Link issue12 Final One - SCLG

26
Market Watch
AED 257m Dubai Flower Centre fully
operational
The AED 257 million (US$70-million)
Dubai Flower Centre (DFC), a
strategically located state-of-the-art
trans-shipment facility for perishable
goods in the region has now become
fully operational, and has handled total
volume of 3,475 tonnes of perishables
in the first ten days of operation.
DFC, operating as a free zone,
ensures seamless and prompt delivery
of perishables from the producer to the
end consumer and has the capacity to
handle 180,000 tonnes of perishable
products a year. All existing processes,
payments and facilities remain
unchanged, since DFC is supported by
Dnata Cargo and its DACS+ system
(Chameleon) for terminal handling
activities to ensure efficient transfer of
perishable cargo.
DFC has been designed as a
transhipment hub, and the main
handling operations for import, export
and transit take place on the ground
floor of the facility. Rapid and efficient
handling is aided by a fully automatic
system that safeguards quality and
maximises shelf life. At the moment all
perishable transit cargo from Emirates
is being handled by DFC.
DFC's computerised tracking system
enables exporters and importers to
track the flight status, shipment
loading and the temperature of their
products through the supply chain.
Standard Chartered rolls out China-UAE
'trade corridor'
A special ‘trade
corridor’ between the
UAE and China has been
rolled out this year to
facilitate trade
opportunities between
the high-growth
regions. Belman states
that with years of
banking experience in
both the UAE and
China, Standard
Chartered is strongly positioned to
partner growing businesses and help
them take advantage of emerging
opportunities within these regions.
“Bilateral trade between the UAE
and China has seen a steady increase in
recent years, and while it is now worth
around USD $10 billion, this figure is
expected to climb steadily by US$1-2
billion annually. Given that the current
volume represents a mere two per cent
of China’s total foreign trade, we have
identified enormous opportunites for
SME businesses based in the UAE to
expand and invest,” explained Belman.
He added that SME clients are able to
benefit by using Standard Chartered as
their preferred partner on both ends of
the UAE-China trade corridor.
“We are uniquely positioned to be
able to provide cross-border
relationship managers, “ he says, “and
our SME banking unit focuses solely on
the requirements of our clients to
ensure they are offered the widest
range of banking products and services
in the market, tailored especially for
their needs.”
Supply Chain & Logistics Group | www.sclgme.org