DHL's new Al Quoz distribution centre has grown its volume of business by 25 per cent in the six months since it was opened.

DHL has invested Dh5 million ($1.36 million) in the development and re-engineering of the state-of-the-art facility, which will soon become the company's third TAPA A certified depot, said a senior DHL official.

'This facility is our 26th location in the UAE and demonstrates how our expansion plan is focused on anticipating and meeting the growing needs of our customers,' said operations manager, DHL UAE, Geoff Walsh.

'This 25 per cent growth in the volume of shipments clearly suggests we are aiming in the right directions to further enhance our market leading position,' added Walsh.

The new distribution centre provides additional capacity and offers more efficiency in handling and managing the needs of DHL's customer base in the UAE and across the region. It has 1,200 sq metres of operations space and sorting capacity of 5,000 shipments per day and serves as a main distribution centre for DHL's network in Dubai covering Karama, Bur Dubai, Sheik Zayed Road, Al Quoz, Jumeirah, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Investment Park.

'Al Quoz was chosen as the location because of its centralised position, with easy access to some of Dubai's fastest growing areas. It has also helped us decrease the amount of time our vehicles spend on the road, therefore contributing to a decrease in traffic congestion,' Walsh added.

Al Quoz facility also comprises a Strategic Parts Centre (SPC) which provides value-added logistics services such as storage, inventory management, order processing, co-packing, kitting and quality testing. In addition, it allows more rapid and accurate sorting of customers' materials using sophisticated warehouse management, shipping and international technology platforms.- TradeArabia News Service