DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, has officially opened its largest ground operations facility in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) at Meydan.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Ken Allen, DHL Express CEO. Among dignitaries present were Abdul Rahman Saeed Ghanim, chairman, Middle East General Enterprises; Abdul Rahman Saif Al Ghurair, chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, and Saeed Mohammed Al Ghandi, Al Ghandi Group.

“DHL’s latest Dh100 million ($27.2 million) investment is vital for the future of the logistics industry in the UAE and will help to further consolidate and enhance global connectivity of the country for at least the next 20 years. The investment will support DHL’s continued growth and innovation in the UAE and the wider region resulting in even better transit times and network reliability,” the company said in a statement.

“Along with DHL’s partner, MGE Middle East General Enterprise LLC, the new facility will serve to enhance DHL’s competitive advantage in the logistics industry due to its strategic location between Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport, state-of-the-art features and technological capabilities and best-in-class handling processes, all within one new modern and iconic facility,” it added.

The facility spans an area of 186,000 sq ft which is equivalent to 2.5 football pitches. DHL provided some features of the new facility:

• Almost 100,000 sq ft of indoor sorting and loading area

• Approximately 50,000 sq ft of office space which will also serve as DHL’s new head office for the UAE

• Indoor loading for up to 120 courier vans, giving more security to customer’s shipments, without exposure to sun or rain

• Over 100 CCTV cameras keeping track of every shipment across the facility, filming three months’ worth of footage in just one day

• A conveyer and sorting belt extending over two floors that’s up to 300 m long, almost as tall as Burj Al Arab

• The conveyor belt can automatically weigh, measure and photograph up to 72,000 shipments per day

DHL has 261 service centres and service points across 19 countries in the region and employs over 4,400 employees.