haulage service into Saudi Arabia with the leading freight express provider tipping it will generate $1.5 million in the first year and 10 times that in five years.

The giant integrator’s Economy Express road network service is well established in the other GCC countries and Saudi Arabia "is the last piece of the Gulf jigsaw", says Mark Pell, TNT/SAB Express General Manager for Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states.

"Economy Express is extremely cost effective, a great boon to customers in Saudi Arabia and something our competitors can’t match," says Pell. 

Dubai is the hub of the Economy Express service in the Middle East with imported consignments flown in from all over the world. "Our expanded road network enables us to provide this massive service," says Pell. "Trucks leave Dubai each day. Economy Express is a guaranteed service designed for the heavier consignments that might not be that urgent. Customers receive a day-definite service at the most affordable prices.

"And the export price is the same as the import price. This means customers can pay here in the Kingdom in US dollar-linked Saudi Riyals compared to the equivalent in Euros where that’s applicable."

Pell says the ability to have machinery, oil rig equipment and replacement parts flown into Dubai and trucked to the Kingdom via Bahrain is already generating many inquires from the oil industry.

"The service will be a big help to oil industry in the Eastern Province as well as the burgeoning IT sector in Riyadh."  Pell says all aspects of TNT/SAB’s operations in Saudi Arabia are full of optimism and this is underscored by the introduction of Economy Express

MANAMA: DHL Express has stepped up its flights from Bahrain to Iraq from three to six a day. It has also stepped up road operations to Iraq and now has centres in all major Iraqi cities, says the company.  The company is operating up to six daily flights to Iraq from Bahrain, using a combination of Airbus A300s, Antonov AN12s and Boeing 727s. DHL Middle East area director Phil Couchman said the company had become one of the Iraqi people's few links with the outside world, given the breakdown of Iraq's communication infrastructure. On the road, the company's trucks flow daily from the Middle East through Kuwait to service the southern part of Iraq, such as Basra, Talil and Umm Qasr

DUBAI: Crown Relocations, a leader in the international relocation industry, announced the appointment of Richard Robertson as the company’s new Managing Director for the Middle East region.

Robertson will oversee Crown’s four branches in the Middle East and be responsible for further developing existing accounts and expanding the company’s services and overall presence in the region. He will report to David Muir, Crown’s Chief Executive Officer for EMEA.

“Appointing Richard to this position shows Crown’s continued commitment to the Middle East,” said David Muir. “He has over a decade of experience in this industry and already has a very successful track record of developing business in the region.”

 Robertson has over 13 years of experience in the logistics and relocation industries. Prior to joining Crown, he was International Moving Manager for the Gulf Agency’s Dubai branch and Client & Contracts Warehouse Manager for Hays in the UK.

Crown Relocations and the business it acquired in 1989, has been in the Middle East since 1979, with the first office being in Dubai. The company now has three additional branches located in Qatar, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and services a variety of multinational corporations in the region with relocation, logistic and records management services.

DOHA: DHL has expanded its road and air network to Iraq, reinforcing the company's commitment to take part in Iraq's socio-economic development. The global leader in express and logistics services has consolidated its operations in Iraq.
Being the first express and logistics company to operate in Iraq following the UN Security Council vote to lift economic sanctions against the country, DHL has positioned itself as an integral element to Iraq's revival process. Having commenced their Iraqi operations with three weekly flights from Bahrain to Baghdad, the courier has expanded its air and road operations to and within Iraq to further expedite commercial activities essential to Iraq's economic revival.

MANAMA: Batelco has announced DHL's appointment as its supplier for worldwide export and courier logistics needs. DHL Express will handle the shipping of materials for repair purposes across the globe. A ceremony was held earlier to sign the two-year contract. Batelco chief operating officer (support services) John Steel and DHL Bahrain country manager Nour Suliman attended the function. "Batelco needs a logistics partner with the widest possible reach and the best possible service level agreements," said Steel.

TPG Information Systems, the in-house IS department for the world’s leading business-to-business express carrier TNT Express, has been recognised as one of the world’s top technology developers – and that’s official. The recognition comes from Compass Management Consulting, the acknowledged industry leader in operational performance improvement. It was announced in the Kingdom this week by Mark Pell, SAB/TNT Express who is General Manager Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states. 

The recognition from Compass demonstrates consistently high standards in software development, support and maintenance. 

It also indicates that TPG IS delivers extremely high levels of productivity and cost-effectiveness to its internal customers. TPG IS is one of just five organisations out of more than 600 in the ‘Application Development, Support and Maintenance’ section of the Compass Register to achieve this recognition, which is known as ‘Reference Group status’ because it identifies the high performance levels that other companies can measure themselves against.

Pell says: “We have invested heavily in user-friendly technology solutions and this provides our customers in Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states with more streamlined processes and information transparency. Our focus is to be totally proactive with our range of online services and use of technology generally.

“Recognition by Compass sets the highest standards in the world. This recent recognition gives SAB/TNT clients a competitive edge. It’s of huge benefit to our customers.”

Pic: Mark Pell, SAB/TNT Express General Manager Saudi Arabia.

DOHA: Oughtred & Harrison (Shipping) Limited, UK and Aero Freight Company Limited, Doha, formally announced their newly-established tie-up. The partnership was announced by the UK company's deputy managing director, Paul E Revill. The signing in was attended by Aero Freight chairman Abdulla Saif Al Moosallam, Oughtred & Harrison (Middle East and Asia) manager Frank Hubert and Aero Freight managing director Kurian C Ipe.   

BAGHDAD: The logistics industry is gearing up for what is expected to be a huge new market in post-Saddam Iraq. The removal of UN sanctions, the expected opening of Baghdad airport to commercial traffic, and efforts to re-establish security have encouraged the first steps. TNT Express has just launched a door-to-door delivery service to and from Iraq, in combination with Baghdad's largest courier company, IKE Express. IKE staff and trucks involved in the venture will be fitted out with TNT uniforms and livery. As there are no direct air links yet, the last section of the service goes by truck, with armed security, overland from Jordan. TNT Express Australia division director Garry Kirkman said a parcel from Australia would fly to Europe via TNT's network and from there to Amman. There, the consignments would be consolidated for the 800-kilometre daily run by road to Baghdad.   

MANAMA : Following the universal re-branding campaign currently being embarked upon by DHL Express, the DHL Middle East Hub in Bahrain recently revealed their new corporate colours to their staff during an internal launch held at the Arad Fort. Based in Brussels, Belgium, DHL is 100 per cent owned by Deutsche Post World Net. It is an express and logistics company offering customers solutions from a single source. With expertise in solutions, express, air and ocean freight and overland transport DHL combines worldwide coverage with an indepth understanding of local markets.   

MANAMA: GAC Logistics, the global supply chain services provider, has established its new logistics offices in South Africa's Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban.  These offices are part of the group's long-term globalisation strategy for efficient logistics solutions wherever its customers go. The offices provide a full range of freight forwarding and warehousing services. Setting up logistics operations in South Africa is a natural progression for the company, says Bill Hill, Group vice president, Logistics Division, GAC.   

DUBAI: Dnata Cargo, award-winning freight handler at Dubai International Airport, recently celebrated the first 100 flights through Dubai by UPS, the world's largest express carrier and package delivery company.

Ismail Ali Al Banna, Director, Airport Services, hosted a cake-cutting ceremony at Dnata's Freezone Logistic Centre, attended by senior management from both UPS and Dnata Cargo. This marks another milestone further enhancing the close co-operation between UPS and Dnata Cargo at Dubai International Airport Highlighting the day's significance Ismail Ali Al Banna, said. "We are very pleased and honoured that UPS has chosen Dubai International Airport as its main base of operations in the Middle East and Dnata is fully prepared to continue meeting the high service standards of UPS in the future.”

The fast growing business activities of UPS in Dubai registered an impressive volume of over 1,100 tonnes handled during their first year of operations via Dubai International Airport. 

 “We are delighted to be celebrating our first 100 flights at Dubai International Airport, which serves as UPS hub in the Middle East,” said Dave Worth, Gateway Manager of UPS. “Today UPS operates seven-flights a week westbound and one-flight a week eastbound feeding Asia-Pacific, Europe and fly onwards to the USA using Boeing 767-300 freighters.  This allows businesses in the region to access customers in over 200 countries and territories world-wide through the UPS network,” he added.   

MANAMA: Bahrain’s post offices are going hi-tech under a recent agreement. The agreement was signed at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel between Transportation Ministry Under-Secretary Shaikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Bin Ali Al Khalifa and Emirates Post director-general Abdulla Al Daboos. The Emirate delegation, led by Al Daboos, included Emirates Post Information Technology (IT) Department Assistant Director-General Khaled Ebrahim Hassan Shahdoor. Under the agreement, Emirates will instal a state-of-the-art postal services automation system at post offices across Bahrain. The system will be implemented through Point of Sales counters and will automate all postal services at the counters and at the back office. It will speed up customer service and allow postal items to be tracked and traced by computer. The project is likely to take nine months to be fully implemented.   

KUWAIT CITY: FedEx Express (FedEx) has appointed Imad El Sawi as the second station manager of its Kuwait operations. In his position, Sawi will be responsible for managing couriers, dispatch, customer service as well as ramp and customs operations. Sawi and first station manager Fawzi Hamadeh will together manage a team of 34 people. The appointment of the second Station Manager will further strengthen the Kuwait operations team, already managed by Fawzi Hamadeh, the first station manager. Sawi has more than 13 years of management experience in operations, sales and marketing and has previously worked with other blue chip companies in Kuwait and the Middle East region.   

DUBAI: Maersk Logistics, a subsidiary of the AP Moller Group, has opened an airfreight office in the Dubai Air Cargo Village. The company, which has had a presence in the UAE since 1996, said the opening of its third office in Dubai is the result of a growing need for supply chain management in the area. 

Having a specialised airfreight team in Dubai will further increase Maersk Logistics" high standards of supply chain management services. Apart from servicing UAE based clients, Maersk Logistics" airfreight operations in Dubai will also play an important role in the support of its global clients in Asia, Europe and the USA. Other UAE locations the company holds include two group representative offices in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and a CFS facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone at the port of Dubai.   

DAMMAN: Air express firm Aramex International today said it began services to Baghdad, with plans to add major Iraqi cities soon. "Given Aramex's long history in the region, we are extremely well placed to enter the Iraqi market -- this is a natural progression," said Aramex president and chief executive officer Fadi Ghandour. "Iraq could potentially become the commercial success story of the Middle East. Entry into new markets is always a challenge, and this market is one we are particularly well prepared for." The expansion to other Iraqi cities is aimed at meeting the need from international businesses seeking to enter the Iraqi market  

BRUSSELS: DHL has built the complete logistics process that incorporated flying in the Antonov 225, the world's largest cargo plane, on its first ever landing in the Middle East, at the Bahrain International Airport. The DHL-chartered aircraft, which arrived from Germany last week, is the only one of its kind in the world. Built in 1988, the 350-tonne six-engined plane is 248 feet long with a wing span of 292 feet. Arrangements include complete logistics process of on-loading the 168-tonnes of transhipment humanitarian supplies, flying in the plane to Bahrain, off-loading and successfully transporting the shipment by road to Kuwait on 45 DHL trucks.

FedEx recently hosted a two-day marketing workshop called “Sharing Marketing Applications and Resources Together” (SMART) for its Global Service Participants across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa. Hosted by the FedEx marketing team in Dubai, the purpose of the summit was to share the company’s corporate culture and marketing techniques. Thirty participants went through rigorous training and workshops at the FedEx Dubai Consolidated Facility at Dubai International Airport.

“At FedEx we work very closely with our Global Service Participants in many countries,” said Birender Ahluwalia, Marketing Manager, FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa. “Sharing our knowledge and experience with them will ensure that we provide customers with seamless access to FedEx branded services across every country in the region.”
PIC:
Pictured are the participants of the two-day SMART workshop in Dubai.  

DUBAI: Emirates SkyCargo has reduced the fuel surcharge on cargo shipments with immediate effect. The surcharge has been reduced from $0.20 to 0.15 per kilogramme, or its equivalent in local currencies, SkyCargo said. The extra amount was implemented last month in line with fuel index procedures. The index is based on the average price of aviation fuel in five key spot markets (Rotterdam, Singapore, New York, the US Gulf and the West Coast). These prices are monitored against a fixed base of $0.535 per gallon equal to index 100.

MANAMA: Air express industry veteran Bachi Spiga has been appointed DHL Middle East area operations manager, dHL Bahrain-based regional director Phil Couchman has announced. "Spiga is a classic employee committed to taking our industry to new levels of excellence," he said. "He stepped into his new role from his position of DHL UAE country service manager." He said his new role will involve harmonising and standardising operations in 10 countries and getting them to work the same way

ABU DHABI: United Parcel Service Inc (UPS), the world's biggest package carrier, has unveiled a new look that includes the first redesign in more than 40 years of the company's famous "shield" logo. UPS said the change reflects its expansion in recent years and a portfolio of supply chain services. The company will continue to use the colour brown for its operations, but the logo change includes elimination of the package with a string bow atop the shield.  

BRUSSELS: DHL Worldwide Express, the International Air Express Service Provider headquartered in Brussels, will implement a 4.5 per cent fuel surcharge on all its products in response to the substantial increase in the cost of jet fuel worldwide. Tensions in the Middle East have spiraled airline and insurance costs driven by war risk and security costs, which in turn has necessitated this fuel surcharge, according to a company press release. Other parties in the aviation industry have already introduced the surcharge, effective March 1, 2003.

DAMMAM: Accoring to an official Danzas press release, now that war with Iraq has been made official, a change in airfreight routings, airline schedules and transit times may occur on short notice. As such, to accommodate the closing of Kuwait Airport as well as any other airport closures or airline cancellations, Danzas has already established a fully operational contingency hub in Dubai (DXB), which can provide exclusive trucking services as necessary.  
Additionally, if the Middle East situation continues to deteriorate, thereby further affecting the transit of airfreight to the region, Danzas is prepared to engage its other contingency hub in Europe. Temporary Rate Adjustments will be applied to accommodate the cost of diverting freight.

MUMBAI: A possible US-Iraq war has pushed up premia for sea and air cargo travelling through high-risk zones. During peace time, Indian ship-owners pay a so-called war-risk premium of eight cents per dollar on the value of their vessels, per year. But with war, they have to pay an extra 0.05 per cent per month if they want to transit 18 high-risk zones notified by the Central government.These areas include Angola, Israel, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia, the Gulf of Aqaba, Pakistan, Oman, Yemen, Syria, Algeria and Egypt. The premia have already gone up for vessels that travel in the sensitive Gulf waters. This has slowed shipping activity.

DOHA: Qatar and Gambia have signed an agreement to operate seven passenger and seven cargo flights between the capitals Doha and Banjul. The agreement enables Qatar Airways and the Gambian national carrier to operate 14 flights each in the sector, the Gulf Times reported. The agreement was signed by Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority chairman Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi and visiting Gambian delegation head Mustafa Lee. The Civil Aviation Authority said Qatar was in the process of signing air services agreement with various countries. The authority has so far signed 70 such agreements.

DAMMAM: Express delivery SNAS DHL recently honoured its top employees of 2002 at a ceremony held at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain.  The ceremony at the Gulf Hotel honoured the top achievers for 2002. The company has a staff of 541 in Saudi Arabia. The salespersons of the year were Saleh Al Ashar and Amer Abu Obeid. Al Ashar also won salesperson of the year in 2001. The employees of the year were Ruzaik Azzam, Bonnie C Perera and Ashit Suvarna.

ABU DHABI: FedEx Express Corp was honoured at recent Dubai Quality Award Ceremony for meeting a human resources benchmark. The certification for meeting the “Investors in People” standard was set by Dubai's Department of Economic Development. FedEx took part in a pilot assessment for the 'Investors in People' certification sponsored by the as part of the Dubai Government's drive for quality. The certification process established whether FedEx' operations in the UAE compared the company's UAE operations against international best practices in human resource management.  

DAMMAM: Exel, the world leader in global supply chain solutions, has revealed the establishment of a new facility in the Middle East's largest marketplace, Saudi Arabia, expanding its presence in this key region and strengthening its scope for customers.

Entering the Dammam Re-export (Free) Zone in Saudi Arabia is an important move for Exel as it continues to extend its positioning in the Middle East. The Dammam Re-export (Free) Zone is a key location-new and competing with the thriving Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai-allowing Exel to improve its links with customers, suppliers and agents in Saudi Arabia by being situated closer to them.

From the new facility, Exel will deliver integrated services including airfreight, warehousing, distribution and customs management, in addition to flexible, tailored logistics solutions.  This supports the Company's existing infrastructure in the Middle East and develops its transportation and logistics network still further, enhancing its responsiveness to meet individual customer's specific requirements.

Nigel Parkes, Country Manager for Saudi Arabia at Exel, underlined: "In 2002 Exel has continued to build on its leading position in the Middle East as an important strategic trading centre. This site in Saudi Arabia highlights our commitment to the region and adds an important facility to support our existing transportation network across this geographic theatre."

DUBAI: DHL UAE, the Emirates’ leading air express provider has appointed Allan Jackson as Sales Development Manager. David Wild, General Manager, DHL UAE, who described Jackson as “extremely well-credentialed for the job, announced Jackson’s appointment Jackson, who has been with DHL since 1995, states: "The sales development manager’s role is to develop and grow the sales team. But it isn't a classroom situation, it’s very hands-on, you’re out in the field. And we have a tremendous team here at DHL."

Caption: TEAM PLAYER …Allan Jackson, the new Sales
Development Manager at DHL UAE.

DUBAI: DHL UAE, the Emirates’ leading air express provider, has appointed Bilal Kably as the Field Sales Manager responsible for further improving market share and consolidating the DHL market leadership position.

The holder of a double major in finance and international business from the USA’s Chicago University, Kably, 32, has worked with DHL since 1995. His most recent success came with the Management of a major project in 2002, which was the successful implementation of the service agreement and start up of the new relationship with GAMCO. In his new post Kably will look after a 11-strong sales team and report to the national sales manager.

"Kably’s appointment is aimed at developing and directing the sales team to yield maximum results. His career with DHL has involved him in many aspects of the air express business and he has the necessary experience to take up this new challenge in a demanding and customer driven market," said David Wild, General Manager, DHL UAE.

DUBAI: E-Business Web Services solutions provider Vertscape has tied up with Microsoft to offer specialised services to the logistics and freight sector in the Middle East. The comprehensive XeRM solution enables companies in the industry to incorporate business interaction, update workflow and customer information as well as ensure that employees are provided ready access through a password-protected browser interface.

DUBAI: Latest move underscores the growing potential of the region’s developing markets Dubai-GAC Logistics, the global supply chain services provider, has established a representative office in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  This is part of the company’s long-term globalisation strategy to provide efficient logistics solutions in every part of the world.  
“GAC Logistics has been monitoring the massive opportunities offered by the huge Latin American markets.  A rapid increase in customer demand for logistics services in both import and export freight supported our decision to expand into the region and harness its growth potential, ”said Bill Hill, Group Vice President, Logistics Division, GAC Group.  
The new office connects Latin America-based exporters to the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Scandinavia. At the same time, it provides importers direct access to fast growing markets in Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Chile and Columbia, which accounted for more than 50 per cent of Latin America total exports, said Rodrigo De Marco Frazao, GAC’s representative for the region.  
The logistics opportunity in Latin America also stems from its strong manufacturing and distribution base for foodstuff, coffee beans, leather, iron and steel products.  With the expected increase in commodity prices this year, the volume of exports is likely to rise in tandem, Mr Frazao added. Setting up a representative office in Brazil marks GAC Logistics’ first step to establish a strong network across Latin America.  The move capitalises on the increasing demand for efficient logistics and distribution capabilities by global, regional and local manufacturers and retailers, he said.
According to Mr Frazao, the immediate priorities for the new office are to market the long-standing brand of GAC Logistics, its capabilities in global solutions, as well as its worldwide network and infrastructure.  As part of the GAC Group, GAC Logistics has access to wider network resources to complement its key value-add of offering strategic counsel on specific business requirements and geographical climate to help customers expand their international and local market share.  

UAE: Kenya Airways has helped to open up the market to export electronics, computer parts, spare parts, fabrics & garments etc from the UAE to Kenya and import perishables, fruits & vegetables, fresh cut flowers, live fish & crabs etc to build a trade relationship between the two countries. Doing very well on the perishables list are flowers from Kenya, about 5-6 tonnes which Kenya Airways carries to the UAE per week.

MUSCAT: A DHL Airways-registered DC8 aircraft has made its inaugural flight into Bahrain when it landed on a runway at Bahrain International Airport recently. A top official of the company has been quoted as saying that “the increase in DHL’s inbound and outbound business in the region has led to the introduction of this flight.” The new DHL Airways weekly service upgrades the total number of dedicated DHL intercontinental freighters into Bahrain from seven to eight per week, offering a twice-daily service on Sundays.