28,500 sqm facility expands capabilities in key market
Agility opened a 28,500 square meter facility in Hidd to expand its warehousing, freight, transport and specialty capabilities and serve as a regional logistics and distribution hub.
The new facility supports contract logistics with ambient, chilled and frozen storage, as well as solutions for high-value cargo. It will offer secure records management and storage and turnkey logistics for Bahrain-based manufacturers in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.
Agility is a leading provider of cross-border transportation, owning and operating a fleet of over 200 vehicles. Agility also facilitates customs brokerage for a number of multinational organizations based in Bahrain.
“Bahrain is one of our key operational markets in the Middle East, offering high-quality infrastructure and a diverse community of regional business players. With an expanding population in the GCC and an increase in demand for integrated logistics services, our investment in Bahrain will help us better serve customers in the region,” said Essa Al-Saleh, CEO, Agility Global Integrated Logistics.
The new facility, which has storage capacity of 17,000 pallet positions, represents a US$ 10mn investment by Agility. It follows expansion of the company’s overland fleet in Bahrain to support its regional operations.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain is undergoing rapid economic transformation and continuing to attract international investment, with the logistics industry playing a major role towards this. The expansion of the regional logistics and distribution hub is a natural step for Agility, who have been steadily developing their operations in Bahrain since 2003,” remarked HE Zayed Al Zayani, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.
A recent World Bank report estimates that Bahrain’s economy will grow by 2.6% in 2019, driven by higher oil production and mega projects. In 2017, the total value of foreign direct investment (FDI) reached US$ 733mn, with the share of transport and logistics being 10%.
“Bahrain offers the lowest setup and operating costs for a logistics business with cost savings of 30% to 40% compared to the rest of the GCC. Agility’s investments in the local logistics industry are testament to the business confidence that Bahrain provides,” observed Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive, Bahrain Economic Development Board.
