Established
in 1989, Swift Freight International has grown to be one
of the largest and most reputed companies in the UAE freight
forwarding and shipping scene and a pioneer of the booming
sea-air business in the country. With an extensive
network of strategically located branch offices and facilities
within the UAE and associate offices overseas, and a web
of agents in major cities throughout the world, Swift
Freight International is able to provide its clients comprehensive
services to meet their varying requirements. The company
has invested in advanced communication systems to service
its clients more effectively and is linked with its major
principals through electronic data interchange and electronic
mail systems that ensure round-the-clock service, seven
days a week. Swift's branch offices and facilities in
the UAE are located at the Dubai International Airpot,
the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Port Rashid and Sharjah city.
Whether
you need to air freight emergency mechanical parts to
Africa or distribute fresh flowers and fruits throughout
the Middle East, Swift does it all - from picking up your
shipment from your doorstep, packing it in the right way
to making sure all the necessary paperwork is done properly
and ensuring that your cargo arrives at its destination
in good shape, on time and on budget. Swift is one of
the biggest operators handling sea-air traffic via the
UAE and offers consolidation services to and from major
origin points through a network of agents in gateway cities
throughout the world.
Swift
also offers liner and tramp services through its special
shipping division, Swift shipping. This provides the company
the advantage of maintaining a strong on-site presence
in the key ports of the UAE- Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, Port
Rashid and Sharjah's Port Khalid.
Swift's
Logistics and Distribution Division offers an efficient
warehousing system and a reliable network to not only
distribute your products throughout the Gulf and the Middle
East but also packing it in creative promotional packaging.
The company's own multi-purpose dry, cool and refrigerated
warehouses in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone afford
clients the opportunity to avail of short or long term
storage contracts. Swift's warehouses also provide ancillary
services for sorting, picking, inventory control and re-packing.
With more than 200,000 square feet of storage space, Swift's
various dedicated, multi-purpose warehouses can take in
the maximum number of containers that large importers
require. The Jebel Ali facility also serves as a container
freight station for groupage boxes, thereby giving the
company the flexibility to serve clients with varying
needs and requirements. A growing number of International
companies are using Swift's warehousing and distribution
facilities at Jebel Ali to market their goods throughout
the Middle East.
Swift
has a very pronounced presence in Africa where it has
associate offices in Kampala, Kenya, Tanzania and Cairo
in addition to an extensive network of agents and representatives
in other major African countries. At places where
an associate office is not set up, it has exclusive agency
tie-ups. For example, Charles Kendell Freight has two
of its personnel in Swift Freight's Dubai office to co-ordinate
shipments to and from the UK. Recognising the immense
potential of Africa as an emerging market of capital goods
from the UAE, Swift has established a special African
Cell to cater specifically to the needs and requirements
of its African clients. The company has employed African
nationals to further facilitate their African clientelé.
"Africa
is emerging as a huge market for the UAE. An increasing
number of African countries are now sourcing their requirements
from the UAE and business between the Gulf countries and
Africa is now poised for unprecedented growth," says Prem
Swaroop, General Manager for Swift Freight. "Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Ivory Coast and
South Africa have emerged as major trading partners for
Dubai in the last few years and business with African
countries is increasing with the passing of each year.
The immense growth of trade between Africa and the UAE
can be gauged by the fact that we have registered a three-fold
growth on our African sector in the last two years," he
said.
An
increasing number of Africans are buying second-hand reconditioned
cars from Sharjah and using Swift's efficient and reliable
Ro-Ro service to East Africa to transport these vehicles
back to their countries. "Our Ro-Ro services to the East
African region has earned the reputation of being a safe
and reliable means of transporting re-conditioned cars
to East Africa. As a result, we have registered a phenomenal
growth on this sector and have recently opened an office
in the Sharjah second-hand car market specifically to
cater to African clients who come to the UAE with the
sole purpose of buying reconditioned cars from the Sharjah
car mart," says Behram Baluch, Sales Manager, Logistics
and Distribution Division.
Businessmen
from Africa prefer to deal with Swift Freight International
as they feel more relaxed and comfortable with the African
personnel of the company who speak their language and
understand their needs and requirements much better than
anybody else. "We are more than just freight forwarders
- we are like friends and partners for our clients," says
Prem Swaroop, stressing the importance of establishing
a personal rapport with clients as the first prerequisite
of forming longterm business relations.
Imports:
A major part of cargo is shipped into the UAE from the
Far East and is distributed throughout the Middle East
and East Africa.
Exports:
The focus of its export is substantially towards the vast
African market, though the company also ships cargo to
other parts of the world in considerable quantities. It
exports cars, all kinds of consumer items and industrial
equipment to Africa from Dubai.
General
Airfreight: The air freight is managed from its office
at the Dubai Cargo Village, where it was among the first
to set up shop. This division handles everything from
1 kg to a full dedicated charter to and from Dubai.
Aircraft
Charters: One of Swift Freight's lesser known activities
is chartering aircraft from different airlines for cargo
transport. Its clients have the option flight charters
which are handled entirely by Swift Freight staff right
up to the last detail. For example, it has weekly charter
flights to Europe on a regular basis. These flights also
operate into and out of East Africa and other destinations.
Overland
Transport: Overland transport and distribution is
available within the UAE and GCC countries and dry to
temperature-controlled trucks are available.
Co-Packing:
Its Jebel Ali plant has a state-of-the-art co-packing
facility at the disposable of any client who requires
this function. At present it is mainly being used by major
customers. Swift Freight's facilities are fully
equipped with co-packing, packing, labeling, date machines
and shrink wrapping machines.
NVOCC
(Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier): Swift Freight
provides efficient and economical consolidated shipment
service to clients.
Project
Forwarding: Swift Freight is also capable of dealing
with outsized cargo like telecom equipment for large
projects.
