NEWS
70
The number of countries served by UPS in the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East & Africa (ISMEA) region
MICCO to invest AED 35 million in KIZAD Abu Dhabi Ports has signed a standard Musataha agreement (SMA) with Al Mazroui International Cargo Company (MICCO) to establish a new Logistics Business Centre at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). The state-of-the-art facility will cater to MICCO’s temperature controlled storage facilities, bulk storage through open yards, distribution services, and a service centre for their trucking fleet. MICCO’s new Centre will be built in three phases. The first phase will see MICCO, a leading freight contracting company in the UAE and one of the oldest logistics service providers in Abu Dhabi, invest an initial AED 35 million (US $9.54) for the first phase, with further investments anticipated based on the future developments of phase two and three. Their new facility, requiring a plot size of 30,000 square metres, is expected to be ready by Q4 2016 and fully operational by January 2017. “Abu Dhabi Ports has enjoyed a long-standing business partnership with MICCO – going back to the start of operations at Zayed Port,” observed Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports. 10 | Logistics News ME | July 2015
“This new agreement marks our continued efforts in supporting their business. Kizad, is the ideal location for expanding logistics network and assisting MICCO expand its reach and develop business growth opportunities,” he continued. Captain Simreen, Managing Director at MICCO, noted that that through this SMA, MICCO will be able to further contribute to strengthening Abu Dhabi’s export potential and in establishing even stronger logistics provisions to the GCC market. The SMA builds on an already strong relationship between Abu Dhabi Ports and MICCO. In April 2014, the companies signed a MoU that guaranteed stability in the rate structure and through which MICCO provided road freight services for container cargo pick-up and delivery to Khalifa Port to and from any location in the city of Abu Dhabi, including Musaffah. Abu Dhabi Ports supported MICCO’s comprehensive freight services by providing a dedicated coordination desk and parking area for the various MICCO trucks, as well as fast track processing at its ports.
Catch our interview with Khalifa Port in the next issue
UPS unveils new sorting facility in Abu Dhabi
Top international logistics services provider UPS recently announced the opening of a new package sorting facility with warehousing and contract logistics capabilities in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. The new facility will triple the existing sorting capacity, providing faster transit times for customers in Abu Dhabi and facilitating UPS ExpressTM shipments to major Middle East destinations and India by the end of the next business day. “This investment is part of UPS’s long-term commitment to the UAE and our customers in the region, helping them to connect to global markets even faster,” commented Rachid Fergati, UPS Country Manager for the UAE. UPS has been present in the Middle East since 1988 with its regional headquarters in the UAE. The company’s regional network in the Middle East, the African continent and the Indian subcontinent comprises more than 300 operating facilities across 70 countries. A total of 16 weekly UPS flights from Dubai International Airport connect customers in the region to the EU, the US and Asia. This expansion is the latest investment in the growing UPS presence in the region. In 2014, UPS relocated its contract logistics operations to a multi-purpose facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai doubling its warehousing capacity. In the same year the UPS Worldwide Express Freight™ service was introduced to customers for urgent, time-sensitive and high-value international heavyweight shipments consigned to and from the UAE. This is in addition to UPS’s full portfolio of express shipping services, customs brokerage service and state-of-the-art tracking and monitoring technology.