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Abu Dhabi Ports Group A news roundup of developments at the port operator.
AD Ports Group creates Oil & Gas Logistics Base at Mugharraq Port for Eni Abu Dhabi
Mugharraq Port’s Strategic Location Supports Offshore Drilling Operation
Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group has signed a new agreement with Eni Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi-based branch of the world-renowned Italian Energy Company, to establish a marine logistics base at Mugharraq Port supporting offshore drilling operations in the heart of Al Dhafra region.
Mugharraq Port’s ultra-modern infrastructure and its strategic location close to the region’s offshore oil and gas facilities will be made available to Eni Abu Dhabi operations.
In addition to being provided a dedicated quay wall, marshalling yard, as well as manpower and logistical equipment, the company will also have access to liquid mud and bulk plant facilities onsite.
“Utilising the industry-leading infrastructure and service capability that we have on offer at Mugharraq Port, Eni will be able to operate in proximity to its offshore drilling facilities benefiting operational efficiency,” remarked Saif Al Mazrouei, Head of Ports Cluster, AD Ports Group.
“With enhanced capabilities to serve the GCC’s oil and gas market, as well as the recent recognition as an international port facility, Mugharraq Port is now well equipped to meet both the regional and global requirements of the Middle East’s leading energy players,” commented Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Port Director, Al Dhafra Region, AD Ports Group.
In recent years AD Ports Group has invested heavily in the development of the port’s logistical infrastructure and capabilities, as well as enhancing its capacity to meet the evolving needs of the region’s fast-developing offshore oil and gas segment.
Boasting over 480m of heavy-lift berths, six dedicated Ro-Ro ramps, and over 85,000 sqm of yard, Mugharraq Port provides a wide range of general cargo handling, bulk, break-bulk, and logistics support services.
AD Ports Group, EDB ink deal to provide financial solutions for industrial sector
Emirates Development Bank (EDB) recently signed an MoU with Industrial Cities and Free Zone Cluster of AD Ports Group to support the industrial sector in the emirate and the UAE.
Ahmed Mohamed Al Naqbi, CEO, EDB, and Abdullah Al Hameli, Head of the Industrial Cities and Free Zone Cluster at AD Ports Group, signed the MoU, under which EDB will provide innovative financial solutions to the industry players who are part of the AD Ports Group ecosystem in KIZAD and ZonesCorp and support their growth and expansion.
The financial solutions can be utilised to build new facilities, purchasing, or leasing existing facilities as well as acquiring, upgrading, and maintaining the units’ physical assets, among other things.
“Our collaboration with AD Ports Group will help support the UAE’s goals to build a robust knowledge-based economy contributing to sustainable economic development,” commented Al Naqbi.
The MoU aligns with EDB’s continuous efforts to enable the industrial transformation and economic diversification agenda in the UAE, build a knowledge-based economy, increase global competitiveness and sustainable growth.
‘In line with this, our partnership with EDB is aimed at broadening the support to our clients by facilitating the financing solutions to enable growth and expansion plans of industrial companies and contributing to the UAE’s ‘Operation 300bn’ Industrial strategy,” remarked Al Hameli.
The EDB-Abu Dhabi Ports deal signing ceremony.
last two months, with approx. 34 percent is still far below the limit that we usually anticipate.
The same applies to air freight. As passenger airlines still haven’t returned to their pre-corona flight schedules, essential belly capacity is still missing.
Rebounding economy
There are many reasons for this, and we must not simply hold the pandemic responsible for it. For instance, we have experienced a rebounding economy, and infrastructural issues that have also had a significant impact on the situation.
Although prices for logistical services are rising, the demand for such services is not decreasing. The gap between supply and demand is too big. The market no longer regulates it, therefore, we have to find other ways and solutions to relieve the system.
First of all, it needs further investments from the private and public sectors in the long term. Many big ocean carriers have already announced that they have ordered new vessels. We at DHL are also investing in new airplanes, trucks, and gateways, with a focus on sustainability, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel and other alternative fuels, as well as the electrification of last-mile delivery.
We must also continue to drive forward the digitalization of the industry and improve the data availability and quality across the industry. Uniform standards should be implemented globally for certain data, for instance bill of lading or customs data. This would not only result in increased transparency but also higher efficiency for all parties involved.
Predictive ETA solutions
We are currently working on a predictive ETA (Expected Time of Arrival) solution based on machine learning, which will be able to estimate the date of arrival more precisely than the ETA provided by the carriers.
These are of course only a few examples, others still need time especially when it comes to physical infrastructure, which customers will only benefit from in the long term. However, when, if not now, is the right time to tackle these issues?
Additionally, we need to address customer satisfaction in the short- and mid-term. And as already mentioned, the critical element here is customer service. From my point of view, freight forwarders are ideally positioned, as they have the flexibility, agility, and network to address such volatile and challenging market conditions as the ones we are currently facing.
With the right portfolio of solutions, we can mitigate capacity crunches by, for instance, offering multimodal transport solutions, where we combine ocean, air, and road as well as rail services.
Specific market conditions
By having experts across the globe that know the specific market conditions in the countries and regions customers are operating in, we can offer stable capacity supply and reasonable conditions through long-term partnerships with carriers.
Furthermore, with the help of digital services, such as DHL’s digital customer platform, myDHLi, customers can know where their shipments are and can share the status with colleagues or partners at every point in the transport chain. This allows immediate action if needed and eases planning, namely for production.
With the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in the logistics industry, we can keep supply chains up and running even in times of crisis.
