New pharma and perishable facilities unfurled at the Cargo Village in Riyadh
Saudi Arabian Logistics Company (SAL), the Kingdom’s leading cargo ground handler and logistics provider, recently announced the unveiling of its new pharma and perishable facilities at the Cargo Village in Riyadh, including the much-awaited Covid vaccines soon to be rolled out worldwide.
The Saudi Arabian Minister of Transport Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser inaugurated SAL’s new facilities at the country’s main gateway, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. SAL, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation that is tasked to complement the nation’s goal of creating a global logistics hub.
With 5,000sqm of storage, the pharma and perishable facilities combined can adequately handle up to 365,000 tons of cargo a year. SAL’s partnership with other stakeholders including the Saudi Customs and Saudi Food and Drug Authority has made clearance of shipments easier and faster.
Sophisticated operations
The new facilities have four docks for loading refrigerated containers. The project, which started its operations, also has twelve warehouses with different temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius to suit the nature and type of cargo to be stored. In addition, within the facility, there is a special storage dedicated for flower cargo.
“The launch of the Riyadh Cold Storage facilities comes at a historic moment that coincides with the world’s anticipation for the delivery of the Covid vaccine. This urgency makes us harness the capabilities of the operation capacity of our pharmaceutical facility and be fully prepared to receive and handle the new vaccines in coordination with the health authorities,” asserted Omar Hariri, CEO, SAL.
The new project, he added, will enhance SAL’s handling and storage services for medical and pharmaceuticals in line with the highest quality standards approved by appropriate EU regulators.
The opening of the facilities ushers in a new and advanced phase for handling sensitive cargoes including foodstuffs that require special care. Within the facilities, there are divisions run by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Saudi Customs to inspect and expedite the cargo handling process to avoid an unbreakable cool chain.
Temperature regulation
The new facilities also feature a 650sqm temperature control breakdown area. There’s also an area for shipping refrigerated containers enough for 20 active containers. It is also equipped with a thermal isolation area.
Last May, SAL started its operations at its new facilities in the Riyadh-based King Khalid International Airport’s Cargo Village. The total area of the facilities is 42,000sqm while its operation capacity reaches 450,000 tons a year including cargoes and goods handled.
SAL aims to contribute to the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives and turn the Kingdom into a global logistics hub and invest in its strategic geographical location connecting three continents.
The Saudi Ministry of Transport assured the country’s transport infrastructure and facilities, particularly air cargo and logistics, are fully prepared to handle Covid-19 vaccines once it is ready for distribution.
