Entries Tagged 'Analysis' ↓

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.”

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Building the Pyramids would be a challenge in this day and age, so how did the
ancient Egyptians cope? The following is an excerpt from Issa Baluch’s book
Transport Logistics: Past, Present and Predictions

The great pyramid likely required two million blocks of limestone and granite, weighing
from two to six tons each

Barber estimated that it would take a force of 900 men harnessed in double rank on four draft ropes to drag a 60-ton monolith….

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Air cargo has been a lucrative business for many years. But, the golden days are over, as it appears from the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Rome. The aeroplane is losing market share to the container sector. IATA chairman Giovanni Bisignani warns: “Fasten your seatbelts. It will be a rocky ride.

Giovanni Bisignani, Chairman, IATA

There is yet no acute panic but the airlines are worried about the loss of cargo to the much cheaper container traffic.

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If there is one ‘hot’ subject in the air cargo sector at present, it’s got to be fuel surcharge. But the fact that it is not being commented upon by IATA is what is causing even more discomfort to airline companies.

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The international freight forwarding business is sailing towards choppy times. The boat is being rocked by new security customs clearing strictures in the USA and EU. This became apparent at the headquarter meeting of the International Federation of the Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) in Zurich recently.

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As supply chain management experts argue the growing importance of the information flow over the physical flow, academics are proposing the concept of 5PL, which integrates the benefits of both 3PL (third party) and 4PL (fourth party) logistics providers

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Data from the 2008 Logistics Recruitment Annual Salary Survey for supply chain and logistics professionals shows respondents in the Middle East are obtaining higher pay rises, are more qualified, more multi-lingual and generally more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts around
the world.

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As society demands higher environmental standards from the corporate sector, the drive towards a greener supply chain gains momentum.

In a recent survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Co., of 391 CEOs of companies around the globe, 95 per cent of respondents acknowledged that society now has higher expectations of how companies will meet their ‘public responsibilities’ than five years ago, and more than half said those expectations will rise further in the next five years.

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