Tag: Middle East

Empost Cargo and Logistics expects 20 pct growth this year

Posted by | Sep 1, 2008 | |

On February 2007 Empost – UAE’s national courier company – diversified to create a subsidiary division for cargo and logistics in order to offer integrated transport and logistics services covering more than 200 destinations.

The new entity, Empost Cargo and Logistics, has specialised infrastructure and operates out of dedicated locations, with its hub at one of the most important locations for the logistics sector – the Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafza) Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafza).

Sultan Al Midfa, CEO of Empost, spoke to Emirates Business about the performance of the company’s logistics division.

How has the performance of Empost Cargo and Logistics been since its establishment last year? Have you managed to meet your expectations?
Yes, we have met all expectations – our own and those of the market. Initially, we were known as a courier company. Since we established the cargo division, we have emerged as the leading express courier, cargo and logistics company in the UAE and the region. We have become a ‘one-stop shop’ in the local market.

What services did you start with, and which ones have you added so far?
To cater to the booming logistics and supply chain industry in the Middle East, Empost launched its cargo and logistics services in 2007. We started with freight forwarding (air and sea), land transportation, warehousing and packing services. Then we added wooden packing services to our list, providing value-added services to our clients.

We plan to open new offices at the Logistics City, and in Jebel Ali and Sharjah, as well as other countries.

Our total investment last year was 24 per cent of our capital and for this year, investment expectation is 12 per cent of our capital.

According to your 2007 financial report, Empost Cargo and Logistics achieved a 31-per cent growth over 2006. What are the reasons for this? Did you expect it?
We have achieved more than we expected. The cargo and logistics sector in the UAE is booming, because of various development projects that have attracted numerous local as well as foreign investors.

What kind of business model are you following? Is it any different from that of the other 3PL companies in the region?
We have our own growth strategy, which is constantly reviewed and enhanced to help us tap further opportunities. We have a simple, straightforward strategy to help us maintain our position as the market leader and offer quality service at a reasonable price.
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How big is your footprint in the region and globally? How do you see this increasing in the next two years?
Empost has been in the market for more than 10 years, and we have excellent alliances with well-known regional and global companies that are known for quality service.

Over the next two years there will be a lot of new projects implemented to help us serve various communities, especially, the UAE, India, Philippines and Indonesia.
Empost has tied up with major government institutions, banks and corporations. Currently we are working on plans of extending our services into new destinations and assessing new products and services that are targeted at niche markets.

How do you leverage the services and facilities of your parent company, Emirates Post , to effectively run the business?

Emirate Post has a well-established network of its own, and because we come under the same group, we are able to tap into some of the resources of Emirates Post to help us deliver high quality service to our customers. As a one-stop shop, we offer our customers a variety of services, which include cargo, courier or any other service.

How much growth is Empost Cargo and Logistics expecting this year and in the coming year, in terms of revenue and operation size?

We are expecting about 20 per cent growth this year. However, the division will continue to greatly contribute in the overall performance of Empost. Currently, the cargo and logistics division contributes about 30 per cen

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DHL opens service centre in Budaiya (Bahrain)

Posted by | Sep 1, 2008 | |

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.

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Q-Post to tie up with firms in tele-money order system

Posted by | Aug 22, 2008 | |

The General Postal Corporation (Q-Post) is to introduce a tele-money order system “which will be more economical and easier to the consumer than the prevailing services in the market”.

George Scott-Campbell, director of IT Services at Q-Post, told Gulf Times that the system, when introduced, would make sending money home very easy and time-saving for people.

The service is likely to be introduced in the “third quarter of the year”.
Q-Post will tie up with companies whose employees can place a standing request with their HR department to remit money regularly. “Q-Post will provide the necessary software to the companies which subscribe to the system”.

The system could be run from the offices of all subscribers.

Once instructed, the HR department could remit a certain amount of money to home, banks or wherever one wanted, the official said. One could also make a one-off transfer through the HR department, he added.

The money would be electronically transferred to the nearest post office or branch of the bank of the recipient. Whether it would be delivered to the door-step would depend on the services offered by the local post office, the official said.

Scott-Campbell stressed that the service would have several advantages over the existing services. For one, it would save a lot of time of the employees who otherwise would have to go and stand in queues at exchange houses or banks. Currently, it often takes two hours or more for a person to remit money.

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SMS-based service soon to ensure mail delivery

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

A new SMS-based, 24X7 modern postal service is likely to be introduced in Qatar by next year.
George Scott-Campbell, director of IT Services at General Postal Corporation (Q-Post), told Gulf Times that the service, Q-Post24, would end the problem of people not getting mail sent to their office P O Box address.
Subscribers to the service would be notified through a text message when a mail or parcel reached the post office, he said.
The service would have outdoor lockers at supermarkets, petrol stations and similar places. Q-Post had already sold advertising space on the giant boxes.
The boxes can be accessed by an electronic card. The parcel will have a PIN number, which will be sent through SMS.
Using the card and the PIN, the locker bins can be opened and the parcel collected.
Scott-Campbell said a Gulf company wanted to supply the hardware for the service, which was originally developed in Britain as a business-to-business service known as .
According to the manufacturers, ParcelExchange is a cost-effective and sustainable solution for the ‘last mile’ in the delivery process.

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Qatargas to sponsor Postal Congress

Posted by | Aug 21, 2008 | |

Qatargas is to sponsor The Congress of Universal Postal Union to be hosted by Qatar in 2012. This was announced in a press conference held at the premises of Q-Post who signed a contract with Qatargas in the General Post Office, West Bay yesterday.

“As members of Qatar Gas, we are responsible to participate and help in anything that will raise the name of Qatar,” said Ghanem Mohammed Al Kawary, Director of Administration Department. The state of Qatar was elected as deputy chairman of the new administration Council of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) for Asia. This took place in a voting session in the Swiss Capital.

Qatar, for the first time, joined membership of the UPU administration council through elections in the Asia and Oceania group.

The Universal Postal Congress (CPU) board consists of 41 elected countries as per various regional groupings. Ali Mohamed Al Ali, Chairman and Director General of Qatar General Postal Corporation (Q-Post) said in a statement that the election of Qatar as deputy chairman of UPU Council of Administration represents a new achievement for Qatar which is getting ready to host the 25th UPU Congress conference in 2012.

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