DHL, the region’s leading express and logistics provider, will invest approximately USD three million per year in its fleet of trucks serving customers in the Middle East region. The investment will initially add an additional 35 vehicles with a further 15 vehicles to be added at a later date, bringing the company’s fleet to a total of 250 vehicles on the region’s roads.
The new DHL-branded vehicles will be state of the art and will employ the latest GPS (Satellite tracking system) technology.
Bachi Spiga, Head of Operations for DHL Middle East said: “Our business in the region has continued to grow significantly. The additional vehicles that we are investing in will provide us with the capacity to ensure that we are able to meet and exceed our customers’ time-definite, day-definite and customised express logistics solutions needs.”
The move comes following unprecedented growth across the Middle East region and will initially raise DHL’s capacity to 360 tons /1600 cubic metres per day. DHL currently ships on average more than 200 tons / 900 cubic metres per day in the Middle East and this is expected to grow significantly in 2007.
DHL also recently appointed Darren Hague as Middle East Road Network Manager to manage the company’s rapidly expanding road-related facilities. Hague commented: “Express logistics today is about complete reliability and we are able to achieve this only by having a premium quality, state-of-the-art fleet of vehicles. This combined with teamwork, precision and dedication enables us to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”
During 2006, The Deutsche Post World Net subsidiary unveiled two new routes to prime destinations Cairo and Istanbul. The service to Turkey links DHL Europe to DHL Middle East, offering customers in both markets a competitive alternative to ocean and airfreight services.
The express logistics sector in the Middle East is set to grow in excess of 25% per year for the foreseeable future, and with a strategic location between east and west, the region is the ultimate transit point for the industry.
