DHL,  leading global brand in the logistics industry, has launched a dedicated 100-tonne weekly air freight service for organizations and governments shipping goods from China to Africa and Middle East. Capitalizing on Dubai’s strategic geographical location as the gateway to countries in the region, the leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services will consolidate cargo from across China into Guangzhou and air freight them via Dubai to their various destinations across Africa and Middle East, all within two or three days.

A statement made available to OpenLife by African Media Agency, AMA, stated that bulk of the cargo is expected to comprise personal protective gear such as masks, gloves, hand sanitisers and goggles.

Continuing, the statement added that part of the cargo will head to other countries in the Middle East to plug the demand gap.

Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, in the comment stated that “DHL Global Forwarding is bolstering logistics support to our customers in the region who need to ensure stable supply chains, especially for medical and critical supplies during this critical period. With multiple flight cancellations that has strained worldwide air freight capacity, we remain committed to leveraging our capabilities, global network and customized solutions to ensure that goods and critical resources continue to reach people and communities in Africa and the Middle East,” he said.  

Meanwhile, Dubai’s geographical location and superior infrastructure as a transit hub perfects its key role as a gateway between China, Africa and the Middle East.

Statistics have it Africa is Dubai’s third largest trading partner in volume terms and Africa’s non-oil trade with Dubai has been growing steadily over the last decade, accounting for 10.5 percent of the emirate’s total non-oil foreign trade in 2018.

The secured uplift from China will be in operation for four weeks starting April 21 even as DHL is actively seeking to secure routes and boost capacity to the Middle East and Africa in the longer term.