Logistics companies, enticed by opportunities in Iraq, must play a calculating game before deciding how best to serve their customers
and staff.

With lucrative infrastructure, military and service contracts constantly up for grabs in Iraq, the commercial benefits of doing business in the country are all too apparent – but so too are the risks. The unease with the ongoing political situation was best illustrated recently when Qatar left Iraq out of the GCC Summit, much to Iraq’s consternation, particularly as Iran and Turkey made it through the doors.

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Airline food may seem boring, but the science behind it surprisingly exciting.

Emirates Flight Catering, a subsidiary of Emirates Airlines, opened the largest in flight catering facility in the world in terms of meal throughput capacity. The facility is dedicated to supply the in-flight service requirements of Emirates Airlines. At full capacity, over 1800 employees on three floors will prepare 115,000 meals per day.

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Gulf airline cargo managers are all smiles as their fleets grow, airports expand and economies soar. But increased competition and capacity mean there’s no room for complacency.

Working in the Middle Eastern air cargo industry is like opening a menu and finding that the dishes keep changing. The governments of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar have been busy laying out their tables, accommodating growing transit and destination business at the world’s crossroads. But now they’re hungry for more, spending billions on fleet and airport expansion in the next five years.

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Dubai Logistics City is about to become a major force in global logistics, capitalising on the city’s insatiable growth, east-meets-west location and proximity to two billion consumers

Michael Proffitt, CEO, Dubai Logistics City

The seismic ripples of the GCC’s meteoric economic growth continue to be felt far and wide and its rapidly expanding logistics sector has been at the epicentre of all the activity. Now the ripples are set to become even larger, as Dubai Logistics City (DLC) prepares to start operations, serving as a powerful magnet for global and regional trade.

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FedEx may be flying high in the region and have a wealth of new aircraft in the pipeline, but Hamdi Osman, Senior Vice President of FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, is keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the ground

Hamdi Osman, Senior Vice President of FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinental and Africa

FedEx’s regional head Hamdi Osman may always have one eye on the sky, but his head is nowhere near the clouds. The straight-talking Senior Vice President is gearing up for the day when goods will travel from Dubai to Europe by road.

“The next war in the airfreight business will be on the ground,” he says with a confidence that belies the contradiction.

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Christa Soltau has a formidable track record opening airports. And now she’s relishing the hot seat at Dubai World Central

Christa Soltau, Managing Director, Dubai World Central International Airport

Christa Soltau can’t stop smiling and who can blame her? We’re sitting in the sumptuous fifth floor office of Dubai World Central International Airport, overlooking the stunning Emirates Golf Club and ever-changing “New Dubai”.

And the view inside isn’t bad either. The large open plan office, which resembles a small exhibition hall, contains a soothing water feature near the entrance, a mock design of the airport’s 92-metre air traffic control tower, as well as three huge model impressions of the 140-square kilometre (sq km) facility that is rapidly taking shape in Jebel Ali.

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Over the past three years, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has experienced an unprecedented rail boom. Rapid population growth and increasing road-traffic congestion have encouraged governments to take a serious look at light and mass transportation, leading to over $30 billion worth of investment in the industry.

In the last 12 months alone, construction on the Dubai Light Rail project, also known as the Dubai Metro, has gathered pace. Tenders for the Saudi Landbridge project have also been issued and awards have been made on the Kingdom’s multi-billion-dollar minerals railway.

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With its east-meets-west location and can-do commercial climate, it is no wonder major suppliers and forwarders are choosing Dubai as their premier logistics hub

Dubai has always had one eye on tomorrow, and that message is clear in the transport industry. Most cities would be delighted if their airport was growing at 15% a year, but not the enterprising Gulf state. Even with a Cargo MegaTerminal and spate of new terminals and concourses coming up at the existing airport, Dubai is busy preparing for the next aviation era by building a brand new airport in Jebel Ali.

Jebel Ali is a thriving pocket of Dubai. Formerly a commercial appendage to the city, it is now the unequivocal freighting focus.

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Outgoing FIATA President Manfred Boes looks back on the highlights of his two year tenure and outlines the benefits of holding the World Congress in Dubai

The FIATA World Congress coming to the Grand Hyatt Dubai between October 18 and 22 will attract 1,200 attendees and 60 exhibitors. And, for one man, the occasion will be especially significant. The congress marks the curtain call for President Manfred Boes, who hands his position over to Bill Gottlieb following the event. The transition also marks the climax of a two year tenure filled with a fair share of challenges and highlights.

The logistics industry moves so quickly that it somehow seems longer than 24 months ago when Boes was elected to the FIATA hot seat in Moscow.

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