DB Schenker, the transportation and logistics arm of the German railway company Deutsche Bahn AG, has started work at its new 8,000 sq m facility in Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis.

It will primarily be used for general cargo warehousing, distribution and value-added services, in addition to featuring office space, said a statement from the German group.

To be completed in May 2014, the new facility located at DWC Logistics District will be used to bundle, temporarily store and process onward carriage cargo shipments for industrial and trade customers.

Its state-of-the art warehouse will be 25 per cent temperature-controlled and the rest of the environment will be ambient in nature. The facility has a total storage capacity of 8,500 pallet position with the temperature-controlled section having an initial capacity of 2,200 pallet position, it added.       

DB Schenker CEO (Middle East & Africa) Peter Glatz said: "As a global network geared toward customer service, quality and sustainability, we ensure that we have a solid presence in prime economic regions. The new facility is a milestone and the first step in our expansion plan in logistics and supply chain in the Middle East, especially in Dubai."

"DWC provides us the best possible location/multimodal transportation platform combining sea, road and airport, and the future Etihad Rail, that will give us a key advantage in serving our customer," he stated.

Mohsen Ahmad, VP Logistics District, DWC, said: "Increasingly global logistics companies are leveraging DWC’s world-class infrastructure to realize greater operational flexibility and mobility. Besides, DWC is also proving to be the ideal launch pad for logistics companies to synergize and establish strategic alliances in newer international markets as well owing to its strategic location."

"The presence of DB Schenker, a company boasting revenues of 15.39 billion euros, at Logistics Districts is a loud statement about the quality of DWC’s offering, which remains unmatched in the region," he stated.

The facility development project is being handled by Dubai-based Giolog DWC and City Diamond Contracting is the official contractor, while the design work has been entrusted to Planquadrat Engineering Consultancy.-TradeArabia News Service