DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, officially opened its Dubai World Central Facility today. The new import and export gateway and service center will see DHL invest USD 5.5 million over five years to support the rapid growth of e-commerce in the UAE and the region.

Strategically located at the Logistics District at Dubai World Central (DWC), the center occupies 4,870 sq m. area and has a capacity to manage 2,400 shipments per hour and up to 57,600 shipments a day. The new facility will improve Pick-Up & Delivery performance in Dubai South and enable better commercial import and export capability at the Al Maktoum International Airport.

Nour Suliman, CEO, DHL Express MENA, said: “E-commerce in the region is booming and there is demand to deliver more efficient customer benefits through our enhanced shipping solutions. Our new facility at DWC will accommodate inbound and outbound shipment growth in Dubai South, the new strategic hub in the Emirate. It will also support local e-commerce merchants, online entrepreneurs and startups by allowing them to reach potential global consumers, and improve their e-commerce proposition within the current market.”

Geoff Walsh, UAE Country Manager, DHL Express, added: “We are delighted to open the doors to our Dubai World Central Facility. The new center reiterates DHL’s mission to expand and strengthen our presence across the UAE and the wider Middle East region to serve our customers better. We look forward to providing state-of-the-art facilities, tools and solutions to aid our customers’ business growth from local to global.”

The new logistics facility will offer customs’ clearance import and police-controlled export services with x-ray screening and bonded storage. The facility will also come equipped with an automated bi-directional conveyor system, which will enable faster and more efficient sorting of packages.

The logistics fulfilment and storage center on the upper floor will support tailored logistics solutions for multiple customers. As a Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) certified facility, it will employ the latest technology with a dual-view x-ray screening machine and CCTV equipped with 70 IP Cameras – all connected to the main control room, to enable smooth process flows.

DHL Express globally is piloting a range of new technologies and solutions to provide more flexible and efficient services to facilitate global trade. These include Digitalization, allowing simplification of processes and workflows by accelerating and streamlining them; Artificial intelligence, used in customer applications to further enhance customer service; Robotics Process Automation, used to enhance shipment visibility; and Augmented Reality, used in warehousing to improve productivity through faster hands-free order picking with a lower rate of errors.