Danish transport giant Maersk on Aug. 21 opened the doors to its largest Logistics Park at Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia.
The $250million, 225,000 sq m logistics facility provides a list of services under one roof, including: multi-modal connectivity between ocean, land and air transport; warehousing solutions catering for B2B and e-commerce requirements; temperature-controlled warehousing; custom-bonded setup; distribution solutions including first- and last-mile deliveries; customs clearances, visibility solutions and control tower.
“The Maersk Logistics Park represents a significant milestone for Maersk. It is a testament to our commitment to be an enabler of global trade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which sits strategically at the crossroads of three continents” said Vincent Clerc CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk.
Clerc and other Maersk regional leaders joined the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, HE Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Chairman of Saudi Ports Authority HE Omar bin Talal Hariri, other senior officials as well as leadership from Unilever at the site’s opening.
The facility was designed to accommodate industries and verticals such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), frozen food, automotive, retail & lifestyle, petrochemicals, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.
The facility will draw up to 70% of its electricity from 32,000 solar panels installed over 64,000 sq. m. on the rooftop. The Maersk Logistics Park will use electric equipment and electric trucks within the facility, have low electricity-consumption LED lighting optimised with light sensors, etc.
Maersk has established an in-house women’s academy offering tailored training programmes to ensure stronger diversity and inclusion. Through this academy, women will be empowered to work in the logistics and supply chain sector through specialised training and career development. Besides training and mentorship, this academy also strives to create a supportive environment for Saudi Arabian women to thrive in what has been a male-dominated industry.
The Danish heavyweight which operates in more than 130 countries and employs around 100,000 people, continued to build momentum in the second quarter reporting volume growth across all segments and improved financial performance with EBIT margin reaching 7.5% compared to 1.4% in the first quarter. Results were driven by increased profitability in Ocean, solid growth in Logistics & Services and excellent performance in Terminals. Based on the prolonging of the crisis in the Red Sea and a continued robust market demand, Maersk upgraded its guidance for 2024 on August 1st.
