Minister of Economy visits DHL Mobile Innovation Centre in Dubai South

H.E. Bin Touq reviews the Center’s contributions to leveraging the potential of advanced technology in shaping future of logistics

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, visited global logistics service provider DHL’s MEA Innovation Center located in Dubai South’s Logistics District. H.E. was received by Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding MEA.

The Minister emphasized that the UAE has succeeded, thanks to the vision of its wise leadership, in strengthening its position as a primary destination for innovation and the knowledge economy within the region. Today, the UAE continues its efforts, in line with the principles of the 50 and the goals of the UAE Centennial 2071, to provide an ideal environment for innovative and promising regional and global companies and businesses focusing on research and development, advanced science, applications of artificial intelligence, and 4IR. It is one of the main pillars of its flexible, sustainable, proactive, and future-oriented new economic model.

While at the Center, H.E. underlined the importance of cooperation with Dubai South and DHL Innovation Centre in the areas of sustainability, innovation, circular Economy, as well as in the development of developmental policies in these areas. In this context, H.E. Bin Touq said: "We see the development of partnership and cooperation between the UAE’s government entities and the private sector  and with the global innovation community and leading innovative international enterprises as priorities for economic action in the country during the next phase. This is particularly so in the sectors of the new economy, future skills, and policies of smart transformation, sustainability, and innovation. We are keen to provide all the facilities that make the business environment of the country the number one choice for leading global companies. DHL Mobile MEA Innovation Centre is a qualitative addition to our innovation ecosystem, R&D and technology environment in logistics and the shipping sector. We will continue to support the Centre's efforts in developing smart logistics services in the country and the wider region."

Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding MEA, said: "We were honored by the visit of H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, to the DHL Innovation Centre in Dubai. The UAE’s is an extraordinary economic growth story, and its innovative economy has made it a very important and attractive market today for global companies in various fields. We believe that reliable and advanced logistics services are the backbone of most industries. Here at DHL, we are proud to contribute to the development of innovative logistics and transport solutions given their importance in the future prosperity of the Emirates."

The DHL mobile innovation centre is the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa region and was launched in October 2021, spanning 450 square meters in the Dubai South’s Logistics District. The mobile unit can easily be assembled and dismantled, which makes it ready to move to the next location. From Dubai, it will travel to various cities in the region over the coming years.

The Centre provides an advanced collaborative platform for clients, partners and creative minds to present solutions and programs that contribute to addressing complex logistics challenges, identifying the latest trends in the logistics sector, reaching out to sector’s innovators throughout the Middle East and Africa, and developing future supply chain solutions.

The Centre leads innovation in logistics services in the region, focusing on other technological advancements such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analysis. It hosts a selection of exhibitions around the key technologies that will shape the logistics sector’s future. These focus on new technologies such as IoT, AI and robotics, and on improving critical software engineering processes, analyzing data in the supply chain sector and digital twinning of warehouses.

Dubai South is an integrated airport city spanning 145 square kilometers, developed around Al Maktoum International Airport (AMIA) near the port of Jebel Ali to offer an additional advantage in terms of saving time and a significant reduction in operating costs. It can employ around 1 million people and provide 500,000 jobs. The project was first developed in 2006 to enhance Dubai's position as a world aviation capital and aims to maintain and develop the emirate’s leading position as a global center for trade, logistics, and investment.