Exhibiting at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, DP World showcased services that are dedicated to helping customers move their goods around the world in ways which are smarter, faster, safer and more cost-efficient.
The company aims to improve performance at all stages of the global supply chain, from points of manufacture to points of consumption. Importantly, the aim is to give cargo owners better visibility and control as their goods progress through the supply chain.
In seeking to make trade ‘smarter’, DP World works to establish physical infrastructure, which includes ports, logistics parks and transport services, where it is most needed and to exploit the massive opportunities offered by digital technology to make the entire supply chain work better. Today, the company has a portfolio of 78 operating marine and inland terminals supported by over 50 related businesses in over 40 countries across six continents.
The company’s operations in the UAE have been the primary conduit for on-going trade between Dubai and China for over 40 years. It’s flagship Jebel Ali Port, the 10th largest container port in the world by volume and rated as the most productive globally, serves as the main export hub for Chinese goods moving through the Middle East along the east-west trade route to Northern Europe, the busiest trade route in the world currently. Export volumes in 2017 rose by 63% and vehicles and parts, polymers and plastics, paper, construction material, and aluminium top the list of exports.
Also part of DP World’s portfolio and logistics corridor in Dubai, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is the UAE’s leading source for foreign direct investments and remains the primary destination for Chinese firms looking to setup operations in the region with 255 registered Chinese companies that have a total workforce of over 1,000 employees. Trade volumes through Jafza reached 1.66 million tonnes in 2017 for a total value of USD 11.74 billion. Metal, steel, construction material, electronics and electrical goods, retail, chemicals, and machinery & equipment were the top traded commodities through the free zone. Mohammed Al Muallem, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said:
“China has been our largest trading partner for over forty years, and their continued faith in us is a testament to the success of our customer-centric approach and our world-class services and solutions. Through the unique polyfunctional ecosystem developed between Jebel Ali Port and Jafza, we have developed a trade network that reaches out to over 3 billion people across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent that has helped place Dubai as a vital trade hub in the global supply chain.
“We are looking forward to working closely with China and introduce new opportunities for trade and investments. Our Belt and Road Dubai Station, currently being developed jointly with ZPG, will connect Dubai directly to China’s New Silk Road and will give the GCC enhanced access to Central Asian markets and provide businesses a new integrated logistics platform."
China is the UAE’s largest trading partner and during President Jinping’s visit in 2018, the two countries signed numerous agreements on energy cooperation, enhancing e-commerce ties, the development of a wholesale market for agricultural and livestock products, creating a platform for financial services, and cooperation and administrative assistance for customs issues.
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