Transport and logistics company, DB Schenker, has cut emissions and boosted productivity following its debut TIR operation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
A consignment of IT equipment, originating in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), successfully reached its final destination at Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia in record time.
The TIR system reduced the total transport time on this itinerary, with DB Schenker saving substantial time at border crossings, particularly in Saudi Arabia. With express lanes and digital customs procedures, the TIR truck successfully crossed the Batha border in Saudi Arabia in less than three hours.
TIR is reported to enable goods to move under customs control across international borders without the payment of duties and taxes that would normally be due at importation (or exportation). A condition of the TIR procedure is that the movement of goods must include transport by road.
Goods move from a customs office of departure in one country to a customs office of destination in another country under cover of an internationally accepted customs transit document, the TIR carnet, which also provides a financial guarantee for the payment of the suspended duties and taxes. The guarantee system is managed by International Road Transport Union (IRU).
IRU Director – TIR and Transit Services, Tatiana Rey-Bellet, welcomed DB Schenker joining the TIR family in the Middle East.
“IRU is proud to be able to support our members’ activities in the GCC region with the TIR system,” said Rey-Bellet. “By significantly reducing transit times at borders, TIR also helps to lower CO2 emissions and further support DB Schenker’s environmental objectives in the Middle East and beyond.”
Eyad Karadsheh, VP of Land Transport for DB Schenker in Middle East and Africa, is pleased to collaborate with IRU.
“TIR is one of the most valuable propositions for the Middle East region, which will upgrade transportation, bring more security to the supply chain, and improve transit time,” said Karadsheh. “Therefore, we will keep engaging with IRU on land transport concerns in the Middle East and Africa region, sharing knowledge and finding innovative solutions with stakeholders.”
Continuing to boost trade across the region and beyond, TIR is now operational in five GCC countries: Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Transport times have been reduced by 50 per cent between Jordan and the UAE via Saudi Arabia, more than 70 per cent between Oman and Saudi Arabia, and more than 90 per cent between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
