DP World, a global leader in logistics and supply chain solutions, has announced the opening of its free trade warehousing zone - Nhava Sheva Business Park (NSBP) - in India's commercial capital Mumbai.

 

The Nhava Sheva Business Park offers 1 million sq ft of warehousing space with another one million in the planning stage. 

 

With this, DP World has developed three world-leading free trade warehousing zones in India at an investment of over $200 million. The other two are in the south of the country - Integrated Chennai Business Park in Tamil Nadu and the Cochin Economic Zone at Kochi, Kerala.

 

Strategically located close to India’s coasts, they offer advanced infrastructure, flexible warehousing, ease of regulations, and seamless value-added services, making operations simpler.

 

The NSBP offers 1 million sq ft of warehousing space, with another one million in the planning stage. It offers specialised and temperature-controlled spaces, catering to diverse industry needs. 

 

As part of DP World’s global network of 12 free trade warehousing zones, the NSBP enhances India-UAE trade by cutting costs, improving efficiency, and boosting supply chain competitiveness. 

These three Indian free trade warehousing zones are well integrated with DP World’s Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) facilitating seamless cargo movement and strengthening global trade connectivity for India and the UAE.

 

The new zone was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE during his official visit to the country.

 

He later toured the facility accompanied by DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem where he was briefed on the various operations, value added services, and customised services deployed to enhance the efficiency of the free trade warehousing zone.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Hamdan said: "The UAE and India share a long-standing and deep-rooted economic partnership. The establishment of world-class logistics infrastructure, such as the NSBP not only strengthens the trade connectivity between our nations but also reinforces our shared vision for growth, innovation, and sustainability."

 

Bin Sulayem said DP World was committed to building infrastructure that powers global trade. 

 

"Our investment in NSBP further strengthens our infrastructure network in India and will enable us to meet the evolving needs of our large and growing customer base in the country and in the region," he stated. 

 

"The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) between the UAE and India is already accelerating bilateral trade, and the Free Trade Warehousing Zones network will ensure greater efficiency, sustainability, and scale," he added.

 

During the facility’s inauguration, 35 women recruited from local communities worked the shift -reflecting DP World’s efforts to generate employment in the regions where it operates. 

 

This initiative aligns with the company’s broader diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives in India, aimed at increasing female representation and fostering a more inclusive work environment within the logistics sector. 

 

It also supports DP World’s strategic vision for the SCO region, promoting women-staffed warehouses across its operations.

 

Awarded Platinum certification by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for green design, Nhava Sheva Business Park promotes environmental stewardship and economic growth while supporting global business.-TradeArabia News Service

Global tonnage improved +3% in the April 7 to April 13 period after the previous week’s drop of -7% as markets that had closed for the Eid-Al Fitr holiday came back on stream, but comparison with last year’s developments for this holiday indicates that this constituted less than half of the decline in week 14, which suggests that demand has been further afflicted by uncertainty about the trade conflict triggered by the US government, according to WorldACD. 

 

After the Eid holiday volumes rebounded in double-digit percentages week on week (WoW) out of Africa (+13%) and Middle East & South Asia (MESA, +12%), while tonnage increased +4% out of Asia Pacific and +3% out of Central and South America, whereas Europe and North America origins registered declines of -1% and -2% respectively, it stated. 

 

The comparison of the last two weeks with the previous two weeks shows a worldwide decline of -6% in chargeable weight, down from a -4% 2Wo2W slip in week 14. 

 

However, year on year (YoY) global tonnage was at +9%, based on the last two weeks, up from a +7% in our previous report, but this positive trend is caused by the Eid festival that took place in week 15 last year, it stated.

 

According to WorldACD, the upward momentum in worldwide pricing seen in recent weeks hit a wall, retreating from $2.50 in week 14 to $2.48 (-1%), which slowed the 2Wo2W momentum from +3% last week to +2%. 

 

The uncertainty over trade conditions has caused companies to postpone investment and sourcing decisions until there is more clarity, and in some cases to cancel orders. This has dented demand, while capacity increased +1% on a 2Wo2W basis. 

 

Compared to a year ago pricing in week 15 was still slightly up (+2%), based on the more than 500,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data.

 

North America was the only origin region that registered increased pricing week on week, up +4%. 

 

Rates were flat out of Europe and Central & South America, and fell by -2% from Asia Pacific, -3% from Africa and -4% from MESA. 

 

The -2% WoW rate decline out of Asia Pacific was largely the result of the post-Eid recovery of traffic within the region and to MESA, that have lower-than-average rates, also driving down the global average rate. Pricing from Asia Pacific to North America rose +6% on a 2Wo2W basis, while tonnage on the sector sank -5%, it added.-TradeArabia News Service

AJEX Logistics Services, a leading Middle East-based specialist in express distribution and shipping solutions, was named ‘Last-Mile Provider of the Year’ at the Logistics and Transport KSA Awards 2025. 

 

The award ceremony, which brought together the Kingdom’s top logistics players, took place at the Voco, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The award was accepted on behalf of AJEX by Chief E-Commerce Officer, Ken Robertson, and Director of E-Commerce Operations in Saudi Arabia, Vladimir Rulevoy.

 

This latest recognition underscores the rapid rise of AJEX in the logistics sector and its growing role in shaping the future of last-mile delivery in the kingdom. Since launching operations in 2021, AJEX has built a strong reputation for fast, reliable, and innovative customer-focused solutions—attributes which have become essential in today’s fast-growing eCommerce-driven economy, the company said.

 

“We are delighted to be recognized at the Logistics and Transport KSA Awards 2025 as the leading last-mile provider in Saudi Arabia,” said Ken Robertson, Chief E-Commerce Officer at AJEX. “At AJEX, we pride ourselves on our customer-centric and tech-driven approach, which continues to fuel our success. Today, we are proud to lead the market, setting new benchmarks for speed, reliability, and innovation in the last-mile sector.” 

 

With operations spanning the kingdom and beyond, AJEX offers a full suite of last mile services tailored to the needs of both B2C and B2B clients. B2C solutions include eCommerce Express, eCommerce Same Day, and eCommerce Reverse Pick-up, while B2B solutions include parcel and palletized road services to FTL and industrial solutions. 

 

Backed by a robust logistics infrastructure — comprising over 1,000 vehicles, 60+ facilities, seven transportation hubs, and a workforce of more than 1,800 team members, AJEX has a high-performance network designed to ensure the reliable and timely delivery of critical shipments across urban and remote areas in support of Vision 2030 goals. - TradeArabia News Service