DLC seeks closer link with Euro trade hub

The delegation was headed by Senator Gunnar Uldall, State Minister for Economic and Labour Affairs, accompanied by Dr. Karl-Joachim Dreyer, President of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and representatives of Hamburg's port and aviation industry.

Also visiting were representatives and senior executives of different business houses from Hamburg. The delegation was part of the program of the official inauguration of daily flights between Dubai and Hamburg by Emirates Airlines.

Michael Proffitt, CEO of DLC, presented the concept and implementation of the world's first integrated logistics platform. "Both, Hamburg and Dubai are professionally managed logistics platforms with the same size of ports and a large community of logistics businesses," he said.

"Since Dubai is a global transit hub between Asia, Africa and Europe and Hamburg acts as an import and export hub for the European market, both platforms complement each other along with the industry's supply chains."

"With the markets in the greater GCC region growing rapidly, DLC delivers a perfect opportunity for European logistics companies to expand their regional footprint and their scope of supply chain services," he continued.

Speaking on the opportunities available for both Dubai and Hamburg businessmen, Gunnar Uldall said: "With 1.7 million inhabitants Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and the economic and cultural centre of northern Germany. The port of Hamburg is the central hub for traffic between Asia, the entire Baltic Sea region and Central and Eastern Europe and therefore perfectly complements what's happening in the emirate of Dubai."

The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce has invited DLC executives to Hamburg to present DLC to businesses of the Hamburg region. This is with the intention to strengthen ties which have been established between Dubai and Hamburg during a meeting between HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Emirates Airlines, and the Prime Minister and First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Ole von Beust, in January this year.