DHL Express, a division of the world’s leading postal and logistics group, sees strong growth opportunities in Middle East and Africa, and would continue to invest in its operations to meet the ever-changing needs of the region’s key industries, its top official said.

The German company continues to invest in the region and expand its infrastructure to further enhance its extensive network and unique connectivity strength in the Middle East.

“We see strong growth in Saudi Arabia and Qatar while Iraq is an upcoming promising market in the region. Africa is next challenge for the logistics industry,” DHL Express UAE country manager Frank Ungerer told Khaleej Times in an interview.

The Express division transports urgent documents and goods reliably and on time from door-to-door. Its network spans more than 220 countries and territories, in which some 100,000 employees provide services to more than 2.5 million customers worldwide.

“This is a really exciting time for DHL Express in the Mena region, and for the logistics industry. There are huge opportunities in front of us, which require us to be flexible,” he said.

DHL has been operating in the region in the last 35 years and it claims a 40 per cent share of the UAE’s logistics market. Currently, it operates 261 service centres across the Middle East. In the UAE, the logistics company has 24 outlets and stations, which provides round-the-clock service to the customers.

“Over the past 12 months, DHL has expanded its worldwide capabilities and improving customer service through a significant investment programme into infrastructure, employees and the brand,” he said.

Ungerer said the company has made significant investment in infrastructure as well as aircraft fleet to ensure a fast and reliable service in the region.

“The Middle East is a strategic market for DHL. The company’s continued investment here demonstrates our confidence in the region’s courier industry.

“We introduced a direct flight between the United States and Bahrain. Goods flown into the Bahrain hub are distributed across the Middle East using a combination of commercial and DHL aircraft to get the shipments to customers as soon as possible,” he explained.