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September 1st, 2008 — Issue 10 September 2008, Special
Ever wondered about the charity supply chain? Or even its logistics? Charitable activities heat up during Ramadan, Fahad A Rahman Bin Sultan with the UAE Red Crescent
Ramadan, being a time for introspection, for cleansing one’s soul and for peace, is also a time for giving. It is a month in which piety, asking for forgiveness and charity are advised in abundance. These are things to be done all year, but the month comes with a mission to make people mindful of these qualities.
September 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 10 September 2008
Everyone knows that UAE’s construction market is booming. Meaning all parties are benefiting. Who, then, is thinking about the environment?
Who isn’t looking for space in Dubai, be it for a warehouse or an office? With the booming construction scene, things look positive. But hold on. Slow down a moment and think about the future. Don’t you want your office or warehouse to be environmentally friendly? And how many developers are thinking about this? Are their buildings sustainable?
Charlotte Eddington, Group Head, Director, Energy and Sustainability, CBRE
September 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 10 September 2008
No mean feat that. With all the expectations (not only local but global) how is work going on the building of the tallest structure in the world?
The Burj Dubai currently stands at around 640 metres
Calling the Burj Dubai only ‘iconic’ is an understatement. The world’s tallest building is perhaps better described as an expression of the entire Emirati sentiment to the rest of the world
– “We’ve made it!”
If you’ve visited the official website, you are enveloped in its awe. The Burj is going to need a capacity of 10,000 tonnes of melting ice to cool it everyday. The observatory deck at 422 metres above ground is going to be the highest observatory point in the world. It will have 200 metres of spectacular dancing fountains. It will house one of the first Armani Hotels in the world. So many superlatives in only one monument.
September 1st, 2008 — Issue 10 September 2008, Trends
Taking care of a fleet of vehicles is an important part of earning profits for any company. Could an appropriate fleet management software be the solution?
When a company has a fleet of more than 50 to 100 trucks, the assets need to be protected. Investing in a fleet is a big expenditure. It could cost anywhere from AED750,000 to AED5 million (US$204,000 to almost US$1.4 million) and the expenses do not end there. In fact, they begin from there. Annual replacements of parts such as tyres could cost a minimum of AED20,000 (US$5,435). With other costs to be considered, a turnover ratio becomes difficult to achieve.
September 1st, 2008 — Issue 10 September 2008, Trends
Al Futtaim and Home Centre are both big companies with big fleets of vehicles out and about on Dubai roads. But how do they manage these gigantics fleets?
Tom Nauwelaerts, Head of Logistics, Al Futtaim
Al Futtaim has a massive transport fleet which it uses for several purposes, from delivering furniture for IKEA to full truck loads of vehicles that run across Arabia, to project cargo with all the range of container loads and oversized heavy haulage car transport vehicles… the complete range. And managing such a gigantic fleet is no mean feat.
Having recently joined the company, Tom Nauwelaerts, Head of Al Futtaim Logistics, is in the thick of organising his fleet so as to have a semblance of order in the coming months. “A fleet of this size is challenging to manage on its own,” he explains. “Couple that with the speed of Al Futtaim’s growth. All of it rolled into one is a nightmare.”
July 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 9 July/Aug 2008
Whether it’s calculating your position by reading the stars or admiring a snow-covered deck, life for a seaman is thoroughly unpredictable
Das Choudhury Arupnarayan, Stowage Coordination Manager, Maersk
Das Choudhury Arupnarayan is just getting used to his new job on land. He has transferred from First Officer on one of Maersk’s ships to Stowage Coordination Manager in their Dubai offices. His duty timings are now from eight to five.
July 1st, 2008 — Issue 9 July/Aug 2008, Trends
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is becoming indispensable. Expanding businesses in the region feel the need to invest to get ahead
With mobile phones having Global Positioning Software (GPS) installed in them, life is easier as one can find routes without panicking. But what about businesses with transport fleets? How do they track their trucks? How do rent-a-car companies know where their cars are? Are they being secretly shipped off to neighbouring countries and sold for a profit? What about taxis? How does the customer service representative taking orders for customer pick up at the call centre, know which is the closest taxi to be assigned?
July 1st, 2008 — Innovation, Issue 9 July/Aug 2008
Diversification is the order of the day in the UAE. The latest project aiming in this direction is the Abu Dhabi Polymers Park, the UAE’s first industrial cluster committed to the plastic conversion industry
Left: Abdullah Al Darmaki, Vice President, Petrochemicals at ADBIC Right: Abu Dhabi Polymers Park Model
July 1st, 2008 — Analysis, Issue 9 July/Aug 2008
Why are oil prices rising? Experts from the energy industry give a little insight
Like the rest of the world, companies in Dubai also are facing the heavy burden of increased fuel costs. Imad Murtada, Assistant Manager – Transport, Agility, says, “This is affecting all of us. We are not the only ones suffering from loss of business. When this increase in prices of fuel hit us, we were unprepared. As we have yearly contracts made with our clients and customers, there was no going back on that. We had to incur those losses. When we talk about increasing our rates, some clients understand whereas others simply do not want to hear anything of it. To look for a way out, we decided on dissolving the old contracts and making new ones, but as the prices are going up every two weeks to 20 days, how practical is that? But now, with new clients, we are making contracts which do not deal in fuel at all, they talk about only the trucks. The cost of fuel will be charged as per the actual receipts.”
July 1st, 2008 — Issue 9 July/Aug 2008, Special
The entire Middle East seems to be getting a rail network. If all the projects materialise, the region should be well connected in the next few years.
The MENA region is burgeoning with plans for rail infrastructure, which are sparking much curiosity. The Rail Infrastructure MENA 2008 conference held on May 22 and 23 at the Park Hyatt was timely and had industry experts talking about the latest happenings in their respective countries.
