Delivering Quality Logistics Information Since 1947
January 1st, 2009 — Interview, Issue 14 January 2009
The region’s biggest cargo fleet is here to stay, Jassim Al Bastaki tells Kathryn Semcow
You could say all-cargo carrier Midex Airlines entered the market at one of the worst times in aviation history. When it launched its first flight from the Al Ain Airport in June 2008, fuel prices were high as ever and airlines around the world were wondering if they could survive.
January 1st, 2009 — Interview, Issue 14 January 2009
Nabel Mohammed Saleh, Director of Roads, Roads and Traffic Agency (RTA) gives
Munawar Shariff a clear picture of how the RTA is handling the issue of constructing
new roads, reducing traffic and building the infrastructure for Dubai’s future growth
Munawar Shariff: By how much are you expanding your roads? What is the capacity of vehicles you are targeting to absorb on all the new road constructions?
December 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 13 December 2008
Mix one part contract logistics and one part freight management and what do you get? One of the world’s largest networks with presence scattered around the world.
Gianfranco Sgro, President, CEVA Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa and Shamsudeen Ahmed, Regional Director, CEVA
What’s in a name these days? It is very easy to lose track of company titles amidst the infinite consolidation happening in the market. First we had TNT, until private equity group Apollo Management purchased its logistics division in 2006, renaming it CEVA. Then, in mid-2007, CEVA merged with EGL Global Logistics and integrated it under the CEVA brand.
December 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 13 December 2008
Cargo 2000 is taking the air cargo industry a step above
Lothar Moehle, Regional Director EMEA, Cargo 2000
Lothar Moehle is a patient man. The Regional Director EMEA for Cargo 2000 seems to know that soon enough most airlines and forwarders will join his organisation, replacing airway bills with electronic data and sending regular freight status updates. “It’s just a matter of old IT systems, and to replace those can be quite an investment,” says Moehle. “Many companies simply have other priorities.”
November 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 12 November 2008
Like any other industry, the transportation business has more than its fair share of stresses. No two days are the same and challenges are plenty (driver shortages, spiralling fuel costs to name a few). Companies either sink or swim.
Khalid Abdullah Al Hawai, Managing Director, Mashaweer Transport
November 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 12 November 2008
Ras Al Khaimah Airport is expanding its cargo facilities. But can CEO Michelle Solimon fill it with freight?
CEO Michelle Solimon on the Ras Al Khaimah tarmac
Walk around Ras Al Khaimah Airport with CEO Michelle Solimon and it becomes clear she is different from all the others working there. She is six feet tall, blonde and from a small town in Montana, USA. The male employees who flock to greet her are shorter, darkened from the tarmac sun and
almost always Arab. They are happy to see her and you can tell they want her to feel welcome. But all the Arab hospitality in the world cannot prevent Solimon from standing out.
October 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 11 October 2008
You, too, can bring in the big bucks. Just ask Farook Al Zeer, Managing Director for Schenker in the UAE
Farook Al Zeer, Managing Director, Schenker for Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Walk into the Mirdiff villa office of Farook Al Zeer, Managing Director for Schenker in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and you will quickly understand you are not dealing with an average freight forwarder. The artwork on the walls looks pricey, the suit is certainly designer and the personality is definitely debonair. After a few minutes of conversation, this first impression will make sense, however, because you will understand that you are not dealing with merely a freight forwarder, but rather an investor.
October 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 11 October 2008
Money seems to be literally floating on the seas, and at the end of the day it’s all about how much profit you make. In today’s information age, communication between owners and brokers continues around the clock, and remains the catalyst for optimising profit. As cargo bookings, weather conditions and ETA’s are variable and everchanging, the shipping industry has become far more data driven and analyst dependant. Indeed, ship brokering has evolved massively from what it used to be
Matthew Patton (Left), Chairman of Triton Lines, Alexander Hamalton (Right), a broker for Barry Rogliano Salles (BR S) Middle East
Sit down with any shipbroker and he’ll be quick to tell you, the market is changing. No longer are brokers perceived merely as middlemen facilitating ship acquisition for their clients. Rather, with daily variables such as rising fuel costs, hourly market fluctuations, futures contracts and other speculation- driven interests, their roles have become industry specific and far more real time data-driven.
September 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 10 September 2008
Casey McFann sits down with Dirk Montgomery, Director – Offshore Sales, MENA, National Oilwell Varco, to find out how drilling rigs come together
In the world of oil, drilling rigs are the essential tool of extraction. But what do we actually know about them? Dirk “The Driller” Montgomery explains the workings of today’s drilling rigs.
Dirk Montgomery, Director – Offshore Sales, MENA, National Oilwell Varco
Casey McFann: How does a drilling rig work?
September 1st, 2008 — Interview, Issue 10 September 2008
If one word could describe Agility’s global expansion, it would be ‘aggressive’
Bassem Chbaklo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Middle East and Africa, Agility
Mention the name Agility to anyone working in the logistics or freight forwarding business in the Middle East and his or her expression will likely turn to that of half fear, half respect. In the past few years, Agility has developed into one of the top logistics providers in the world, finding itself with over 20,000 employees in more than 100 countries. Its three divisions – Global Integrated Logistics (GIL), Defense & Government Services (DGS) and Investments – bring in almost US$6 billion in revenue each year.
