Issa Baluch - next FIATA President

Mr. Baluch is currently serving his second consecutive term as Senior Vice President, a position he holds since 1999. His term as FIATA President will begin from September 2003 at the next FIATA World Congress at Bali, Indonesia.

FIATA with over 40,000 corporate members from around 150 countries is the world's largest freight forwarding organisation, employing around 8 - 10 million people. The organisation is based in Zurich, Switzerland and has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Mr. Baluch the founder and current Chairman & CEO of the Swift Group, holds various other key positions such as the Chairman of TIACA (MI&A) Chapter (The International Air Cargo Association - Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent & Africa), and Past President NCFF (National Committee of Freight Forwarders). He is also credited with pioneering the Sea-Air Transshipment industry in the Middle East and has played a pivotal role in the formation of the largest freight forwarding organisation in the Middle East - NCFF (now known as NAFL), of which he had been the president from 1993 to 2000.

Mr. Ali Al Jallaf - Director Dubai Cargo Village congratulated Mr. Baluch referring to his nomination as "a matter of great pride for Dubai's freight fraternity and certainly a remarkable professional achievement for himself."

Captain Mansoor Ghafoor - President National Association of Freight Logistics commented "Issa has always played a leading role in the region's freight logistics industry and now his nomination as president of FIATA has also endorsed his prominent position in the international logistics arena."

Mr. Baluch also chairs RAME (Region Africa Middle East), one of the 4 regional groupings at FIATA, which enjoys a membership of 596 individual members from Africa & the Middle East.