First Annual Middle East Logistics Awards held on 21st November 2006 at Al Joharah Ball Room - Madinat Jumeirah
Released on = November 23, 2006, 12:29 am
Press Release Author = Eventis FZC - Media One Group
Industry = Transportation & Logistics
Press Release Summary = Twenty-seven prestigious awards bestowed on eighteen companies and four individuals during the first annual Middle East Logistics Awards (MELA) 2006
Press Release Body = The grandeur culmination of the first annual Middle East Logistics Awards (MELA) 2006, celebrating performance excellence in the Middle East logistics industry, witnessed an august gathering of industry heavyweights from the entire spectrum of the Middle East logistics industry, in a gala event held at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE. Eighteen companies and four individuals have been honoured from a range of 27 prestigious award categories, fostering healthy competition among equals in the dynamic and competitive logistics industry in the Middle East. An august gathering of more than 600 people from the entire Middle East logistics community converged for the MELA 2006 Awards function.
The Guest of Honour for the event was Dr Mohammed Ahmed Al Zarouni, Managing Director of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, and Director General of Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, and the Welcome Address was made by Rashid Al Jaflah, Principal Host, MELA, and Chairman, Media One Group. Aleem Aziz, CEO, MELA Management Office and Vice President, Media One Group, presented the MELA Vision Statement and launched the MELA Winners' Alliance. Dr Khalid Maniar, Founder & Managing Partner of AGNMAK, explained the audit process for the MELA 2006 Awards.
Suoud S Al Aqroobi, Director, International Relations Department, Federal Customs Authority, UAE, gave the Keynote Address on Customs Authority & Logistics Industry - Past, Present & Future. MELA 2006 Awards ceremony witnessed the launch of the First Arabic Edition of the 'Transport Logistics: Past, Present & Predictions' authored by Issa Baluch by Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor, President, National Association of Freight Logistics, and Vice President, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and the launch of 'Hydra 28 - The Logistics Tower', an exclusive tower dedicated to the logistics industry, at Business Bay. Christopher Hudson, Exhibitions Director, Messe Frankfurt Middle East announced the MELA AGM-Messe Frankfurt Joint Venture. The Vote of Thanks was proposed by Dr Satish Mapara, Shipping & Legal Consultant, GlobeApex Management Consultants; Member, SCLG Consultative Committee; and Member, MELA Advisory Board.
Fadi Ghandour, President & CEO, Aramex International, Middle East won the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Outstanding Achievement Award. In the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Personality of the Year - Air Cargo Industry category, Hamdi Osman, Regional Vice President, FedEx, Middle East, won the award. Fadi Ghandour also won the award for the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Personality of the Year - Land Transport Industry category. Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor, CEO, STALCO Group; President, National Association of Freight Logistics, and Vice President, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, won the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Personality of the Year - Maritime Industry Award. In the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Young Achiever of the Year category, HH Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Chairman, RAK Free Trade Zone, UAE won the award.
The Best Seaport Award has been presented to Jebel Ali Port, UAE; the Best Container Terminal Award has been won by Jebel Ali Port Container Terminal, UAE; and the Best Shipping Line Award has been won by Maersk Line, Middle East.
The Best Airport Award has been won by Dubai International Airport, UAE; the Best Emerging Airport Award has been given to King Fahad International Airport, Saudi Arabia; the Best Air Cargo Terminal Award has been awarded to Dubai Cargo Village, UAE; Aramex International, Middle East, won the Best Express Operator Award; Emirates SkyCargo, UAE, has been awarded as the Best Air Cargo Carrier as well as the Best Air Charter Operator.
PWC Logistics (currently Agility), Middle East, won four awards - Best Road Hauler, the Best Land Freight Forwarder, the Best Logistics Service Provider - 3PL, and the Best Logistics Service Provider - Perishable Logistics. DHL Danzas Air & Ocean, Middle East, was declared the winner of the Best Logistics Service Provider - Air Freight Award. The Best Logistics Service Provider - Sea Freight Award has been given to Maersk Logistics, Middle East. From the Shippers, the Best Exporter Award was conferred on NOKIA, Middle East, and the Best Importer Award was given to Al-Futtaim Group, UAE.
Award for the Best Logistics Park - Air went to Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, UAE, and Jebel Ali Free Zone, UAE, won the award for the Best Logistics Park - Sea. The Best Emerging Free Zone Award has been won by Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone, UAE; the Best Project & Special Cargo Provider Award has been presented to Dnata, UAE; and the award for the Best Trade Finance Bank was won by HSBC, Middle East.
MELA 2006 - the momentous event - has been organised and managed by Eventis, a Media One Group company. The event has set the benchmark for performance excellence in the Middle East logistics industry, with winners for the MELA Awards 2006 being determined by the Middle East logistics community in a never-before, decision-making two-stage process of nominating and voting for their choice of companies and individuals from the industry. A massive media campaign was ensured through print, online and visual media to encourage the participation of the entire Middle East logistics community in the Nomination and Voting processes for the MELA 2006 Awards.
Both the Nomination and Voting processes were audited by AGNMAK, the Official Auditors for MELA 2006 Nomination and Voting processes. Well-known industry experts and distinguished policy makers covering the entire gamut of the logistics industry in the Middle East have extended support to MELA 2006 Awards by representing MELA on its Advisory Board - Juan Torrents, President, World Federation of Free Zones (FEMOZA); General Mazen Nadim, President, Egyptian International Freight Forwarding Association (EIFFA); Samir Choueiri, President, Lebanese Forwarders' Syndicate; Dr Mahmoud Abdallatt, Secretary General, Arab Union of Land Transport, Jordan; Fahad A Hammad, Vice President - Cargo Sales & Services, Saudi Arabian Airlines; Ali Khalfan Al Jallaf, Director, Dubai Cargo Village, Dubai, UAE; Dr Khalid Maniar, Founder & Managing Partner, AGNMAK, Dubai, UAE; Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor, President, National Association of Freight Logistics (NAFL), and Vice President, International Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), Switzerland; Dr Satish Mapara, Shipping and Legal Consultant, GlobeApex Management Consultants, Dubai, UAE; Dr Khalid Al Mehairi, Chairman, Emirates Advocates, Dubai, UAE; and Varun Sharma, Head of Logistics, Maritime and Mercantile International, Dubai, UAE.
The MELA Executive Board includes Mike Lee, President, Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG); Prakash Nair, Manager - Network, Cargo Sales Development, Emirates Airline; Geoff Wheatley, Regional Director, SSI-Schaefer; Aleem Aziz, Vice President, Media One Group, and CEO, MELA Management Office; and Martin Menachery, Editor, Media One Group, and Head - Press & Information, MELA Media Committee, MELA Management Office.
The MELA 2007 has been slated for November 20, 2007 (Tuesday).
Web Site = http://www.mela.ae
Contact Details = For more information or photographs, please contact: Martin Menachery, Head - Press & Information, MELA Media Committee, PO Box 72247, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tel: +971 4 297 6987/265 4811; Fax: +971 4 297 6988; Email: martin@mela.ae; Website: www.mela.ae
Mirzi D Moralde, Sr Communications Executive, MELA Media Committee, PO Box 72247, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tel: +971 4 297 6987/265 4811; Fax: +971 4 297 6988; Email: mirzi@mela.ae; Website: www.mela.ae