Bahrain Post launches online postal tracking service
The service, named “Tracking of Postal Packages”, allows individuals, business, and government entities to easily track their letters and parcels online.
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Regional postal heads review progress of inter-GCC express mail service 'Gulf Express'
Postal heads from Arab countries meeting in Qatar for the 21st postal high committee meeting gave the green signal for the implementation of Gulf Express, an improved express mail service for GCC countries.
The officials, who included under-secretaries of postal ministries and directors-general of posts, reviewed the business plan submitted by the Riyadh-based newly appointed manager of the project and asked for an operational plan.
The meeting also decided that the Gulf countries will henceforth take part in international stamp exhibitions under the name of the ‘GCC Countries Group’, in an effort to promote Arab solidarity and philatelic excellence.
Among the other topics was a review of the proposed pan-GCC logistics company owned by GCC postal organizations.
Read MoreBahrain's logistics industry boosted by new port development
Bahrain is set to cement its position as the transport hub of the Gulf as the new Khalifa Bin Salman Port nears completion and is set to open for business in December 2008. The newly developed port – which has been dredged to a depth of 15 meters to accommodate any container ship currently in service – will have a capacity of 2.5 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), two thirds the capacity of Great Britain’s Felixstowe.
The logistic industry in Bahrain is already thriving, the Kingdom boasts the impressive Bahrain Logistics Zone (BLZ) located adjacent to the port and 13 km from the airport – offering the shortest logistics transfer time to/from sea and air in the Gulf. In July, CEVA Logistics announced their intention to build a 10,000 square metre warehouse in the BLZ with the potential for expansion.
Bahrain’s geographical position – just 40 km’s away from Saudi Arabia and with excellent links to Qatar and the rest of the Gulf – offers companies that supply oil and gas related equipment excellent market access. The Causeway between Qatar and Bahrain – construction of which will begin in January 2009 – will further enhance Bahrain’s connections to the world’s third largest gas reserves.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board commented:
“… I believe the infrastructure available in Bahrain will enable companies – like DHL and CEVA Logistics – to compete more effectively in the regional and global market.”
DHL opens service centre in Budaiya (Bahrain)
DHL Express officially opened a new service point located on Budaiya Highway.
Situated in a predominantly residential area, the new retail outlet will offer residential and business customers convenience, accessibility and a user-friendly range of services.
This is the fourth DHL outlet in Bahrain, complementing the other service points located in Al Moayyed Tower in Seef, Umm Al Hassam and Muharraq.
Incorporating DHL’s easy-to-use international express services with simplified offers for customers, the latest outlet provides customers with service in a convenient location.
Core services on offer include DHL Express 9 and DHL Express 12 for more urgent deliveries, along with the standard end-of-day, DHL Express Worldwide.
In addition, for imports from around the world, customers can use DHL Import Express, and recently introduced, DHL Economy Select is a new option for less urgent, heavier shipments.
The new service point on Budaiya Highway is located in the retail cluster that includes Marina Trading, and operates seven days a week from 9am to 8pm.
Read MoreMiddle Eastern postal market poised for growth
Postal operations in the Middle East have the potential to generate significant value, but they have limited time before regulatory liberalization and the spread of Internet commerce start to erode their competitive position, according to a new white paper Oliver Wyman, a leading international management consultancy.
• Middle Eastern postal companies today are like their European counterparts during the 1990s in facing abundant growth opportunities.
• The sector has begun to liberalize, slowly opening opportunities for new entrants.
• Immigrants in GCC countries are demanding value-added services.
• Low computer and Internet usage in GCC countries gives postal companies an additional advantage.
Middle Eastern postal companies can take advantage of several trends that Oliver Wyman expects to feed expansion and cross-selling opportunities in the region:
• Large existing post office networks and strong, recognized brands, such as UAE Post
• Large local populations and growing immigrant populations, which require basic services usually available at the local post office
• Regulated markets, which allow Middle Eastern postal companies to set barriers to entry much higher for new entrants as deregulation occurs. Bahrain already has a fully liberalized postal market and Egypt has committed to liberalization by 2009.
• Low penetration of PCs and the Internet at present, heavy reliance on cash transactions, and skepticism about online security
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