DP World inaugurated the latest in a series of over 100 freight forwarding offices worldwide, marking a significant expansion aimed at helping customers navigate the complexities of global trade.

In response to the growing disruption to global trade - from climate change, geopolitics and macroeconomic challenges - DP World has embarked on a bold initiative to strengthen its commitment to its customers.

The offices already employ 1,000 people, adding to DP World's already 108,000-strong team, and this is set to grow significantly over the next 12 months, helping to move over 10% of world trade each year.

Fueled by disruptions to global trade, companies are now favoring dynamic strategies to strengthen the resilience of their supply chains, according to a study by Economist Impact1.

The traditional low-asset freight forwarding model, which transports goods via third parties, has proven susceptible to disruption at key bottlenecks, and can impact inventory planning and order fulfillment for companies and their customers.

As companies seek greater control over their supply chains, DP World's expansion comes at a pivotal time for the global logistics and supply chain industry.

Expanding its freight forwarding offering, with a focus on air and sea freight, DP World will deploy its "toolbox" of services or capabilities consisting of ports, terminals, warehouses, trucks, rail and forwarding services to increase control and resilience, supported by proprietary digital technology.

Miami is the latest office to open, as DP World builds on its end-to-end network of high-value port assets and specialized expertise in ports, trucking, air and ocean freight, customs and warehousing services, spanning more than 430 business units in 86 countries.

Beat Simon, Group Sales Director, Logistics at DP World, said: "Our expansion into freight forwarding complements our end-to-end supply chain solutions and capabilities.

"Our right approach is a step change for the freight forwarding industry that puts customers in the driver's seat with more visibility and control, and gives them the confidence to negotiate in today's global marketplace.

"As we continue to expand our presence in freight transport, we are building a network that will cover more than 90% of global trade. We are focused on densifying our network as we build a world-class, robust and resilient capacity.

This growing service currently covers order and origin management, port handling and sea and air freight management, as well as destination services such as customs, billing, logistics, last-mile delivery, deconsolidation and bonded warehousing services.

In addition, DP World offers a variety of value-added services, including integrated trade finance, commodity-specific services, containerized cars, transshipment and advanced centers, and more.

All this is accessible through a single digital window, which is supported by an integrated global service center that centralizes back-end processes, staffed by over 500 IT specialists. The advanced digital system enables customers to track their goods in real time and easily manage their freight journey.

Marco Nazzari, VP Commercial Freight Forwarding at DP World, said: "Our freight forwarding service uses our proprietary digital technology solutions to simplify global trade for our customers and give them more control.

"However, it's not just our digital solutions that deliver a next-generation freight forwarding service: our employees are vital to our customers' success. We employ over 1,000 people, and we will continue to grow.

"Leveraging an asset-specific approach, DP World uses its digital tools, along with the expertise and local know-how of its team, to make freight forwarding easier and more resilient from end to end."

DP World's latest expansion not only brings the size of its global logistics team to over 45,000 employees, but also contributes to the company's total global workforce of almost 110,000.

These employees are spread across a diversified portfolio of logistics services covering ports and terminals, marine services and logistics.

Transport & Logistics MIDDLE EAST