DHL, the premier express logistics provider, today announced the initial stage of its USD3.5 million expansion in Jebel Ali has been completed two years ahead of schedule.
The culmination of DHL’s initial expansion was necessary to meet an unprecedented 40% increase in shipments. The expanded facility, situated on a 6000 square metres site in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ), not only bolsters DHL's traditional express delivery capabilities, but also provides a solid platform to capitalise on the growing demand for tailored express logistics solutions and road freight.
“We initially forecast the first stage of our expansion plan to take two to three years. However, due to a huge increase in demand, we have gone full speed to complete the expansion two years ahead of schedule,” said Phil Couchman, General Director, DHL Middle East. “This expanded facility not only improves local service, but also has a positive ripple effect throughout DHL’s Middle East service network.”
“Transit times have been reduced to offer a faster and more reliable express logistics service. As a result, our truck movements have witnessed exponential growth and on average we are managing 40 movements daily, compared with six in the past year,” Geoff Walsh, DHL UAE Operations Manager explained.
The hub now handles over 60% of all Middle East imports and acts as a catalyst for the company’s growth, alongside other distribution centres spread across the region including Amman and the regional hub in Bahrain.
Currently, DHL has access to a dedicated fleet of 250 vehicles including 45, 40-ft trailers at the Jebel Ali Facility in the UAE. Much of the fleet is top of the range with air ride suspension and GPS tracking facilities fitted as standard specifically for the DHL fleet. This huge fleet operates daily within the Middle East and Europe, transporting shipment weights ranging from 45kgs to 18,000kgs. Across the Middle East, DHL provides a 24/7 service offering with more than 600 vehicles, 200 trucks and 17 aircrafts.
This latest investment by DHL in the UAE is aimed at providing a growing and more complex customer base with a full suite of logistics solutions from a single source. Commenting on the expansion, Couchman said: “Our Jebel Ali hub is an important part of our regional operations and our recent investment ensures our services and facilities are world class, further demonstrating our commitment to the region.”
DHL’s future plans will see further expansion to the Jebel Ali facility, and due to the unique growth levels, the company’s road freight services have moved to another operation centre. This will allow the current Jebel Ali facility to focus on time definite express shipments and tailored express logistics solutions for its Express Logistics Centre customers.
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