Kuehne+Nagel in the United Arab Emirates has received certification from the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), authorising the storage and possession of raw pharmaceutical materials at its facility in Dubai South. This complements the company’s existing licence to store medical products.

“This certification marks a significant milestone in strengthening Kuehne+Nagel’s healthcare and life sciences supply chain offering. It benefits customers across all stages of the production cycle in the healthcare industry,” said Leon Diradourian, GCC Cluster Managing Director at Kuehne+Nagel.

Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) is the UAE’s independent regulatory authority overseeing the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. As part of the licensing process, Kuehne+Nagel’s appointed pharmacist, Safa Alkhayat, underwent a formal assessment and was subsequently licensed to handle raw materials in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. This individual certification formed the basis for Kuehne+Nagel’s authorisation by the Ministry of Health to store pharmaceutical starting materials, including excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Kuehne+Nagel in the UAE operates a 42,000 sqm fulfilment facility, including 25,500 sqm of temperature-controlled space dedicated to healthcare products. The site features cold chambers (2–8°C) and restricted-access chambers compliant with GxP standards, encompassing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and Good Storage Practice (GSP), supported by rigorous security protocols.

With nearly two decades of experience in the logistics industry Leon Diradourian is well positioned to drive growth and development across the region. He will be based at Kuehne+Nagel’s cluster headquarters in Dubai.

Since joining Kuehne+Nagel Canada as a Sales Executive in 2010, Leon has held a number of senior leadership roles, including Regional Sales Director, Eastern Canada; Regional Vice President, Eastern Canada; and Vice President, Sea Logistics, Canada.

Most recently, he served as Vice President, Strategic Customs Development, where he was instrumental in leading the integration of Farrow, a Canada-based customs brokerage recently acquired by Kuehne+Nagel.

Upon his new appointment, Leon Diradourian comments: “Situated at the crossroads of global trade, the Middle East offers exceptional opportunities for the logistics sector. As many countries diversify their economies and explore new avenues for growth, I am honoured to lead the organisation in the region. Together with our team, I am committed to enhancing our service offerings, supporting our customers’ success, and advancing towards our Vision 2030: to become the most trusted supply chain partner supporting a sustainable future.”

That’s right. Thousands of generators produce the electricity needed to power these massive events. Hidden behind the scenes, they are far from obsolete - they are at the centre of attention for every event organiser.

Aggreko, a company headquartered in Scotland, is a global leader in providing temporary mobile and modular power solutions for some of the world’s most iconic events - often those that attract tens of thousands of people and demand robust supporting infrastructure, including reliable electricity.

Recently Aggreko’s generators, spare parts, and supporting equipment of various sizes had to be delivered to an important event in Azerbaijan from multiple global locations within a tight deadline.

"Despite the majority of the generators being stored in the UAE, the project was far from easy," commented Debbie Reid, Global Project Logistics Solutions Manager, based in Dubai. "The ongoing Red Sea crisis meant that if we were to rely on sea logistics, we would have to route the cargo via the Cape of Good Hope, adding an additional two weeks to the journey. With tight deadlines, this was not an option. Instead, we decided to utilise our Sea-Road solution."

The complexity of the shipment required a practical solution: the cargo was transported from Jebel Ali Port on the outskirts of Dubai to Um Qasr Port in Iraq, where it was loaded, often with crane assistance due to its heavy weight, onto 107 trucks. This impressive convoy then journeyed across Iraq with a security escort to ensure maximum safety.

To cross into Türkiye, Georgia, and eventually Azerbaijan, the generators had to be reloaded onto trucks registered in Türkiye, once again requiring heavy lifting and careful handling.

Each border crossing required customs clearance, multiple permits, and detailed product and transport documentation. However, as the entire process, including customs clearance, was managed by the Kuehne+Nagel team, every step was meticulously planned and executed to avoid any delays in the already tight schedule.

Simultaneously, Aggreko dispatched equipment from locations in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and India to ensure sufficient equipment arrived at the event location.

“The journey from the European locations was relatively easy - all equipment was loaded onto the trucks and travelled from the location,” added Haidy Hassan, Project Logistics Customer Excellence Team Leader based in Dubai. “However, crossing several borders between the point of origin in Europe and Azerbaijan could have been challenging if not for our meticulously prepared documentation for customs clearance and the detailed planning of the entire journey.”

Overall, 1,078 tons of generators and parts were shipped to Azerbaijan via road freight, atop 113 trucks from locations in Europe and the UAE. A further 1,000 tons were shipped via sea freight, and 150 tons of urgently required equipment were shipped via air freight from India, Dubai, and Europe.

“Seeing the trucks unloading the generators at the location of the event was a sign of relief. But the true victory moment came when the event was in full swing, with thousands of people walking among lit booths, with working air conditioning, charging their phone batteries, enjoying fresh coffee from the coffee machines, and meals freshly taken out of the oven,” reminisced Hassan. “And we reflected on that and asked ourselves: do the visitors know how much effort went into supplying something so simple, something taken for granted - the power behind it all?”

Yet, there is no time to waste. Aggreko’s generators are already needed elsewhere to power another iconic event, enabling visitors to fully enjoy the experience. The Kuehne+Nagel team is busy organising the demobilization and mobilization, ready for the next assignment.

Kuehne+Nagel UAE inaugurates a custom-designed hub for Rolls-Royce aircraft engines in Dubai to streamline engine deliveries across the Middle East.

Rolls-Royce is a leading global supplier of aircraft engines in the civil aerospace sector. With distribution centres in the Netherlands, the U.S., and the U.K., the expansion of its UAE centre is aimed at preparing for the opening of the new Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai and the anticipated increase in air traffic.

The 3,000 sqm facility, located within Kuehne+Nagel’s existing hub in Dubai South, has undergone extensive refurbishment to optimise fulfilment operations. A specially fitted electric overhead traveling crane with a lifting capacity of 25 tons, along with a parallel 64-metre-long runway and traveling bridge, facilitates the movement of heavy equipment, as well as the loading and unloading of trucks. This automated solution enhances safety and security for both staff and goods while improving overall efficiency.

The centre will house the entire Rolls-Royce Trent high-bypass turbofan family, from smaller engines to Trent XWB, Rolls-Royce’s most powerful engine, with a 3-meter diameter fan and a weight of nearly 17 tons, as well as spare parts, units and nacelles.

During the inauguration ceremony on February 27th, 2025, Adrian Cuthell, Senior Vice President On-Wing Operations and Logistics at Rolls-Royce states: „The strategic location, reliability, and trust in Kuehne+Nagel’s logistics solutions, along with our long-standing global partnership, were key factors in selecting them to operate our hub in Dubai." 

"We are thrilled to see this facility designed and fully re-fitted to Rolls-Royce’s specifications. Our teams have worked diligently to ensure every aspect of the design is carefully tailored to support both the fulfilment and delivery teams operating in the centre, as well as the engines themselves, which, despite their size and weight, require the most delicate handling,” concludes Stephanie Kearney, Head of EMEA and Global Operating Standards Contract Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel.

Kuehne+Nagel supports Rolls-Royce across multiple locations, including the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, by delivering customised logistics solutions supporting their aerospace logistics needs. 

In a bid to bring the freshest food to consumers across the UAE, Spinneys, a local supermarket chain operating nearly 73 stores across the emirates, has tasked Kuehne+Nagel with streamlining the journey of perishable products, such as fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, and dairy products, from London Heathrow to Dubai. 

“We analysed the entire transportation process and asked ourselves how we could surpass the status quo,” explained Rory Michael Mccreadie, National Air Logistics Perishables Manager at Kuehne+Nagel UAE. “The goal was to eliminate repetitive, time-consuming tasks like unpacking and repacking products at various transition points.”

Every morning, Kuehne+Nagel’s team collects hundreds of boxes of fresh products from Spinneys’ warehouse in London. These boxes are placed on skids, which are then consolidated onto custom-built PMCs (flatbed airline pallets designed for aircraft holds) capable of carrying up to 2,500 kg of fresh products. This approach ensures efficient use of space while maintaining the freshness of the goods.

Once prepared, the PMCs, each carrying 6 skids, are loaded onto the aircraft and transported to Dubai. 

However, instead of the traditional approach, where PMCs are broken down at the airport upon arrival and their contents individually loaded onto trucks, the team implemented an innovative “through unit” system. The entire PMCs are cleared at the airport and transported intact to Spinneys’ warehouse. There, they are unloaded and unpacked, ready for distribution to 73 supermarkets across the UAE on the same day.

The introduction of the “through unit” substantially reduced the transit time. Instead of breaking the unit at the airport and loading separate boxes onto the trucks that are later again unpacked at the warehouse, the unit travels to the destination. The saved time enables Spinneys to process the orders and deliver fresh produce to the supermarkets.

"This end-to-end solution is a great example of how Kuehne+Nagel can optimise processes to deliver top quality to the end customer: the everyday consumer seeking fresher, healthier food products," added Rory Michael Mccreadie, National Air Logistics Perishables Manager at Kuehne+Nagel UAE.

Menino Carmo Luis, Warehouse Operations Manager at Spinneys, concluded: “Delivering the best quality products for our customers is at the heart of Spinneys’ ethos. Thanks to our partnership with Kuehne+Nagel, their expertise, and innovative solutions, we’ve shortened the supply chain by an astonishing four hours. This allows us to deliver fresh produce and stock shelves in time for evening shoppers, giving customers the freshness and quality they expect.”

Adding to this efficiency, the empty PMCs are returned to the airport for reuse, reducing waste and conserving resources.

With a groundbreaking ceremony, Kuehne+Nagel marked the construction of a new fulfilment and distribution centre in EZDubai, a dedicated e-commerce zone in Dubai South, closely located to Al Maktoum International Airport and connected to Jebel Ali Port via a bonded logistics corridor. 

The location and connectivity of the new centre will function as a hub for trade across the region, giving customers easy access to a variety of logistics solutions. They can benefit from the exemption of customs clearance procedures within the bonded logistics corridors ensuring the efficiency and reliability of their operations. 

“With the development of this new e-commerce fulfilment centre, Kuehne+Nagel continues to show commitment to the UAE and Dubai, supporting one of the fastest growing economies globally,” said Lee I'Ons, GCC+ Cluster Managing Director at Kuehne+Nagel. “The new facility brings our customers ease of doing business in Dubai and across the region.”

Mohsen Ahmad, CEO of the Logistics District, Dubai South, commented: “We are pleased to witness the groundbreaking of Kuehne+Nagel’s new facility, which will be of great added value to the logistics sector. We are committed to reinforcing the company’s expansion and growth, via our advanced services and solutions, and to contribute to Dubai’s position as a global logistics hub.”

Jonathan Emery, CEO at Aldar Development said: “In line with our strategic focus to deliver Grade A facilities for local and international logistics providers, we are delighted to extend our development expertise to create a state-of-the-art fulfilment centre for Kuehne+Nagel at Dubai South, one of the most well-connected logistics hubs in the UAE.”

The new fulfilment centre, designed under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver requirements, will offer over 23,000 square meters of state-of-the-art warehousing space, equalling about 45,000 pallet positions. The customers will also benefit from the vast array of value-added services. The centre is set to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2025. The site was developed by Dubai South and Aldar Properties.