The Kingdom of Bahrain has launched the “Bahrain Global Sea-Air Hub”, the fastest regional multi-modal logistics hub in the region with only a 2 hour turnaround time for all containers, meaning products can be with customers in half the time.
The logistics center will establish the most efficient multimodal sea-air transshipment hub in the region with a global reach and thus capitalize both on Bahrain’s strategic position midway between European and Asian markets as well as on its proximity to regional markets.
The Bahrain Global Sea-Air Hub relies on streamlined clearance procedures, optimized logistics, and full digitization to attain an end-to-end lead time of just under two hours for goods transiting from Bahrain International Airport to Khalifa bin Salman Port and vice versa.
The hub will help in a 50 percent reduction in average lead time compared to pure sea freight and a 40 percent decrement in cost compared to pure air freight. It will act as a key alternative for manufacturers and freight forwarders.
H.E Kamal bin Ahmed Minister of Transport & Telecommunications Bahrain
“The launch of this Global Sea-to-Air logistics hub, the fastest in the Middle East, here in Bahrain is a real opportunity not only for global logistics companies but also for exporters across the world. This service can lead to 40 percent cost savings compared to air freight only and 50 percent faster lead times than pure sea freight. We can only do this because of our unique position, the proximity of our ports, as well as our regulators, operators and port authorities working closely together and our state-of-the-art digital processing solution.”
In this initiative, Bahrain will grant the partner status to all markets globally which will enable for granting their nationally based companies the opportunity to become an authorized Trusted Shipper at the hub.
The hub will enable the growth of the Bahrain logistics sector which will contribute to further diversify the economy. Bahrain’s non-oil GDP year-on-year growth reached 7.8 percent in Q2 in 2021.
The operating cost within the logistics sector is 45 percent lower in Bahrain compared to neighboring markets, as per KPMG’s report. This has positioned Bahrain as an attractive destination for global and regional businesses operating within the sector.
