Coronating Emirates’ Logistics Corridor

by Joseph O'Reilly

The United Arab Emirates has a reputation for architectural grandeur, and its transportation and logistics infrastructure is no less awe-inspiring. Emirate officials recently cut the ribbon on the Dubai Logistics Corridor, a transportation gateway that links ocean, air, and land modes over an area spanning 77 square miles —roughly the size of Cleveland.

The corridor includes Jebel Ali Port, the sixth-largest container port in the world; Jebel Ali Free Zone, host to more than 6,500 companies; and Dubai World Central, home to Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be the world’s largest airport when completed.

The debut of the Emirates’ premier transportation and logistics portal cements the Middle East region’s status as a global distribution hub. The logistics corridor brings together all the components necessary to create a multimodal logistics platform, facilitating increased and more efficient trade flows into and through the region.

One key to the corridor’s success is the improvement of sea-to-air cargo flows by eliminating the processes of exit and entry from one zone to another, including double customs inspections. Officials expect the corridor’s opening to attract even further foreign investment and economic development, which already represents more than 25 percent of Dubai’s GDP.