Abu Dhabi Ports has announced the acquisition of 11 new specialized refrigerated vehicles by its subsidiary, MICCO Logistics, to improve the UAE’s COVID-19 vaccine supply chain and to meet the company’s long-term strategic goal of expanding its overall capabilities.
The acquisition, which is part of a larger plan to diversify and expand MICCO’s growing vehicle fleet, increases its local final-mile vaccine distribution capacity to over 1.1 million doses per day.
The addition aids the work of the Hope Consortium, an Abu Dhabi-led public-private partnership established to address one of history’s most difficult logistical challenges by supplying large quantities of COVID-19 vaccines locally and globally from its Abu Dhabi hub.
The fleet expansion broadens Abu Dhabi Ports’ scope of facilities and its supply-chain solutions for last-mile distribution, which are certified by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH).
The vehicles are linked to “mUnity,” Maqta Gateway’s digital blockchain-enabled solution that monitors vaccines’ journey through the supply chain in real-time, ensuring secure, open, and efficient product delivery to any place, supporting the Consortium’s mission.
Mr. Robert Sutton, Head of Logistics Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports remarked that “the investment in advanced technology places Abu Dhabi in a strong position to not only offer extended services to its healthcare sector partners but also fulfill the goal of the Hope Consortium to end the pandemic and help chart a sustainable pathway to recovery. Abu Dhabi Ports is committed to diversifying and extending its logistical solutions to accommodate all types of vaccines on the market through our specialized final-mile fleet.”
Equipped with complete data loggers and advanced temperature monitoring, the brand-new fleet will be capable of transporting vaccines, medical equipment, or pharmaceutical products from Abu Dhabi Ports’ 19,000 sqm cold and ultra-cold storage facility in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) to healthcare centers throughout the UAE.
“By working closely with the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH), we are ensuring that MICCO is equipped with the most advanced chilled vehicles currently available on the market, elevating our emirate’s logistics capabilities for years to come,” Mr. Sutton added.
Cooling equipment has been fitting in the fleet to facilitate the handling of vaccines that require a temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius and 80 degrees Celsius with the addition of specialized packaging.
Mr. Clifford D’souza, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, MICCO Logistics pointed out that “this significant investment serves to boost MICCO’s overall capability to transport vaccines and other sensitive pharmaceuticals to all corners of the UAE safely and efficiently and across a wide range of temperature bands.”
“Our ability to incorporate advanced digital systems that provide for monitoring and tracking in real-time, assures our customers, including hospitals, clinics, vaccine centers, and testing centers, full product transparency and integrity. Through these solutions, we are positively reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s supply chain and its capability to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our age,” Mr. D’souza concluded.
