NAFL2nd ISSUE Final 27 December 2016

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
Happy New Year!
REVIEWVol.1Issue2
The National Association of Freight and Logistics, UAE
Emirates
turns sight to global pharmaceutical industry
SkyPharma
08-Cover Story
EXPO 2020
Dubai reveals further details of legacy plan
16-Feature
Al Sharqi
Shipping
One of Top 100 SMEs in Dubai
18-Feature
11-News
FIATA recertifies
NAFL courses
20-Feature
Pharma
community must
work closely
with regulators
22-Travel
Sri Lanka: A
potpourri
of diversity
24-News
Sharjah taps
Chinese &
Korean investors
www.nafl.ae

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
years
The National Association of
Freight & Logistics, the
Arabian Gulf's rst forwarding
association, will celebrate its
25th founding anniversary in
February 2017
NationalAssociationofFreightandLogistics
National Association of Freight and Logistics-NAFL, P.O. Box 60944
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, www.nafl.ae
For sponsorships, please contact
Mary Rodrigues
at 04-343-1112
email: mary.rodrigues@nafl.ae
(NAFL Secretariat)

Message
NAFL REVIEW
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation,
Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of Dubai World,
the Honorary Patron of NAFL
am very delighted to serve as the
IPresident of NAFL. First and foremost, I
would like to thank HH Sheikh Ahmed
Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, our Honorary
Patron, for all his unconditional support to
us over the past 24 years and his trust in
me and our NAFL board.
I also would like to thank all our valuable
members who have trusted my work over
the years and our team. We will always be
there for you as your loyal partners.
I am looking forward to the coming year
where I will be offering various courses
such as the FIATA Diploma Program. We
will be having many exciting workshops
on soft skills, leadership, logistics,
innovation and much more.
We are working with top universities for
global executive programs in the next
quarter and this will be one of its kind in the
region. Our new E-learning program for
DGR courses and freight will soon be
available.
I would like to congratulate our rulers for
the opening of the Dubai Water Canal
which has transformed the city to
something unique, even more beautiful
and pleasant for all the people living
around that area.
I also salute Emirates SkyCargo for their
excellent pharma facilities.
I would also like to congratulate our
Federal Customs as well as Dubai
Customs on being the first in the Arab
world to certify and train 15 companies for
the “Authorized Economic Operator”.
I assure you that we will be organizing a
day for our members exclusively with the
C u s t o m s o n t h i s p r o g r a m a n d i t s
certification and benefits.
I am excited about Dubai Trade which just
l a u n c h e d i t s n e w t r a n s p o r t o n l i n e
services and insurance.
We will also be hosting events in Abu Dhabi
soon and I hope you can all join us.
We have just celebrated the Martyrs Day
and the National Day with the special
needs children which was really touching.
These special occasions gave us the
opportunity to always remember those
who gave up their lives to keep our country
and people safe.
Our National Day is a great day to
celebrate unity, diversity, peace and learn
as well as embrace the best from the
various cultures and nationalities in the
UAE and set a good example for others to
follow.
Our next main focus in NAFL is to raise the
freight and logistics industry standards
with our partners in the government
offices and simultaneously get more
business networks to our members as
well as cost savings through various
holistic approaches taken by NAFL.
I adhere to the open door policy. You can
visit us anytime at your convenience and
tell us how we can help you to further grow.
We will ensure that we are always there
for you and your team.
I really hope you enjoy reading our
newsletter and I always look forward to
seeing you all at our upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Nadia Abdul Aziz
NAFL President
Al Noor Center for Children with
Special Needs Executive Board
UNASCO M.D./Partner
WILAT-ME (Women in Logistics
& Transport ) Chairperson
NationalAssociationofFreightandLogistics
National Association of Freight and Logistics-NAFL, P.O. Box 60944,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, www.nafl.ae, Tel: +971 4 343 1112
Chief Editor
Rustu Soydan
rustu aircargoupdate.com
Contributors
Gemma Q. Casas
gemma dimensionsmedia.com
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Head-Sales Marketing
Israr Ahmad
israr dimensionsmedia.com
Head Operations
Jamal Ahmad
jamal dimensionsmedia.com
Tel.: +971 6 55 79579,
Fax: +971 6 55 79569 PO Box: 9604
SAIF Zone Sharjah UAE
www.7dimensionsmedia.com
Photographer s
Jamal Wasim
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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
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Contents Vol.1Issue2
08
Cover Story
Emirates turns sight to global
pharmaceutical industry
with SkyPharma
Contents
18
NAFL REVIEW
Al Sharqi
Shipping One of
Top 100 SMEs in
Dubai
News & Updates
06 - A Decade of Achievements &
5 Years of Challenges Ahead
11 - FIATA recertifies NAFL to offer
internationally-recognized
courses
12 - Seamless cargo movement crucial
to Vietnam's growth
13 - Jafza's automotive & spare
parts industry valued at $5 billion
14 - UAE among top 20 economies:
Global Competitiveness Report
15 - Export-orientation policy drives
economic transformation
24 - Invest in Sharjah taps Chinese
and Korean investors
25 - NAFL & the Al Noor Training Center
for Children with Special Needs
Technology
20 Feature
Pharma
community must
work closely
with regulators
22 Travel
Sri Lanka: A potpourri
of diversity
16 Feature
EXPO 2020
Dubai reveals further
details of legacy plan
26 - Cool gadgets to try
29-Upcoming Events: FIATA World Congress

NAFL REVIEW Message whose hard work has
r e s u l t e d i n
achievements, and
encourage those who
have lagged behind.
Through all of this,
we remember that
o u r g o a l i s t h e
advancement and
glory of our nation
and the betterment
ear brothers and sisters: and happiness of our
10 years have passed citizens.
since I assumed the position So, let us review the
p a s t 1 0 y e a r s .
Despite the global
financial meltdown
and the resulting
economic slowdown,
despite the upheaval
and disorder our
region has endured,
t h e U n i t e d A r a b
Emirates has shown
| 06 |
A Decade of Achievements and 5 Years of
Challenges Ahead
In a message to mark 10 years since
assumption of duties as Prime Minister of
the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai detailed
some of the milestones achieved by the
government, in pursuit of its goals,
including the advancement and glory of the
UAE and the betterment and happiness of
its citizens. The full text of the message
follows:
D
Over
of prime minister and vice
president of the United Arab Emirates.
In those 10 years, we have launched a
number of plans and strategies, led a
number of reforms of our government,
developed systems to track performance
and improve services, encouraged
innovation and the application of
technology across all sectors, established
awards, formed thousands of working
teams, held numerous retreats and
meetings and established many new
government agencies.
We can perhaps now, 10 years later, ask
ourselves: what is the outcome of all this
work and activity? It is important to pause
occasionally and review our past work,
measure our accomplishments and chart
our road ahead.
Today, reviewing the past 10 years' work,
we stand on a path leading in the next five
years to the year 2021, the year which we
set as our target year for many objectives
a n d g o a l s . W e p r o m i s e d g r e a t
achievements and aspirations. How far
have we come on our road, and how much
more do we have to do in the coming five
years to fulfil those promises?
In this short address, I would like to
highlight a number of indicators of our
achievements. I will leave the rest to our
government officials and the members of
our media to discuss openly, with
transparency and without embellishment
but with numbers and facts, research and
studies so we can right our path if we need
to, work harder if required, thank those
marked progress in
all sectors. Our economy has doubled in
the past ten years, from a GDP of 663
billion dirhams to 1,360 billion dirhams, an
improvement which has provided jobs and
underpinned considerable economic and
commercial opportunities for the citizens
and residents of our country.
We have continuously stressed in the past
10 years, through legislation and policies,
the importance of diversifying our
economy away from dependence on oil. As
a result, our non-petroleum exports have
increased from 113 billion dirhams when I
assumed office to 603 billion dirhams
(including free zone trade) in the past year.
The economic contribution of the nonpetroleum
sector has increased from 66%
to some 77% today. This has provided our
economy with considerable protection
throughout the recent decline in oil prices
and meant we have been one of few
countries worldwide cushioned against
the resultant economic slowdown.
With the development of government
systems and services, the public sector's
contribution to GDP has grown from 23
billion dirhams ten years ago to 86 billion
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai
dirhams currently. We have seen a major
growth in our competitiveness, from being
the world's 32nd most competitive
economy to the 16th. This has placed the
young nation of the UAE on a par with
countries who have hundreds of years of
development behind them.
Due to our open economic policies, Foreign
Direct Investment has seen a sharp
increase from 179 billion to 410 billion
dirhams in the past ten years, while our
banks' total assets has increased from
859.6 billion dirhams to 2,478.2 billion
dirhams.
When it comes to health and education,
which we consider to be among the most
important sectors for our people, the
indicators of the health sector – despite a
few concerns that we have had - point to a
significant progress. Our expenditure on
the health sector has increased from 1.18
billion dirhams when I first assumed office
to over 3.82 billion currently. The number
of doctors has increased from ten to over
seventeen thousand.
In education, we have increased public
sector expenditure by 57% to reach 9.75

illion dirhams annually. The number of
accredited programs in UAE universities
has grown from 206 to 862. The rate of
kindergarten enrolment has grown to 93%,
making UAE among the highest globally.
The rate of high school graduation has also
reached 93%, which also makes us among
the highest globally as well.
Our work together across all sectors has
been tireless. The Excellence awards,
Strategic Planning and Government
Service Improvement programs, Electronic
and Smart Government initiatives, as well
as the government performance
management systems have not been a
waste of time and effort. Our public sector
has witnessed significant improvement.
The concept of Excellence and reaching
first place have become deeply rooted in
our government culture. No wonder, then,
our public sector has seen marked
improvements according to a number of
internationally recognised indicators.
The UAE leads the Middle East today in
over a hundred pivotal development
indicators. In fact, our nation leads globally
in a number of indictors, such as the quality
of our public infrastructure, roads,
maritime and aviation facilities, public
safety and security, the rate of female
enrolment in our universities, government
efficiency and trust in the government,
among others.
In 2006, the rate of road accident fatalities
was approximately 16 to each 100
thousand population. Today, thanks to the
sincere and assiduous work by the teams
at the Ministry of Interior, the rate stands at
5.9 to every 100 thousand and continues
to improve.
Detailing the accomplishments of our
government teams over the past ten years
requires much more room than this short
address. My message today is not only
about celebrating our achievements, but
also evaluating the challenges ahead.
A few years ago, we announced the
Indicators for our National Agenda. There
are 52 national key performance indicators
in education, health, housing, society,
infrastructure, economy, environment,
security, justice, and safety, among others,
which we aim at achieving by 2021, to be
Message
among the best countries globally by that
date, which marks the 50th anniversary of
our Union. These indicators form historic
goals for us in the next five years. They
constitute the greatest challenges ahead
of us; challenges we must overcome in the
years to come.
A week ago, I received a detailed report
about the current progress in achieving
these indicators – it stands at 62 per cent,
which means 38 per cent of the indicators
have not been effectively achieved. We
have only 5 years remaining, a very short
period in the life of a nation. It is not our
custom to appease or ingratiate anyone,
because courtesy at the expense of the
country is not a sign of nationalism.
Today, we issued a directive to form
government teams called "The National
Agenda Execution Teams". The teams
comprise 550 members of our government
across all sectors and departments,
responsible for fulfilling the indicators. The
NAFL REVIEW
teams will be under my direct supervision
to intensify our efforts, mobilise our assets,
and redouble our work in the coming
period, in order to reach one hundred per
cent of the goals of our National Agenda by
the year 2021.
T h e r e i s n o r o o m f o r
procrastination, no time for
delay. History is a witness to all
of us. We have promised our
people to accomplish what is
best and we shall fulfil our
promise. Government work is an
honourable duty, and our
government will ceaselessly and
tirelessly implement its plans
and fulfil its objectives.
I will lead this effort and the teams behind it
personally. We ask God to guide us to what
is best for our country and nation.
| 07 |

NAFL REVIEW
Cover Story
Emirates
turns sight to global pharmaceutical
industry with
SkyPharma
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of Dubai World,
who is also the Honorary Patron of NAFL, center, leads the ribbon-cutting for SkyPharma, along with other government officials and company executives.
“We have to think about the future,” Sheikh
Ahmed said about the company's investment to
SkyPharma, part of the Dh600 million expansion
of Emirates cargo facility named SkyCentral at
Dubai's airport. “It's not about today. It's not
about this year.”
| 08 |

Cover Story
NAFL REVIEW
E
mirates has unveiled its new
4,000 square meter cool
storage facility at Dubai
International Airport, signaling
its intent to seriously break into the $13
t r i l l i o n g l o b a l l i f e s c i e n c e s a n d
pharmaceutical industry projected to further
grow annually by 25 percent.
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum,
President of Dubai Civil Aviation and
Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and
Group, told the media at the September 18
launching of Emirates SkyCargo's new
purpose-built facility dedicated exclusively
Ahmed said, noting that the UAE is a major
hub for the global logistics industry.
SkyPharma also features temperature
controlled zones (2 to 8
degree Celsius and 15- 25 degree
C e l s i u s ) , 8 8 t e m p e r a t u r e -
controlled individual positions in
the automated ULD (aircraft
pallet) handling system and five
temperature-controlled acceptance
and delivery truck docks, the
airline said in a press release.
between them.
The carrier also operates the largest GDP
certified area in the world offering a total
area of 8,600 sqm of combined handling
space dedicated for pharmaceutical
products at Dubai International Airport and
Dubai World Central, the airline said.
Chaouk told Air Cargo Update the GDP
certification means Emirates is complying
with the international regulations in
transporting only reliable and genuine
pharmaceuticals, thus, helping in the
ongoing drive against counterfeit drugs.
to the timely and secure transport of
temperature sensitive pharmaceutical
shipments, the project is a long-term
investment with good intentions.
“We have to think about the future,” Sheikh
Ahmed said about the company's
investment to SkyPharma, part of the Dh600
million expansion of Emirates cargo facility
named SkyCentral at Dubai's airport. “It's
not about today. It's not about this year.”
The opening of the new facility, which was
directed by Vice President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, is envisioned to further
encourage more companies to connect
pharmaceutical markets via Dubai
International Airport, a major transportation
hub between the East and the West, Sheikh
Quality Care
Bureau Veritas, a trusted world leader in
testing and certification founded in 1828,
awarded Emirates SkyCargo with the
certification of compliance under the EU
Good Distribution Practice Guidelines (GDP)
for medicinal products for human.
Ahmad Chaouk, vice president/deputy
regional chief executive for Middle East
Region of Bureau Veritas, said EmiratesSky
Cargo, the largest international airline cargo
operator in the world, got the certification
following an audit recommen-dation by a
team from Germany.
This makes Emirates SkyCargo the first
cargo airline in the world that has obtained
GDP certification for its hub operations
covering two airports and the 24/7 bonded
trucking service that connects cargo
“Emirates was already transporting
pharmaceutical products. The GDP means
its traceability system is in line with the
European Union and complying with
international regulations, thus, help curb the
distribution of counterfeit drugs which are
dangerous,” Chaouk said in an interview.
Apart from its state-of-the-art facilities,
SkyPharma also boasts of innovations like
the White Container, which is coated on the
inside with thermal insulators to counteract
high temperatures in Dubai and preserve
sensitive cargo, the Emirates SkyCargo Cool
Dolly—a special piece of equipment that
transports cargo from the aircraft to cool
storage areas while maintaining temperatures
of as low as -20 degrees
centigrade, among others.
| 09 |

NAFL REVIEW
Cover Story
Global Commitment
As the world's cargo airline with the widest
reach, Chaouk said Emirates SkyPharma
would help more people get access to
medications that they need.
Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice
President for Cargo, said “pharmaceuticals
are one of the most important products we
transport because of the impact on people's
lives and communities across the world.”
“As a leader in the global air cargo
industry, we decided that it was
not only important for us to build
state-of-the-art cool chain
facilities for the transport of
pharma products but to also go
the extra mile and ensure the
compliance of our operations
against the highest international
standards,” said Sultan.
“Our customers can continue to rest easy
knowing that shipping their high-value and
temperature-sensitive goods with Emirates
SkyCargo is a safe and efficient choice for
their business and customers,” he added.
Pharmaceutical products only account for 6
per cent of products shipped via Emirates
SkyCargo right now but Sultan is optimistic
for growth in the coming months or years.
In 2015-2016 financial year, the cargo
company saw a 6 percent growth in its
airfreight volume to 2.5 million tons.
Its route covers 150 cities in 82 countries,
including 27 in Africa, 18 in South Asia, 16 in
the Middle East, 24 in the Far East, 7 in
Australiasia, 41 in Europe and 20 in North
and South America.
Aging and Diseases
The global health care spending dipped in
2015 with pricing pressures in the US and
unstable economic conditions in Brazil,
Russia and China affecting the industry.
But the general long-term outlook in the
pharmaceutical industry remains rosy,
based on the analysis of the US financial
research and auditing firm Deloitte &Touche.
Aging populations, the rise of chronic
diseases and the advent of innovative and
frequently expensive treatments like cancer
w o u l d d r i v e t h e g r o w t h i n t h e
pharmaceutical sector.
“Although economic woes are stunting
pharma sales growth in certain regions,
long-term prospects outweigh near-term
challenges. During 2015-2019, both global
health spending and pharma sales are
expected to see positive growth, driven by
population aging and expansion and the
rollout of improved health insurance and
services, particularly in developing
markets,” Deloitte &Touche said in its report.
Increased life expectancy in developed
countries as well as the prevalence of
obesity, cardiovascular diseases,
hypertension and diabetes would also
require more pharmaceutical products.
With developing countries like India capable
of manufacturing drugs at global standard,
more people in remote villages in need of
basic health care are also being reached.
About 30 percent of vaccines shipped to the
US are now manufactured in India, cutting
production cost significantly but still
requires quality shipment process to keep
them in their best state.
Analysts said the availability of cheaper
medicines means more people can be
reached and more quality air cargo
shipments would be needed on a global
scale.
| 10 |

News & Updates
FIATA recertifies NAFL to offer
internationally-recognized courses
NAFL REVIEW
NAFL President Nadia Abdul Azziz
The International Federation of Freight
Forwarders Association (FIATA) has
revalidated the National Association of
Freight & Logistics-UAE training programs.
This means its diplomas and certificates
will continue to be internationally
recognized.
NAFL, the first freight and logistics national
association in the region, got its
revalidation during the recently held FIATA
World Congress in Dublin, Ireland.
Nadia Abdul Aziz, president of NAFL, says
the FIATA revalidation, which occurs every
four years, is a very important component
of the courses offered at the NAFL Training
Institute located along Sheikh Zayed Road,
because it meant that participants can use
it to their advantage anywhere in the world.
Abdul Aziz traveled to Dublin along with
three other NAFL officials: Vice President
Ahmad Razeq, Executive Board Member
Ibrahim Abu Zayed and Secretary General
Sudesh Chaturvedi.
Chaturvedi said FIATA reviewed the
contents of NAFL courses and we're
convinced that it's at par with the global
standards.
“The revalidation will allow us to continue
offering four different modules, from the
basics to the supply-chain. Our instructors
are practicing industry professionals,” he
said. “The idea is basically to help member
companies bring up the quality of their
staff. And two, to help beginners learn from
the experts.”
The NAFL Training Center is also
recognized by the UAE's Knowledge and
Human Development Authority or KHDA.
Abdul Aziz said freight and logistics offer
job security for those who want to establish
a career in the industry and their office
stands ready to help those who need
training in the process as this sector has
great potential for growth.
“The FIATA revalidation means our courses
are internationally recognized,” she said.
“And this will benefit employees in the
industry tremendously.”
Founded in 1926, FIATA is recognized as a
nongovernment organization leading the
industry with about 44,000 forwarding and
logistics firms as members which
collectively employ up to 10 million people
in 150 countries.
NAFL represents and works with all the
seven emirates in the UAE in their quest to
promote the country’s freight and logistics.
Global study underlines role of trade promotion
bodies in GDP growth
Trade promotion agencies bring substantial
returns, in terms of diversifying exports and
opening up export markets, as well as in
country branding and economic growth, says
a report published by the International Trade
Centre (ITC), a joint affiliate of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations.
According to the report, every one dollar
spent on export promotion generates US$87
worth of additional exports and a $384
increase in gross domestic product (GDP).
ITC, a joint initiative of the WTO and the United
Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), found in its research
that trade promotion organizations
contribute to a 5-6 percent rise in GDP per
capita and a 7-8 percent rise in exports,
through varied services covering financial
assistance, market intelligence, product
certification assistance, and in facilitating
participation in trade promotion events.
Commenting on the report, Sami Al Qamzi,
the Director-General of the Department of
Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, said
the emirate is uniquely placed to benefit from
sustained focus in trade and export
promotion.
"Dubai continues to evolve into a strategic
manufacturing, export and re-export hub. The
more that local firms realise their export
potential, and the more Dubai communicates
its advantages as a source market for diverse
products overseas, the more the outwardlooking
growth strategy of Dubai and the UAE
will have its desired results, including a
favourable balance of trade," Al Qamzi said.
Saed Al Awadhi, the CEO of Dubai Exports, the
export promotion agency of the DED, said the
role of trade promotion organisations in
driving growth has become more important as
the global trade environment becomes more
dynamic and volatile.
The top 10 markets for Dubai Exports in 2015
were India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman,
Singapore, Bahrain, USA, Turkey, Kuwait, and
Iraq. In 2016, the focus is on further
diversifying exports from Dubai to 15
countries, including China, India, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, France, Hong Kong,
Vietnam, Nigeria, Rwanda, Brazil, Paraguay,
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, Al Awadhi said.
| 11 |

NAFL REVIEW
News & Updates
DP World says seamless cargo movement
crucial to Vietnam's growth
DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, left, with Vietnamese
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during their meeting in Hanoi.
DUBAI: DP World Chairman and CEO Sultan
Ahmed Bin Sulayem says a seamless cargo
movement at Vietnam's logistics parks that
connects land, air and sea, using smart
electronic portals is key to growing the
country's economy.
Bin Sulayem, also the chairman of Ports,
Customs & Free Zone Corporation, made the
remarks at his December meeting with
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan
Phucin Hanoi.
To grow Vietnam's economy, he said it's ideal
to have the one-stop Dubai Trade Portal
ABU DHABI: DHL Global Forwarding, the air
and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post
DHL Group, and Mubadala Development
Company, the Abu Dhabi-based investment
and development company, have initiated a
strategic partnership for the next five years.
The strategic partnership is designed to bring
optimized logistics, speed of change and cost
reduction to all assets and customers of
Mubadala across the globe in a multi-modal
manner.
Approximately 66 percent of the cargo volume
transported in the course of Mudabala's
partnership with DHL will be air freight.
With its unique logistics expertise and
portfolio, DHL will support globalisation
and growth as well as deliver value across
Mubadala Aerospace assets, their customers,
as well as Abu Dhabi as a whole, by efficiently
aligning all logistics related processes, the
Emirates News Agency WAM reported.
offered at Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone in
Dubai.
“Connecting logistics and business parks
with multi-modal transport and digital
infrastructure is key in encouraging
economic growth. Throughout our network
we have found that free zones and logistics
parks next door to transport arteries provides
quick and low cost access to national,
regional and international markets,” Bin
Sulayem said.
“When coupled with efficient electronic
systems to enable trade, customs and cross
"Mubadala's aerospace and information
communications technology companies are
operating at the heart of global supply chains,
where timely and efficient delivery is critical to
ensuring competitiveness. As Abu Dhabi's
aerospace cluster develops at the Nibras Al
Ain Aerospace Park, with new companies
being established with our global OEM
partners as well as the expansion of our
current businesses, a robust supply chain,
border processes it becomes much easier for
business to operate so benefitting nations.
Vietnam has many opportunities to develop its
supply chain offering and to develop its
economy and we look forward to exploring
them with its leaders and the business
community bringing our international expertise
on these issues to any further discussions,” he
added.
The visiting Emirati official also expressed DP
World's interest in developing logistics zones in
Vietnam, while participating in other long-term
projects to improve infrastructure in the country.
The company first made a joint venture
agreement with Vietnam in 2005 with the
establishment of the Saigon Premier Container
Terminal (SPCT), located along the western
shore of the Soai Rap River on the 40-hectare
Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, about 16km from Ho
Chi Minh city centre.
This state-of-the-art facility began operations in
October 2009 or two years after construction
began. The project is an 80:20 joint venture
between DP World and Vietnamese stateowned
Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion
Company (IPC).
Bin Sulayem also met with Vietnam President
Tran Dai Quangon who welcomed the
government's efforts in upgrading roads and
bridges connecting to the 40-hectare Hiep
Phuoc Industrial Park where DP World operates
its SPCT.
DHL and Mubadala form 5-year strategic logistics
partnership
supported by DHL, will be an essential part of
future success,” said Homaid Al Shimmari,
Chief Executive Services, Mubadala.
"With this new strategic partnership, we as
DHL can demonstrate our expertise as an
innovative lead logistics partner. Our solution
enables the end-to-end management of
Mubadala's supply chain creating visibility
across all assets in scope," said Claudio
Scandella, DHL CEO Middle East and Africa.
| 12 |

News & Updates
NAFL REVIEW
Mohebi marks
85 years in
business
CONGRATULATIONS! His Excellency Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, left, Director General of Dubai
Customs, and Eng. Mahmood Al Bastaki, right, CEO of Dubai Trade, present Ms. Nadia Abdul Aziz,
President of the National Association of Freight & Logistics, with an award at the first ever held
Dubai Trade Strategic Partners Appreciation Ceremony designed to recognize its industry partners.
The event was held on December 19, 2016 at Dubai Trade.
Jafza's automotive & spare parts
sector trade valued at $5 billion
Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Dubai and the
UAE's flagship trade and logistics hub for
the Middle East region including West
Asia, the CIS, Africa and the Indian
Subcontinent announced its participation
in Auto-mechanika Frankfurt 2016 held in
Germany.
Jafza highlighted the Middle East and
Africa's rapidly growing automotive
markets at the international trade fair for
sector parts, equipment and service
suppliers.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group
Chairman and CEO of DP World and
Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free
Zone Corporation, said: “The automotive
sector in the Middle East and Africa (MEA)
continues to post impressive growth rates
with international brands keen to be a part
of this success by increasing their
footprint across the region. According to
Frost & Sullivan, total light vehicle sales in
the Middle East are estimated to reach 4.4
million by 2020 compared to 3.2 million in
2015.
“This provides major opportunities for
European multinationals in the auto
sector and we encourage other majors in
Europe to come to Jafza to take
advantage. Jafza is the only regional
trade and logistics hub in the world which
is located between a world-class seaport
and an international airport.”
Ibrahim Mohamed Al Janahi, Deputy CEO
and Chief Commercial Officer of Jafza,
said: “The automotive sector is one of the
most dynamic and innovation driven in
Jafza. The free zone is currently home to
over 620 automotive companies which
includes global names such as Honda,
Nissan, Ford, GM, Daimler & Chrysler,
Caterplllar, Mobis and Schaeffler among
o t h e r s . J a f z a A u t o m o t i v e s e c t o r
generated trade worth $5 billion in 2015.”
According to firm Frost & Sullivan,the
number of vehicles on the roads in the
Middle east and North Africa is forecast to
rise to 44.5 million in 2020.
This growth is expected to drive demand
for parts and accessories with sales in
2020 projected to reach $17.2 billion
compared to $12.98 billion in 2015. Jafza
is currently home to over 7,000
businesses including more than 100
Global Fortune 500 enterprises.
Over three generations ago, Baqer Mohebi
opened his first store in the old Dubai Souk
in 1931. He created jobs, invigorated the
local market and set the benchmark for a
family business that, with his son Zainal
Mohebi at the helm, has grown and
prospered alongside Dubai's own
evolution.
Today, as Zainal Mohebi Holdings (ZMH)
prepares to celebrate its 85th year in
business, CEO Mohammed Mohebi
continues this robust legacy with his team
and family. New facets are being added to
the business models, ensuring that Mohebi
remains a well-respected and forwardlooking
Emirati business enterprise.
F o r e m o s t a m o n g t h e s e a r e t h e
preparations of the new corporate
headquarters and warehouse facilities in
Dubai South that will bring the entire ZMH
family under one roof.
In parallel, the organization is implementing
a r e g i o n - w i d e M o h e b i L o g i s t i c s
educational program involving UAE
universities, academies and government
sectors. It will offer young UAE Nationals the
opportunity to gain a degree and work in the
fi e l d o f p r o d u c t l o g i s t i c s , w h i l e
understanding its challenges and
embracing its opportunities.
COO Phil Showering is spearheading the
initiative for Mohebi Logistics and explains
the practical aspects: “We're working with
various universities and academia to shape
a degree course in Export Logistics. This
will cover industry best practices, the
unique aspects of the GCC markets and the
integration with global markets. Internship
placement will be one of the core
modules.”
In addition, Mohebi Logistics, an affiliate of
the Zainal Mohebi Holdings, is due to move
i n t o t h e G r o u p ' s n e w c o r p o r a t e
headquarters and main warehouses in
D u b a i S o u t h b y 2 0 1 7 . T h i s n e w
development, doubling its storage capacity,
will make Mohebi Logistics one of the
largest FMCG Logistics companies in the
Middle East.
| 13 |

NAFL REVIEW
News & Updates
UAE among top 20 economies: Global
Competitiveness Report 2016
The UAE was ranked first regionally and
16th globally, maintaining its lead among
the top 20 competitive economies in the
world, according to the recent version of the
Global Competitiveness Report 2016 issued
by the World Economic Forum (Davos) in
Switzerland.
The report is one of the most important
global competitiveness reports, which
monitors annual performance and
competitiveness of the economies of
countries in terms of strength, weakness,
impact on quality of life, prosperity and wellbeing
of people.
The UAE positions itself on the world stage,
thanks to the efforts of the federal and local
taskforces who are working as one team
under one vision for 2021, and others in this
respect, said Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimi,
Minister of State for International
Cooperation and Chairperson of the Board
of the Federal Competitiveness and
Statistics Authority.
This year's report surveys the economies of
1 3 8 c o u n t r i e s r a t e d t h r o u g h 1 1 4
performance indexes and in 12 basic axes,
including institutions, infrastructure,
education, health, innovation, efficiency of
the labour market and other topics. The UAE
was ranked in the first 10 positions globally
in three basic themes in the report. It is also
among the best 20 countries globally in half
of these axes.It also came in fourth place
globally in the infrastructure hub.
At the level of indicators, the UAE was
ranked among the 20 countries globally in
76 out of 114 indicators evaluated in this
report. Regarding the institutions, the UAE
was ranked first globally in the absence of
the impact of crime and violence at work
index, and second place globally in the
people's trust in the leadership and lack of
wasteful government spending indexes.
The UAE was ranked third globally in the
efficient government index. This reflects the
success of the leadership strategy and
steps taken toward achieving the high
performance and efficiency in government
work at the federal and local levels to ensure
the happiness of citizens and residents and
well-being on the territory of the state.
On infrastructure, the UAE has won the first
place globally in the road quality index and
second place globally in the airport
infrastructure and means of air transport
quality index. It also came in third globally in
the seaport infrastructure quality and rate of
mobile phone subscriptions per 100 users
in indexes. The UAE was ranked in the fourth
place in the global index of quality of
infrastructure and fifth in the index of
number of airline seats available for each
million passengers a week. Furthermore,
the UAE was ranked first globally in the lack
of impact of taxes on investment index.
On the readiness of the technology sector,
the maturity of the business sector, and
higher education and training areas, the
UAE has achieved the first position globally
in the index of the government spending on
"new technologies" and the second place
globally in the index of provision of
specialised trade zones (free zones), and
the third place in the global index of foreign
direct investment and technology transfer
to the state. The state was also ranked
fourth globally in the index of the Internet
connection to the schools and fifth place in
the global index of availability of scientists
and engineers in the state.
Abu Dhabi Ports signs concession
agreement with Cosco Shipping
Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) announced the signing
of a container terminal concession
agreement with Cosco Shipping Ports
Limited - Abu Dhabi (CSPL SPV), a whollyowned
subsidiary of Cosco Shipping Ports
Limited, one of the leading container terminal
operators in the world and a subsidiary of
China Cosco Shipping Corporation Limited.
The event was held in the presence of Dr.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE Minister of
State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Ports,
Zheng Chiping, Deputy Director of the foreign
investment department of the National
Development and Reform Commission of
PRC and Wan Min, President of China Cosco
Shipping Corporation Limited.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of
Abu Dhabi Ports and Zhang Wei, Vice
Chairman and Managing Director of Cosco
Shipping Ports Limited signed the
agreement, launching a new and prosperous
journey of Abu Dhabi Ports, in line with the
aspirations of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 for a
more diversified economy.
Cosco Shipping Ports Limited will operate a
container terminal with a draft depth of 18
metres, with 1200 metres of quay wall and
adjacent land. The first 800 metres of the
quay length (and the corresponding
concession area) is expected to commence
operations in H1 2018 and the last 400
metres (and the corresponding expanded
concession area) is expected to commence
operations in 2020. Once the expansion
areas are occupied, the concession area will
span an area of approximately 70 hectares
with three berths, which will add 2.4 million
TEUs a year to the port's existing capacity of
2.5 million.
The agreement includes the option for a
further 600 metre of quay length in the future
to allow for anticipated volume growth. With
this the nominal annual handling capacity
will increase to 3.5 million TEUs when all
phases are complete, creating a new overall
annual capacity of up to 6 million TEUs.
The global port operator giant is establishing
a joint venture company in 2016 to operate
the new Khalifa Port Container Terminal 2. As
per the agreement, the joint venture
company will be entitled concession rights of
Terminal 2 for a span of 35 years, with a
renewable period of 5 additional years. CSPL
SPV will have the controlling stake in the joint
venture company.
"The signing of the concession agreement
between Abu Dhabi Ports Company and
Cosco Shipping Ports Limited will
significantly expand trade between China,
the UAE and the broader region. It will greatly
enhance the UAE and Abu Dhabi's role as a
key logistics and trading hub, between East
and West and will also serve to further
diversify the UAE's dynamic and growing
economy," said Dr. Al Jaber.
| 14 |

News & Updates
NAFL REVIEW
DEC study: Export-orientation policy drives economic
transformation
Export-orientation has been credited as a
successful development strategy leading to
economic transformation while sustained
export-oriented policies have been
associated with significant export
diversification, according to a working
paper on productivity of exporting firms in
Dubai in two economic zones, Dubai main
and free zones.
The paper also described how countries,
which initially remained confined to
exploiting the natural resources they were
endowed with, sought to avoid abrupt
sector-specific shocks by shifting towards
manufacturing. The export of manufactured
products was seen as non-traditional
export.
In fact, non-traditional exports are
characterized by higher income elasticity,
less volatile terms of trade, and higher
prospects of dynamic productivity gains,
said the paper prepared by the Economic
Policy & Research Center (EPRC), the
operational arm of Dubai Economic Council
(DEC).
Dubai has recently launched a far-reaching
development plan (the Dubai 2021
Development Plan). Among other things,
this plan is aimed at enhancing high
productivity through the promotion of the
'light manufacturing sector'. The received
wisdom about the role of manufacturing,
especially manufacturing exports, in
economic development should augur well
for this strategic objective of the Dubai
development plan.
A more prominent role for manufacturing,
therefore, should entail higher productivity
growth and, hence, more stable and
sustainable growth. This has rightly been
the main policy concern for Dubai in view of
the increasingly volatile global economy,
which has substantially impacted the highly
open and largely service-oriented economy
of the Emirate. Moreover, though the
massive factor accumulation and superb
business environment have been enough to
allow Dubai to achieve one of the most
phenomenal economic transformations in
recent history, there is a wide consensus
that this growth model might have now
reached the point of diminishing returns.
Based on phone interviews with managers
or senior staff in 982 firms, the Dubai
enterprise level survey was designed to
cover a representative sample based on
eight industrial sectors (i.e. construction,
financial services, hotels and restaurants,
non-financial and social services, retail
trade, wholesale trade, transport, storage
and communication and manufacturing),
and two zones (i.e., Dubai main and Dubai
free zones).
Firms in FZs had a higher share of foreign
investment compared to their DM
counterparts with about 26 percent in the
FZs and 4.4 percent in DM. However, nonexporting
firms in FZs are attracting more
foreign investments relative to their
exporting counterparts in FZs (27.6 percent
and 14.6 percent, respectively).
Firms in FZ are more capital intensive than
their DM counterparts (AED50,000 of
capital per worker in FZ against AED30,000
in the case of DM). Moreover, non-exporting
firms in FZ have more capital intensity than
exporting FZ firms, with AED56,500 per
worker in the former and AED37,500 per
worker in the latter).
According to the policy recommendations,
the focus of the 'light industry' initiative of
the Dubai 2021 Plan should target
enhancing productivity, since these
manufacturing firms are likely to be less
productive than other firms. In view of the
dominance of SMEs in the manufacturing
sector, the agenda for promoting 'light
manufacturing' should also be driven by
those related to the promotion of SMEs,
such as better access to finance and
registry of assets.
Hawk Freight Services new COO and CFO
Zaheer Qaiser
Baburaj Vakiyal
Formed in 1987 and part of the growing
Hawk Group, Hawk Freight Logistics
provides specialized services.
HFL has been consistently supplying
innovative and comprehensive logistics
solutions to a worldwide
client base from
its offices in London
and Dubai.
I n l i n e w i t h t h e
company's vision of
growth & expansion,
new promotions have
been announced by
the management.
Bob Puri, CEO of Hawk
Freight Services, announced the
promotions of Baburaj Vakiyal as Chief
Operating Officer (COO) and Zaheer Qaiser
as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Executive Moments
Vakiyal will be heading Hawk Freight
Services, Dubai after the departure of
Chanaka Malalasekera.
Hawk consistently posted growth in the Far
East and is known for its unrivalled ability
to help customers facilitate the efficient
transportation of goods.
The Hawk Group of Companies provide
specialist support to its clients where
a p p r o p r i a t e f r o m s o u r c i n g a n d
procurement through air, sea and land.
The company has a pro-active, hands-on
Board of Directors get fully involved in
ensuring the company is always
customer-focused and service-oriented.
| 15 |

EXPO 2020
Dubai reveals further details of legacy plan
The government's ambitious plans include transformation of the Expo's 4.38 sq km site into an
ecosystem that connects businesses in the transport and logistics, travel and tourism, real
estate and education sectors, in a bid to create a thriving knowledge-based economy
NAFL REVIEW Feature | 16 |
T
he site for Expo 2020 will be
transformed into an ecosystem
to encourage the growth of the
U A E ' s k n o w l e d g e - b a s e d
economy, according to plans unveiled during
the recent Cityscape Global in Dubai, UAE.
In a keynote speech, Marjan Faraidooni, Expo
2020's Vice President of Legacy, set out
ambitious plans to transform the Expo's 4.38
sq km site into an ecosystem that connects
businesses in the transport and logistics,
travel and tourism, real estate and education
sectors, in a bid to create a thriving
knowledge-based economy that contributes
to a diversified future for the UAE.
Faraidooni outlined the intentions for the
Expo, noting, "Our legacy plans are wide
ranging and ambitious. Our Expo will
continue to foster innovation, and to create
meaningful partnerships that will live beyond
2020 - not only for the UAE, but for the region
as a whole," she said.
Ms. Faraidooni added that plans call for Expo
2020 Dubai to target its investment to deliver
a long lasting legacy from the Expo site. "We
have spent the past year working on
developing our master plan, specifically to
create a platform for the future. Over 80 per
cent of our investments will be retained
following the event. This includes the
infrastructure, as well as the cutting edge
technologies, and the roads and public
transport systems put in place to host the
Expo. We intend to build on those physical
and virtual platforms to create an ecosystem
that lives through the legacy.”
'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future'
Expo 2020 Dubai's theme is 'Connecting
Minds, Creating the Future'. The theme
represents the belief that progress happens
when people and ideas come together in new
ways. And this theme celebrates the power of
ideas, from anyone, to improve the lives of
everyone. This is the guiding principle that
lies behind all of Expo 2020's activities.
Expo's ecosystem strategy uses physical
proximity and an enabling environment to
create competitive advantages; most
importantly being the access to leading edge
skills and capabilities. Expo officials believe
that the merging of industries with related
technologies will create a centre of
excellence that draws in other related
companies, enabling wider collaborations
and innovations.
Additionally, Expo's legacy
planners have identified four high
priority strategic industries:
education, transport and logistics,
travel and tourism, and real
estate. These sectors form the
backbone of the current UAE
economy, and are industries that
have a major role to play in the
nation's ongoing economic
diversification.
As part of the legacy plan, Expo has explored
how technologies, including augmented
reality, big data and the internet of things,
could transform these industries. Expo has
also identified education and cultural
initiatives to complement the ecosystem
envisaged by Expo organizers.
Over AED5B to be allocated to SMEs
Furthermore, Expo 2020 Dubai has

Feature
NAFL REVIEW
Expo 2020 will be the first World
Expo to take place in the MEASA
(Middle East, Africa and South
Asia) region, consisting of 72
countries, with a combined
population of 2.8 billion people.
Located between East and West,
North and South, the UAE is wellplaced
for a major trading nation.
announced that 20 per cent of the Expo's
total direct and indirect spend, representing
more than Dh5 billion in contracts, will be
allocated to Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs), both local and international. The
landmark announcement is the latest in a
series of SME-focused operational and
legacy driven initiatives that have emerged
as the result of Expo 2020 Dubai's belief in
the important role that SMEs have to play in
contributing towards the effective and
innovative delivery of an exceptional World
Expo for both participants and visitors, as
Expo 2020's key facts & figures
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well as the UAE's wider diversification efforts.
Commenting on the announcement, His
Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori,
Minister of Economy and Chairman of the
UAE SME Council, said: “SMEs are already
playing a central role in the UAE's drive
towards cultivating a thriving private sector
and diversified economy, which makes SME
empowerment a strategic priority for the
Government. This effort is also aligned with
the UAE Vision 2021 to transition to a
knowledge-based economy that fosters
creativity and innovation.”
The minister also affirmed that the
Government's efforts are underpinned by
Federal Law No 2 of 2014 on Small and
Medium-Sized Enterprises and Projects,
which allocates a minimum of 10 percent of
all federal contracts to SMEs. The law also
stipulates that companies in which the
Federal Government owns a 25 percent stake
must contract local SMEs for at least 5
percent of their total purchasing, servicing
and consulting needs.
SMEs represent almost 94 percent of the
The Expo site covers a total of 4.38 square kilometres, including a
200 hectare gated area. It is located within the Dubai South District,
adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Between its opening day on 20 October 2020 and its closing date on
10 April 2021, Expo is expected to be visited 25 million times.
70% of all visitors are expected to come from outside the UAE - the
largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history.
The government aims to create and deliver an inclusive and global
Expo with over 200 participants that include nations, multilateral
organisations, corporates and educational institutions.
Expo2020 also has an ambitious volunteer program, which aims to
include more than 30,000 volunteers from a wide range of ages.
total number of companies operating in the
UAE, with 400,000 SMEs contributing 60 per
cent to the nation's GDP – a figure that is
expected to increase to 70 per cent by 2021.
According to Her Excellency Reem Al
Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for
International Cooperation and Director
General Bureau Expo Dubai 2020: “Expo
2020 Dubai acts as an enabler for SMEs and
is constantly looking for opportunities to
maximise their integration into the wider UAE
economy. This is evident in the strong activity
on our e-Sourcing Portal, where of the 6,196
suppliers registered, 2,418 are SMEs, and of
the 787 contracts already awarded, 320 have
been won by SMEs.
The integration of SMEs into the delivery of
Expo 2020 Dubai is set to continue to
stimulate employment, strengthen existing
industries, improve SME competitiveness
and ultimately contribute to sustainable
economic growth. This will be an important
part of Expo 2020 Dubai's legacy for the UAE
and wider region.”
With the number of opportunities available
for SMEs set to increase as a direct result of
this initiative, all interested vendors and
suppliers are encouraged to register on the
Expo 2020 Dubai eSourcing portal
[https://esource.expo2020dubai.ae]. The
portal serves as the primary gateway to the
vast majority of Expo 2020 Dubai
procurement operations. In addition to
announcing upcoming tenders, the portal
also details awarded packages relating to
both goods and services, providing further
possibilities for integration into the supply
chain through indirect procurement and
collaboration.
The procurement process has also been
modified to allow SMEs to bid more
competitively, including a proposal validity of
60 days, no tender bonds required, no
advanced payment guarantee required, 50
p e r c e n t a d v a n c e d p a y m e n t f o r
goods/materials, 25 percent advanced
payment for services, and a commitment to
30 days' payment from receipt of an
approved invoice.
| 17 |

NAFL REVIEW Feature
Al Sharqi Shipping
One of Top 100 SMEs in Dubai
Dubai's family-owned businesses continue to carve a niche in logistics
industry. It believes tough times also bring along great opportunities for
businesses to grow exponentially.
From left: Department of Economic Development-Dubai HE Sami Al Qamsi, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum,
Al Sharqi Shipping Founder Mohammed Rafiq, his son Kashif Rafiq and Dubai SME CEO Abdul Baset Al Janahi.
T
he shipping business may seem
to be in crisis, especially with
Hanjin Shipping, a South Korean
container line, recently filing for
bankruptcy and leaving 66 ships loaded with
goods worth $14.5 billion stranded at sea.
Moreover, 11 of the 12 biggest shipping
companies have announced huge losses for
the past quarter. Experts warn that the
industry may face losses of as much as $10
billion this year on revenues of $170 billion.
Despite the bleak outlook for the global
industry, Dubai has been defying the odds and
investing to further improve its infrastructure
to be always ahead of competition. With the
government's investor-friendly policies and
support for small and medium-sized
enterprises, a lot of home-grown companies
have managed to grow beyond their
boundaries and found themselves in direct
competition with even centuries-old global
players.
Established in August 1989 through the vision
and efforts of Muhammed Rafiq, Al Sharqi
Shipping today spans multiple continents
including Asia and Africa. The growth over the
years that has spurned such a success is a
testament to the attributes of the company's
motto: “Helping you grow; Helping our
customers grow; Helping our staff grow;
Helping our shareholders grow; and helping
the community which we are part of grow”.
Currently, the innovative logistics service
provider offers customs clearance, freight
forwarding and other logistics services,
including onward transportation of goods
from ports in Sharjah and Jebel Ali throughout
the UAE, where it has a fleet of 18 trucks, three
side loaders and 48 trailers. Alongside its
offices in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, the company
has subsidiaries in Pakistan and in Tanzania.
Interestingly, Al Sharqi Shipping also boasts
one of the best customer retention rates in the
market with many of their customers with
them since their humble beginnings. With the
trust of their customers, the company has
expanded its range of services to include all
aspects of Supply chain.
| 18 |
Growth even during crises
Al Sharqi Shipping's office in Bur Dubai
buzzes with action and the positive energy is
easily felt with the first step into the office's
open-space environment. As NAFL Review
team recently paid a visit to find out more
about the reasons behind the family-owned
company's success, the young and energetic
Business Development Director Atif Rafiq
explained that they are not deterred by the
tough market conditions and strongly believes
that these are the best times in which to make
investments.
“Al Sharqi was borne out of necessity. Our
father, Muhammed Rafiq, arrived in the UAE in
1974 and worked for a rival firm until 1989
when a recession hit and he lost his job. At that
time, he had two options - either go back to his
hometown or to stay in the country and set up
on his own back.”
Then, Mr Rafiq had decided to hold on and set
up his own business, which continues to grow
until today. The company has survived several
recessions since, and is still making

Feature
NAFL REVIEW
investments in tough times. Be it Assets
acquisitions or IT infrastructure, the two areas
the management has been paying a lot of
attention to.
“We have always bought the most number of
trucks when there was a recession. In 2009,
when the whole market was going down, we
were buying trucks because prices were
cheaper,” remarked Kashif Rafiq, the
company's CEO and Atif's elder brother.
Utilizing technology at all levels
Kashif is currently overseeing the installation
of a new, US$60,000 enterprise resource
planning (ERP) software system from the USbased
Provider, which the company plans to
use as part of an ongoing drive to digitize most
of its activities and provide customers with
real-time information over deliveries.
“The whole industry is changing. For example,
we are providing all of our drivers with a tablet
and a printer, which is never heard of in the
region because these are all blue collar
workers that are not highly-educated people
infact they actually do not even know how to
use a smartphone. But, we found out that
once you trust and give them certain
privileges like take your device home and
play, they feel motivated and start exploring,
discovering and finally working from it,”
added Atif Rafiq.
The tablets provided to the drivers are used
for a range of tasks from producing delivery
notes and securing signatures to dealing with
problems remotely over deliveries or vehicles.
The drivers also use various applications such
as Google Talk, WhatsApp and Workspace
from Facebook. In case an issue arises with a
delivery, the driver immediately takes a
picture of the problem and sends to the head
office. Thus, the head office does not need to
dispatch a guy all the way just to inspect the
truck or container. This has proven to be time
and cost-saving for the company.
“If a lorry breaks down, they can transmit the
details of the problem over one of the popular
applications. We have a mechanic who can
see what is happening and can troubleshoot
on the spot,” explained Atif Rafiq.
The company has grown from a handful of
clients for whom Muhammed Rafiq used to
work at the old Burdubai port into a company
with offices in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman,
Faisalabad, Karachi and Dar es Salaam.
“From a small office in Bur Dubai
with one chair and a secretary, we
are now in three countries with six
offices and a workforce of 100-
plus,” said Atif. Three younger
siblings, Asif, 25, Wasif, 24, and
Sadaf, 22, also work at the firm
and are at various stages of
c o m p l e t i n g t h e t w o - y e a r
rotational training program aimed
at ensuring they completely
understand the business after
graduating from Canada .
The company managed to double its sales
figures each year from 2010 to 2014, before
consolidating in 2015, when turnover was flat.
But, the company has made it to the list of
SME100 – a biennial ranking of Dubai's fastgrowing
companies organized by the
Government's Department of Economic
Development – at number 83.
Al Sharqi Shipping also believes there are
further opportunities in Africa. Kashif
underlined that although the continent is
known more by its unique challenges, many
of these issues were also faced in the region
years ago like couple of years ago in Pakistan
and a decade ago in UAE. “Africa is all about
manual paperwork and is tribal. To be honest,
it is about who you know. We think our
experience can give us an edge in the
continent.”
Enhancing efficiency with Facebook
Keeping up with the latest trends, the
management of Al Sharqi Shipping has
revealed that it is testing out a new platform to
connect its staff using Facebook at Work.
“We rolled it out to all different companies in
the group across different locations in a bid to
overcome internal communication
challenges. Emails are almost archaic in this
day and age. It's becoming an increasingly
less effective method of communication in a
digitalized age of collaboration,” Kashif
explained.
The company wanted to try and utilize a
platform that allows team members to
communicate, discuss and solve problems
faster and more efficiently while significantly
reducing the volume of emails per day.
The beta testing of the platform has been
positive. Just like regular Facebook users, Al
Sharqi users can like, share and comment on
posts in real time, something one can't do
effectively via email and organization-wide.
“It has also allowed all our staff from Asia,
Middle East and Africa to feel closer, across
different companies in the group. Now
everyone can see what is happening across
all offices, work collaboratively and
effectively,” Atif added.
“Facebook at Work advantages include user's
familiarity with the platform and the ability to
work from anywhere, including through the
mobile app. Additionally, Facebook's built-in
security meet most of the department's
needs, and the platform scales easily,” he
remarked.
Awards and Recognition
Al Sharqi Shipping has been receiving awards
and recognitions since 2009, both from its
peer and very recently from Dubai Economic
Department for its Dubai SME 100.
Last summer, Al Sharqi Shipping was
recognized again as a top CMA CGM customer
for the year 2015 with this year marking their
third consecutive win with CMA CGM line. The
award was presented by Santosh Devasper,
CMA CGM commercial manager and Manoj
Kumar, CMA CGM export trade manager to Al
Sharqi Shipping at their head office.
Also in the first quarter of this year, Al Sharqi
Shipping was awarded Platinum Award 2015
for the fourth time in a row by Maersk line,
solidifying its strong positions as regional
player in logistics.
“To be considered among the top supporters
of two of the World largest Multinational
Ocean Liners is a great honour,” said Asif
Rafiq, Operational Manager of Al Sharqi
Shipping.
“Maersk Line & CMA CGM is crucial to our SLA
with customers and we look forward to
continuously working together to deliver
quality service together.
Furthermore, Al Sharqi Shipping has also been
honored by NYK for its contributions to cold
chain logistics for 2015-2016.
| 19 |

NAFL REVIEW Feature
Pharma community
must work closely
with regulators
The global pharmaceuticals market, estimated to be worth
USD1.1 trillion a year globally, will surely benefit more from
harmonized regulations reveals the Cool Chain Association (CCA)
T
he cool chain community must
work closely with regulators to
ensure the global pharma
market, estimated to be worth
USD1.1 trillion a year globally, benefits from
harmonized regulations, delegates at the
Cool Chain Association (CCA)'s Pharma and
Biosciences Conference 2016 heard in
Dubai, UAE.
A more unified approach is needed by
pharma supply chain providers to address
the evolving needs of the cool chain shipper
and help to combat annual losses of up to
USD35 billion resulting from wasted
pharmaceutical product temperature
excursions.
“Temperature controlled logistics is
expected to grow by nine percent every year,
leading to a global cool chain industry worth
around USD16.7 billion by 2020,” said
Sebastian Scholte, Chairman, CCA.
“However, the patchwork of regulations
around the world, as well as the huge amount
of data being collected as we process
pharma goods, means we have to navigate a
highly complex system.
“Open dialogue between industry and
regulators is vital to ensure every voice in the
cool chain is heard to help us achieve a
slicker, more transparent supply chain that
m e e t s t h e e v o l v i n g n e e d s o f t h e
pharmaceutical marketplace.”
Significant changes in the industry
Delegates at the two-day CCA event, which
brought together over 140 experts from all
sectors of the global pharma supply chain,
heard that the industry had seen significant
changes over the last decade.
A wave of new regulations has spurred the
launch of initiatives such as the International
Air Transport Association's (IATA)'s Center of
Excellence for Independent Validators in
Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma)
accreditation scheme, and focused the
attention of airports on building specialised
pharma zones.
Therese Puetz, Chief Executive Officer,
Karavan Management Consulting, told the
conference the cool chain “toolbox” had also
seen great advancements, such as unit load
devices (ULD)s with rechargeable batteries,
improved covers for protecting temperaturesensitive
cargo, and real-time global
tracking, as well as the use of nearfield
comm-unications (NFC) to better monitor
and protect pharmaceutical products.
She also pointed to halal pharma as a
growing and important market. The smart
cool chain is the next innovation and this is
where the tailoring will happen, she said.
“It is about making use of this enriched tool
box, which has really grown over the years,
driven by regulations and competition,” said
Edwin Kalischnig, Secretary
General, Cool Chain Association
said that shippers should be more
active in supporting companies
that make the right choices and
do the right investment
| 20 |

Feature
NAFL REVIEW
living in a period of great change and it is
more important now than ever before that all
voices of the cool chain community are
heard.
"Parties should embrace and introduce
technology to create real transparency.
Shippers should be more active in supporting
companies that make the right choices and
do the right investment. That is the only way
to show that these investments pay off,
which is not clear today.”
The next CCA event is the Cool Chain
Association Pharma and Perishables Event in
Dallas, Texas, USA from 5-6 December 2016.
Puetz.
But better communication is needed with the
shipper, including ensuring a clearer
understanding of the implication of initiatives
such as the Good Distribution Practice (GDP)
guidelines and IATA's CEIV programme,
which are a “step in the right direction”
towards global harmony, Bert Allard
Jorritsma, Manager Special Cargo &
Services Delivery, Emirates SkyCargo, told
delegates.
“Good pharma logistics is more than just
specialist handling equipment and
warehousing – we as an industry need to
align,” he said.
“We have so many handover points for the
GDP, for example, and a large amount of
complex data created from these handovers,
but we have no clear solution as to how this
data is able to help us and help the customer
get what they need. The industry must work
closely with regulators to ensure that any
new legislation does not elongate the timecritical
cool chain process.”
“The CCA could work together with The
International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) to
hold closed door sessions with regulators to
address supply chain issues. One solution
they could consider is the creation of a
Sebastian Scholte, Chairman of
the Cool Chain Association, said
the industry must work closely
with regulators to ensure that any
new legislation does not elongate
the time-critical cool chain
process
Sebastian Scholte, Chairman of the Cool Chain Association
database that includes a quality trademark
that rates all air cargo services at airports, to
help shippers gain full visibility.”
Emirates SkyCargo's new facility
Delegates at the CCA event were also invited
by Emirates SkyCargo to a tour of their new
SkyPharma cool storage facility at Dubai
International Airport, which opened for
business recently.
The 11,000-sqm facility is run in conjunction
with Emirates SkyCentral Dubai World
Central (DWC), the carrier's freighter hub in
DWC, which offers
4,600 sq m of area
d e d i c a t e d f o r
pharmaceutical
cargo.
“The CCA holds at
least two events
each year and is
t h e p e r f e c t
opportunity for all
segments of the
c o o l c h a i n
industry to come
t o g e t h e r a n d
debate the issues
that matter,” said
Edwin Kalischnig,
Secretary General,
CCA.
“With so many
new regulations
coming into force,
a s w e l l a s
advancements in
technology and
changing market
demands, we are
The cool chain “toolbox” had also
seen great advancements, such
as unit load devices (ULD)s with
rechargeable batteries, improved
covers for protecting temperature-sensitive
cargo, and realtime
global tracking, as well as
the use of nearfield communications
(NFC) to better monitor
and protect pharmaceutical
products
| 21 |

NAFL REVIEW Travel
At the dawn of peace,
Sri Lanka
opens up as a potpourri of diversity
ucked in the Indian Ocean near the southern tip of India, the
Tpearl-shaped island-nation of Sri Lanka is perhaps best
summed up as a potpourri of diversity.
Known as Ceylon until 1972, Sri Lanka is home to a multitude of races
and cultures and a diversified natural environment that will amaze
even the most discerning travelers.
With nearly 1,600-kilometer long palm fringed coastline with scenic
sandbars, Sri Lanka offers some of the best beaches in the world, ideal
for windsurfing, kayaking, yachting, water skiing, scuba diving or just
bumming around in an idyllic location.
The Arugam Bay is among the most popular of its beaches but other
sites are slowly being discovered as the nation opens up for more
opportunities after decades-long bloody civil war that killed over
100,000 people between 1982-2009.
Believed to be the place where the original soul of Buddhism
flourished, Sri Lanka is known for its eclectic mix of people, unspoiled
natural beauty, magnificent beaches, eight UNESCO World Heritage
Sites, 15 national parks showcasing an abundant wildlife that includes
elephants, leopards and more, and nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea
estates.
Indeed, at the dawn of peace, Sri Lanka is once again enchanting
travelers.
Amazing Diversity
Though small in size, Sri Lanka boasts of many amazing places to see
and things to experience and explore.
Here you will find elephants, sloth bear, leopards, sambar and wild
buffaloes. It also boasts of the red slender Loris, Toque Macaque, and
Purple-faced Langur, who according to IUCN clarifications are
endangered due to habitat loss.
The ocean around Sri Lanka is home to large families of cetaceans,
including the mighty blue whales, sperm whales and lively dolphins,
making it one of the best locations to visit.
Here you will find
elephants, sloth bear,
leopards, sambar and
wild buffaloes. It also
boasts of the red
slender Loris, Toque
Macaque, and Purplefaced
Langur, who
according to IUCN
clarifications are
endangered due to
habitat loss.

Travel
NAFL REVIEW
For bird enthusiasts, the country offers
plenty with 433 bird species, including 20
endemic ones.
Its hinterlands are filled with picturesque
view of lush green tea gardens, some are
world renowned for their flavors.
Its mountains are covered with lush tropical
forests, some with treasured heritage like
ancient palaces and giant statues of
Buddha. Further north are colorful ancient
Hindu temples.
Charming Colombo
Colombo, the business capital of Sri Lanka
is now teeming with high-end hotels and
casinos largely funded by Chinese
investors, proof of its reinvigorated tourismled
economy.
With more than 3 million Sri Lankans
working overseas, including some 300,000
in the UAE, who collectively remit about $1
billion annually to the country's economy,
Colombo also exudes modernity blended
with its ancient colonial past.
Here you will find Ganesha Kovil, the oldest
and largest Hindu temple in town and the
Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, revered
among Buddhists all over the world seeking
comfort and solutions for their health and
other troubles as well as Sri Lankan monks
seeking wisdom and further learning.
Monks at this temple are friendly and willing
to talk to strangers. They may even gift you
with a blessed Buddha beads for good luck
if you ask for one.
Colombo is also home to a number of
museums and historical sites dotted across
its neighborhoods made of mostly Colonial
buildings.
Some places worth seeing are the Old
Parliament Building at Galle Face Green, the
1950's Lighthouse overlooking Colombo,
the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct where
one can buy some of the best souvenirs and
explore nearby shops.
Head to the busy Pettah Open Market where
the Dutch Period Museum is also located if
you want some cheap souvenirs. Here, you
will have the chance to see a variety of local
goods sold from all sorts of merchants at a
fraction of what you would pay for them at
high-end stores.
While in Colombo, don't forget to stop by at
Ape Gama, Sri Lanka's traditional folklore
center and crafts village. Here, you can also
find good souvenirs, including brass bells
and other art pieces, for reasonable prices.
Sri Lankan flavors won't disappoint you
either. Though generally spicy, its cuisines
with rich natural flavors are worth trying.
Unwind
| 23 |
Royal Thai dining at
Benjarong Restaurant
If you're craving for that authentic
Royal Thai cuisine, complimented with
a view of Dubai's ultra-modern skyline
from the 24th floor vantage point with
the delicate and exotic Thai interior,
Benjarong Restaurant, the awardwinning
signature restaurant of Dusit
Thani Hotel, offers you both and more.
The restaurant's majestic interior
resembles the royal dining halls of King
Rama IV, with the gentle sounds of
classically trained Thai musicians
adding to the authenticity to your fine
dining experience.
Call 04 343 3333 for reservations.

NAFL REVIEW
News & Updates
Invest in Sharjah taps Chinese and Korean investors
Mohammad Al Musharrkh speaks at the business summit at South Korea
SHARJAH: Invest in Sharjah, the
e m i r a t e ' s fl a g s h i p i n v e s t m e n t
program, eyes Chinese and Korean
investors to further grow Sharjah's
global trade activities by linking the Far
East with the the Middle East.
An initiative of the Sharjah FDI Office,
Invest in Sharjah took part in events in
both South Korea and Shanghai to
introduce businesspersons in two of
Asia's strongest economies to the
e m i r a t e ' s f e r t i l e i n v e s t m e n t
landscape, the government said.
Proponents of the initiative heavily
promoted the emirate as being the
perfect hub between east and west.
High on the agenda at the events was
how citizens from both South Korea and
China can now receive a visa on arrival
to the UAE, a decision announced in
September this year and one taken to
promote both tourism and business in
the UAE.
Throughout the trip, the Invest in
Sharjah representatives showcased
the many benefits that investors could
find in Sharjah, with a strategic special
focus on the four key sectors of tourism
and leisure, healthcare, transport and
logistics and real estate and the
environment.
The first port of call on Invest in
Sharjah's itinerary saw it travel to
S e o u l t o h i g h l i g h t t h e a r r a y o f
advantages that Sharjah can offer
Ko r e a n e n t r e p r e n e u r s w h o a r e
considering setting up operations in
the emirate.
The organisation reiterated that South
Korea was already a very important
trading partner with the UAE, with
bilateral trade between the two
countries from 2010 to 2015 reaching
AED122.7 billion, of which AED115.8
billion comprised the volume of imports
from Korea and AED5.6 billion was UAE
exports.
"We anticipate that Korean business
interests will expand significantly in
Sharjah based on our efforts to reveal
its array of benefits and the new visa on
arrival scheme, which we predict will
hugely increase the current figure of
70,000 Koreans flying to the UAE each
year. We expect that the Korean
community in the UAE, which has
already tripled in the past five years to
reach 15,000 citizens, will grow
significantly, with new businesses and
investments fuelling this growth," said
Mohammed Al Musharrkh, Director of
the Sharjah FDI office.
Following its visit to Seoul, Invest in
Sharjah travelled to Shanghai to attend
the Free Trade and Special Economic
Zone Summit Shanghai 2016, which
took place in the world's most populous
city from December 7th-8th.
Invest in Sharjah says there are many
opportunities in the emirate whereby
foreign investors can explore. In the
freight and logistics industry, the
following were highlighted.
Marine & Air Freight - Three deepwater
ports, two on the Arabian Gulf and
one on the Indian Ocean, and an
international airport with more than 20
cargo connections to Asia, Europe and
Africa provide the logistics connectivity
and baseline infrastructure that power
the sector. The market size was
estimated at AED 3.53 Bn in 2012.
With much of the infrastructure in place
and expansion projects under way, the
stage is set for companies to become
major players within the sector.
Furthermore, the logistics network is
prime for traders to build their
businesses on reduced costs and faster
shipping times.
Freight Forwarding-Despite Sharjahbased
companies contributing to more
than 9% of the U.A.E.'s foreign trade,
only 6% of freight forwarding services
for SMEs are based in Sharjah.
F&B Reefer Shipping-There is an
opportunity for new reefer forwarders
to enter the market, as a large majority
of the competition is located outside
the Emirate.
| 24 |

News & Updates
NAFL REVIEW
NAFL celebrates National Day with Al Noor Training
Center for Children with Special Needs
NAFL President Nadia Abdul Aziz, 5th left, leads the group in celebrating
the 45th UAE National Day with the students and staff of the Al Noor
Training Center for Children with Special Needs.
Members of the National Association of
Freight and Logistics (NAFL) joined the staff
and students of the Al Noor Training Center
for Children with Special Needs in observing
the 45th UAE National Day with a flagraising
ceremony capped with a hearty
lunch.
Nadia Abdul Aziz, president of NAFL and a
member of the Board of Governors of the Al
Noor Training Center, says the children with
special needs managed to raise the UAE flag
using assistive technology.
At the event, they also had fun doing henna
painting and having their photos taken with
their national attire.
Abdul Aziz said NAFL chose to celebrate the
occasion with the children with special
needs to create awareness about their
condition and see how the more than 350
members of the group can further help
them.
“We want the National Day to be unique.
Instead of having the celebration in a fivestar
hotel, we wanted to create awareness
about the children with special needs so
that our members can see how as a
community we can help them. We have 350
p l u s m e m b e r c o m p a n i e s i n o u r
membership,” she said.
The Al Noor Training Center was made
possible through the generous land and
funding donated by Vice President, Prime
Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Today, the center, the oldest of its kind which
operates through funding from the
community and the private sector, provides
much needed training and help for more
than 300 children with special needs so
they can integrate in mainstream society.
The center welcomes visitors at “Coffee
Mornings” whereby the children with
special needs serve them with coffee and
muffins. A special tour of the center follows.
HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum is the Honorary Patron
of the Al Noor Training Center for Children
with Special Needs.
| 25 |

NAFL REVIEW
Technology
Cool gADGETS to try
They look fancy and offer quick solutions for our everyday needs. Here are some of
the latest smart gadgets in the market worth taking a look.
Steam Fast Iron
It's super small, about the size of a mouse, and
comes very handy if you want unwrinkled
clothes for an on-the-go conference or a
business meeting.
Powered with a 420-watt motor and fabric
heating levels, the Steam Fast Iron is perfect for
the business travelers who are constantly on the
road yet want to keep that polished corporate
look.
LuminAID PackLite 16
Ready for your next outdoor adventure? Don't forget to bring the new and improved
version of the LuminAID solar light.
After 7-10 hours of charging in the sun, the innovative LuminAID PackLite 16 will
produce 30 hours of LED light with four different brightness settings. It's portable,
waterproof and best of all light.
Tile Slim
Constantly troubled finding your wallet, mobile phone, purse or anything
else that you always forget? Tile Slim can help you. This gadget as thin
as two credit cards easily slides into your wallet, purse or pocket so you
can find them.
Double press the button on your Tile Slim to make your missing phone
ring. What's more it has a free Tile app that remembers the last time and
place you saw your Tile so it's easy to track down.
Pebble Smart Watch for iPhone and
Android Devices
Compatible with both Apple (iOS 6 and higher) and Android devices (OS 4.0 and higher), this
wearable gadget can help you view notifications from email, SMS, Caller ID, calendar and your
favorite apps on your wrist.
Use it to control music playing on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora and more. Includes Pebble timeline, a
chronological display of calendar and notifications with a rechargeable battery that lasts 5-7 days on
a single charge.
| 26 |

NationalAssociationofFreightandLogistics
ApplicationforMembership
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
Trade Name Full
Activities: (In conformity with Licence)
Address: (Write full address)
Building
Office#Floor
Tel. No.
E-mail
Street
P.O.Box
TeleFax No.
Website
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Legal Establishment
Sole Proprietorship
Company (Type)
Others
Type of Member
Associate
Premium
Establishing Date in Dubai
Establishing Date in Dubai
No. of Branches
Capital in (DHS.)
Total No. of Employee
In words
Area of Interest (Training, Seminars, Consulting, Subcommittee works, Others)
Do you know of any company who might benefit from NAFL membership?
Name
Address
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Signature
Documents Enclose
Photocopy of the Licence issued by
Date
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Approval

Name of Board Members
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Relation Nationality Name As in Passport
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NationalAssociationofFreight&LogisticsCodeofConductforMembers

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
Remember to mark the industry's top events in your calendar. NAFL will also be attending select events
and looks forward to meeting you there.
LogiSYM Dubai 2017
Venue: Jumeirah Creekside
Hotel, Dubai, UAE
Date: 24-25 January 2017
Tel: (65) 6746 2250
Email: info@lscms.org
Web: www.logisym.com/events
/logisym-dubai-2017/
Intralogistics Europe Materials
Handling for Manuf. & Dist.
Venue: Paris expo Porte de
Versailles I Paris, France
Date: 14-16 March 2017
6th Black Sea Ports &
Shipping 2017
Venue: Sheraton Batumi Hotel,
Georgia
Date: 18-19 May 2017
14th Trans Middle East
Tehran 2017
Venue: Parsian Esteghlal Int’l
Hotel, Tehran
Date: 24-25 January 2017
The Logistics & Intermodal
Conference
Venue: Renaissance Resort at
St. Augustine, USA.
Date: 20-22 March 2017
15th ASEAN Ports and
Shipping 2017
Venue: Sule Shangri-La,
Yangon, Myanmar
Date: July 6-7, 2017
9th Philippine Ports and
Shipping 2017
Venue: The Peninsula Manila,
The Philippines
Date: 23-24 February 2017
11th Indian Ocean Ports and
Shipping 2017
Venue: Hotel Carlton
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Date: 22-23 March 2017
Baltic Sea Ports & Shipping
2017
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel
Olümpia, Tallinn, Estonia
Date: September 28-29, 2017
19TH WCA FIRST ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
Venue: Singapore Convention
& Exhibition Center (Suntec)
Date: 07-10 February 2017
17th Intermodal Africa 2017
Venue: Southern Sun Cape
Sun, Cape Town, South Africa
Date: 19-20 April 2017
5th MED Ports 2017
Venue: TRYP Barcelona Apolo
Hotel, Spain
Date: October 26-27, 2017
Rolling Stock, Infrastructure
and Logistics Exhibition
Venue: İstanbul Expo Center
Istanbul, Turkey
Date: 02-04 March 2017
Transport Logistics
Venue: Messe Munchen,
Munich, Germany
Date: 9-12 May 2017
18th Intermodal Africa 2017
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Date: November 29-30, 2017
Visit: www.transportevents.com/ForthcomingEvents.aspx for details on freight & logistics events.
| 29 |

FIATA World Congress 2016
October 03-08, 2016 l Convention Centre Dublin, Ireland
From left: A young regional freight forwarder awardee, NAFL-UAE Founder Issa Baluch, NAFL President Nadia Abdul Aziz,
Executive Board Member Ibrahim Abu Zayed, Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association Executive Director Ruth Snowden,
FIATA Secretary General Robert Voltmann and NAFL Vice President Ahmad Razak.
The NAFL Board members in action in Dublin, Ireland promoting tourism and doing business in the UAE.

NAFL JOINS UAE FLAG DAY
Officials and members of the National Association of Freight and
Logistics (NAFL) took a break from their busy schedule on
November 3 to celebrate the UAE Flag Day, which marks the
anniversary of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan's assumption of office as the country's leader.
Ms. Nadia Abdul Aziz, NAFL president, led the group in hoisting the
UAE flag at their office along Sheikh Zayed Road.
She said the occasion is an opportune time for everyone in the UAE
to honor the rulers who sacrificed so much to unite the seven
emirates, create jobs and a robust economy as well as keeping the
country safe.
“The UAE is home to people from than 200 countries who live in
unity. This occasion is about getting all the people to join and
celebrate what our rulers did to keep our country safe and create an
economy that everyone can benefit from,” she said.
Eng. Majid Barzanji, chairman of Mateen Express & Logistics and
NAFL board member who chairs the air freight committee, said the
UAE Flag Day is a time for all residents, regardless of their race, to
express thanks to their host country and its rulers.
“I wish to congratulate the UAE and its leaders and I wish the
country one success to another success,” said Barzanji, an Iraqi
national who has been living in the UAE for 18 years now. “This is a
happy day for us and we're celebrating this with our kids.”
During the celebration, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of
Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
raised the UAE flag on a 12-meter pole in Zabeel Park in the
presence of more than 20,000 school students, representing
almost 120 different nationalities residing in the UAE.
The ever reliable
NAFL Secretariat.

Going beyond the distance to
help you reach your goals.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS
As the first national association
of freight forwarders in the
Arabian Gulf, NAFL works hand
in hand with FIATA since 1992. It
p r o m o t e s i n t e r n a t i o n a l
logistics-centered conferences
for members' learning and
networking opportunities.
Here's why you should consider being a member:
Interna onal Benefits:
· The FIATA membership cer ficate
· Use of the FIATA logo
· Entry in the FIATA members directory and
networking
· Adver sing in the FIATA members directory,
review and informa on (FIATA e-Flash)
· Special rates for FIATA publica ons and ar cles
· Access to secretariat's assistance
· FIATA Arbitra on Code
Na onal Benefits:
· NAFL membership cer ficate
· Use of NAFL logo
· Free access to networking events
· Discounted rates in par cipa ng to global and regional
conferences
· Assistance in case of trouble
· Discounts for cargo/logis c events and exhibi on stands
· Discounted training for NAFL members
· Training/cer fica on interna onal and regional
· Insurance at discounted rates (cargo, liability and medical)
· Complimentary legal services and marke ng trainings
· Discounted supplier rates for industry products
NationalAssociationofFreightandLogistics
National Association of Freight and Logistics-NAFL, P.O.Box 60944, Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
Visit us at: www.nafl.ae, Tel: +971 4 343 1112