Easy to Access from Anywhere, New System Supports Shipping Agents, Forwarders and Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCOs) to Keep Trading Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 8 July 2020: Dubai Trade, DP World’s single window platform for cross border trade, has introduced the “Electronic Delivery Order”, a sophisticated new technological tool that will allow supply chain stakeholders to handle their complex import processes with just the click of a computer mouse.

The E-Delivery Order is tailored to support trade, logistics and supply chain players in trying times like the operational disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Launched in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that requires social distancing and Work From Home, the new system enables shipping agents, freight forwarders and Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCOs) to move beyond their tedious over-the-counter operations that require physical visits and upgrade to a highly digitised process that delivers a cost-effective, efficient and time-saving mechanism on the Dubai Trade portal, all from the safety of their homes.

The multi-faceted “E-Delivery Order” eliminates paperwork and liberates the UAE’s trading community from the inefficiencies of manual intervention and related costs. It minimises cargo clearance turnaround time, increases competitiveness and creates greater visibility of the cargo flow. The process is further eased with Dubai Customs accepting digital Bills of Lading and Delivery Orders from agents.

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region said: “Adapting to new technological innovations in the trade and logistics industry has become all the more imperative in these days of global uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dubai Trade’s ‘E-Delivery Order’ marks a major step forward in digitising the management of logistics to increase the resilience of the trade and logistics sector, which are classified as essential services by the UAE.”

Al Muallem added: “Throughout its history, Dubai Trade has been known for its best-in-class e-services and its ability to integrate various trade and logistics service providers in Dubai under a single window. It has established itself firmly as a frontline driver of Dubai and the UAE’s global rise as the ideal base for trading across borders. Now, more than ever, the E-Delivery Order system offers our customers a tool that they can use from wherever they are to ensure business continuity. “

Hussain Alblooshi, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Trade, said: “We have always been pro-active when it comes to innovation for companies using the Dubai Trade e-platform and aim to provide unparalleled trade solutions in the UAE. We are proud to introduce a country-first Electronic Delivery Order in the UAE’s trade ecosystem. This automation will make the existing manual process redundant and reduce the operational costs while helping the company in the adoption of sustainable delivery processes. Our customers will be happy to know that the new system eliminates 80 per cent of paperwork and physical visits and cuts turnaround time by a similar count. Additionally, customers will experience seamless automated payment collections and reconciliation, lower overhead costs and costs related to operating counters.”

Among Dubai Trade’s global customers who are already using the E-Delivery Order system are shipping agents Ocean Network Express, Peninsula Shipping, Hapag Lloyd Middle East, and Gulf Agency Company (GAC) as well as top freight forwarders Globelink West Star Shipping, Kuehne+Nagel and Freight Systems DWC. The company has already processed more than 17,000 transactions for 1400+ customers and aims to keep growing and adding to this number exponentially.