PRESIDENT OPENS $1BN KHALIFA EXPANSION

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has inaugurated Khalifa Port’s expansion – a major development project with a total investment of US$1.08 billion.

As part of the expansion, which includes the development of the port’s South Quay, Khalifa Port Logistics, and

Abu Dhabi Terminals at a total investment of US$1.08 billion, Khalifa Port has grown from 2.43 square kilometres to 8.63 square kilometres, while its quay wall has been significantly extended from 2.3 kilometres to 12.5 kilometres.

The port now provides 21 berths in total and offers a range of bespoke services for key strategic industries,

“positioning it among the global elite of deep-water ports, with an estimated value of US$5.55 billion”. The programme is set to make a major contribution to AD Port Group’s goal of increasing handling capacity at Khalifa Port by 2030 to 15 million TEUs per year, and general cargo handling capacity to 25 million tonnes.

JD Logistics has opened its second warehouse in Dubai. Joining the company’s global logistics network, the new warehouse can provide end-to-end supply chain services that cover Asia, Africa and Europe for local and cross-border merchants, explained the Chinese firm in a statement. A 20-minute drive from the Port of Jebel Ali, the warehouse is located in Dubai Industrial City, with an area of 12,000 square meters, providing logistics services ranging from concentrated transportation, sea transportation, air transportation, transition, customs clearance to warehousing, sorting, labeling, dropshipping and more, for both bulky and small to medium-sized products, and meeting both B2C and B2B fulfilment requirements, it added.

Adopting JD Logistics’ self-developed management system, the warehouse can digitally manage inbound and outbound inventory, thus precisely predicting the trends and allocating distribution resources accordingly to improve logistics efficiency. The operation utilises Fordeal, an emerging cross-border e-commerce platform in the Middle East. Leveraging the self-developed warehouse management system, JD Logistics says it helps it to build an intelligent inventory management system which can manage inventory digitally and make forecasts and plans accurately. JD Logistics also provides an intelligent packing recommendation system to save more packaging materials.

Recent e-commerce research commissioned in key markets across Asia by FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., and the world’s largest express transportation company, shows that small and medium businesses (SMEs) that embraced e-commerce during the COVID pandemic are underestimating the importance consumers now place on sustainability in their purchase decision-making.

75% of SMEs surveyed said their customers are more interested in receiving their goods as quickly as possible rather than in sustainable shopping. 73% of SMEs also thought that receiving goods as cheaply as possible is more important to customers. Insights from consumers show the reality is very different.

The What’s Next in E-Commerce survey polled SMEs and consumers in 11 prominent Asian markets in

July 2022. The poll explored the continuing evolution of e-commerce in Asia and identified trends that could fuel their future growth.

The accelerated growth of e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred as consumer concerns over the environment continued to grow. For a significant number of consumers, the future of the planet is top of mind, and they do not want to compromise – they want both sustainability and speedy delivery. 67% of those surveyed expressed as much interest in receiving their goods quickly as they did in the sustainability of the online shopping process.

The e-commerce research shows that 8 out of 10 consumers expect the e-commerce companies they buy from to pursue sustainable business models. 7 out of 10 also prefer to buy from companies with an effective Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy in place. This presents an interesting opportunity for SMEs to invest in more sustainable practices.

Consumers in the United Arab Emirates are also most likely to take sustainability considerations into account during a purchase decision. According to a PwC survey, this trend is also seen across the wider Middle East and North Africa region with 53% respondents saying they will always or often buy eco-friendlier products.

“Sustainability is no longer an optional extra for SMEs interested in expanding their e-commerce businesses. Consumers increasingly see it as an essential and non-negotiable part of their decision-making process,” said Kawal Preet, president of Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) at FedEx Express.