MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS

One of the fastest growing freight and shipping organisations in the United Arab Emirates

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.