The phenomenal growth of the Middle East logistics industry is a matter of pride for the entire region. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have invested millions of dollars to develop their transportation infrastructure, while local companies such as Aramex, Agility and GAC have announced record profits over the past year. Even international powerhouses like FedEx, Kuehne + Nagel and DHL have targeted the Middle East as a major growth market for the future.
This flourishing marketplace is testament to the hard work of countless companies and individuals within the logistics industry, who are continuously striving to achieve excellence in their operations. Unfortunately, to date, we’ve not received a suitable opportunity to bask in this glory… until now!
After months of preparation, the much-awaited Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATA) took place at Dubai’s Fairmont Hotel on Monday 28th May.
Organised by ITP, publisher of Logistics Middle East, the evening was a runaway success, attracting some of the biggest names in the industry. Guests arrived in Dubai especially for the event, from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and even France.
The SCATA ceremony received an overwhelming positive response, with several people hailing the event as the most significant celebration of logistics in the Middle East to date. One of the most heart-warming responses came from Sebastian Thomas from Al-Futtaim Retail Division, who bagged the award for Logistics Manager of the Year and called his moment of glory “one of the greatest achievements” from his 18-year career in the logistics industry.
Such comments are undoubtedly heartening and the entire team behind the awards is now determined to make next year’s ceremony even bigger and better. Indeed, preparations have already begun and several companies have already come forward to lend their support.
The countdown now begins for SCATA 2008 and we welcome any comments or suggestions for the event as it’s important to get the industry involved at all levels.
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