Technology holds the key to achieving sustainable long-term development of the ports business in today’s digitised world and DP World is proactively pursuing this strategy at its facilities, according to Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World UAE Region.
His remarks came during a week in which two separate groups of academics and business students toured Jebel Ali Port and met DP World officials. A team of professors and Entrepreneur Scholars (E-Scholars) from the University of Portland’s renowned Center for Entrepreneurship called on Mr Muallem, while another group from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business was received by Rashed Ali Al Qahtani, Chief Operating Officer, DP World UAE Region.
The 30-member USC team included six students who presented a project they had done on DP World UAE Region as part of their MBA programme, “Digital Strategies for Sustainability in Global Emerging Markets”.
The visiting delegations were given presentations on the technology-driven initiatives implemented at Jebel Ali Port, like Gate Automation, Operation Control Room to track every movement in the port, smart stacking systems and the e-services.
Mohammed Al Muallem , Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World UAE Region, said:
“ The innovations we have in place in Jebel Ali Port have yielded measurable operational efficiencies. In the past year, yard and quayside productivity has increased significantly while unproductive moves have in turn been noticeably reduced. These initiatives are designed to introduce better economies for the supply chain and improve traffic flow. Together they save our customers hours of precious time and labour costs. Digital technology has become indispensable for sustainable business strategies .”
About DP World
DP World is one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, with 49 terminals and 9 new developments and major expansions across 31 countries. Its dedicated, experienced and professional team of nearly 30,000 people serves customers in some of the most dynamic economies in the world.
DP World aims to enhance customers’ supply chain efficiency by effectively managing container, bulk and other terminal cargo. The company constantly invests in terminal infrastructure, facilities and people, working closely with customers and business partners to provide quality services today and tomorrow, when and where customers need them.
In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is building on the established relationships and superior level of service demonstrated at its flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted “Best Seaport in the Middle East” for 16 consecutive years.
In 2010, DP World handled around 50 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) across its portfolio from the Americas to Asia. With a pipeline of expansion and development projects in key growth markets, including India, China and the Middle East, capacity is expected to rise to around 92 million TEU by 2020, in line with market demand.
[mappress]
Source: dpworld, March 29, 2011;