Plans for GCC freight forwarding company outlined ahead of UPU Strategy Conference

Speaking at the pre-event briefing for the conference, which opens today (14th November) till 16th November with more than 700 delegates from across the globe, HE Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Communications and Chairman of Emirates Post, said that plans for the creation of a unified entity, Gulf Express, are at an advanced stage.

"GCC countries have been combining efforts to unify services by producing new products for express mail and by seeking to establish a GCC freight forwarding company. We hope to see something materialise in the near future," he said.

HE Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri was joined at the briefing by Abdulla Al Daboos, Director General of Emirates Post and Chairman of the Strategy Conference, Edouard Dayan, Director General, UPU International Bureau and Mutahi Kagwe, Minister of Information of Kenya.

The speakers unanimously agreed that technology will be a key focus of the 2006 conference, which is being held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as it is the key contributing factor in revolutionising the postal industry.

Edouard Dayan, Director General, UPU International Bureau Dayan said: "The world is interconnected by one network and technology is providing a new way of communication where the internet is offering a chance for growth of postal services such as direct mail.

"Direct mail is one of the most effective marketing and advertising tools especially as it allows measurement of responses to the mail that an individual sends out".

The expansion of Emirates Post, the UAE's official postal carrier, was also forecast at during the media briefing.

Abdulla Al Daboos, Director General of Emirates Post and Chairman of the Strategy Conference, said:

"Emirates Post plans to grow and expand through mergers and acquisitions that will be announced shortly. The ambition of Emirates Post reflects the vision of Dubai to become a regional player, with the UPU Strategy Conference offering a way to augment growth and add to our expertise."

The event is the cornerstone of the next UPU Congress in Kenya in 2008. Kenya's Minister of Information and Communication Mutahi Kagwe highlighted that the all preparations were being undertaken to host the Nairobi 2008 Congress.

"Technology has changed life in Kenya by establishing communication among people that wasn't possible before the existence of the post office. We are now looking to the future."