Glenn Taylor
4 min read
DHL Group will invest more than 500 million euros ($574.5 million) in the Middle East through 2030, namely two of its fastest-growing markets: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
With the investment, all four of the logistics giant’s global divisions—DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Supply Chain and DHL eCommerce—will build on their infrastructure in the region as the two markets continue to accelerate their push into international trade and move their economies away from oil dependence.
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Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports reached an unprecedented 515 billion Saudi Riyal ($137 billion) in 2024, marking the highest value in the kingdom’s history. These exports expanded 13 percent last year, and more than doubled (113 percent) since the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic development program.
The UAE saw even larger trade expansion over the past year, with non-oil exports growing 28 percent year over year to 561.2 billion dirhams ($153.8 billion).
Investments for the DHL Express segment will be made in hub and gateway facilities, as well as enhancing aviation capacity to improve service efficiency and delivery speed.
DHL Global Forwarding will expand its overall presence in the Middle East, invest in fleet of aircraft and trucks and pursue joint venture initiatives such as its recent partnership with Etihad Rail.
For DHL Supply Chain, there will be an expansion of the contract logistics offering in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which includes increasing warehousing capacity, upgrading equipment and integrating advanced technology to optimize operations.
DHL eCommerce entered the Saudi Arabian market in February by acquiring a minority stake in parcel delivery company AJEX Logistics Services, which has a network that includes over 50 facilities and a fleet of more than 900 vehicles.
Although the company is penetrating a region known largely for its oil production, DHL emphasized its commitment to sustainability, including investments in alternative fuel, electric delivery vehicles, aviation fuels in air freight and biofuels for road and ocean freight, as well as solar energy and clean power for facilities.
The commitment is aimed at building more sustainable supply chains, and helping customers achieve their net-zero ambitions.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have net-zero emissions goals for 2060 and 2050, respectively.
