Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, ESEA set to honour Dubai Trade customers

As the awards process enters its final stages, a Dubai Trade committee is finalising the list of nominees for each of the eight award categories as well as for the special signature award to the highest adopter of the "Cargo Gate Pass" online service. The fourth cycle of the competition aimed at appreciating e-transformation in trade and logistics is heading towards an exciting finish at the grand award ceremony on January 15, 2012.

The ESEA winners will be judged on the basis of the extent to which they have adopted and maximised the use of e-services offered on Dubai Trade Portal. The primary criterion is percentage increase in adoption of e-services during 2011 by a customer, followed by the total number of e-transactions for the year through the portal.

A record number of 50,000 companies who use Dubai Trade's portal are in the race for the top honours.

The award categories include: Shipping Agent of the Year - Containerised Cargo, Shipping Agent of the Year - General Cargo, Free Zone Company of the Year, Haulier of the Year, Importer of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Clearing Agent of the Year and Freight Forwarder of the Year.

ESEA 2011 is supported by DP World, Economic Zones World, Dubai Customs, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company, Al Futtaim Logistics, HSBC, Mashreq Bank, Globelink West Star Shipping, and Brokerage World Solutions.

Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Group CEO, Port & Free Zone World, and Chairman, Dubai Trade, said: "Dubai Trade's single-minded focus is on promoting the adoption of e-commerce by the trade and logistics sector in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan. This is the vision of our Patron, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and we are grateful for his support. Our experience shows that the UAE's economy benefits through the speed, accuracy, transparency and transformative nature of e-services offered by Dubai Trade."

Mahmood Al Bastaki, Director, Dubai Trade, said:
"The rate at which our e-services are being adopted by customers means Dubai Trade is steadily transforming the way supply chain operations are carried out in Dubai. Since we instituted the Award in 2008, the ranks of our loyal customers have expanded and the transactions conducted through our portal have hit record levels. Dubai Trade is the vehicle of choice for e-commerce."

The annual gala award ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Dubai is expected to attract senior management and decision makers from the region's supply chain service providers, and trading and manufacturing companies, as well as high level representatives from the local and federal governments, banks and financial institutions and Dubai World and its major business units.

ESEA, the first of its kind in the region, is organised by Dubai Trade to celebrate the growing success of digital transformation in trade & logistics activities by encouraging e-services adoption, build customer loyalty, recognise achievements in online transactions by customers, reward companies that attained highest online adoption, and spread awareness of Dubai Trade Portal as the single window for trade facilitation.

The Dubai Trade portal integrates the online services of DP World, Economic Zones World and Dubai Customs, as well as Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, to provide the region's most user-friendly and efficient supply chain solutions. Through its remarkably streamlined services on www.dubaitrade.ae has created a cost effective platform for the trade and logistics sector.