DHL to start services to Afghanistan
DHL Worldwide Express will resume its services from Bahrain to Kabul and Kandahar in Afghanistan after a lapse of 17 years.
“This is the first service of its kind since the new interim government was formed in Kabul, confirming the company’s pioneering role in the global express and logistics field by being the first to serve this country,” Uwe R Dorken, chairman and CEO of DHL Worldwide Expresses said yesterday.
He added that the new move was part of the company’s strategy to expand into new markets in direct response to customers’ presence and future needs.
Dorken said: “DHL, which is the first international express company to have a presence in Afghan-istan, will operate its own scheduled freighter service between Bahrain and Afghanistan from next Wednes-day. The initial objective is to take part in the global humanitarian aid being currently provided to this country”.
The investment plans announced by Dorken include the registry of a Boeing 757 freighter under Bahrain’s aircraft register, the opening of a vehicle maintenance facility at DHL’s hub in Bahrain and the forging of a strategic alliance with Bahrain’s telecom provider Batelco.
“Our investment strategy is based on our firm belief in the potential of the Middle East market, and we aim to fully tap the opportunity available to contribute towards the growth of this market,” said Dorken who pointed out that in line with the global strategy, the vision for the region is to provide a centralised servicing on par with the service structure the company operates in Europe and the U.S.
Dorken also announced a strategic alliance with Batelco whom DHL will entrust with rationalising its existing functional bases in the region providing service enhancements, reductions in communication costs and potential savings in personnel and IT hardware costs.
