Hayleys Advantis Limited (Advantis), in partnership with Dubai based Trustworthy.ae Group, recently broke ground at their first Inland Container Depot (ICD) facility, in Abu Dhabi. Advantis is to manage and operate a state of the art Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Third-Party Logistics (3PL) facility being developed by Trustworthy.ae Group, in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD).
This is Advantis’ first foray into the Middle Eastern market, having established its footprint across the Asian region. The company brings forth over two decades of experience in ICD and 3PL management, with it operating multiple facilities across Asia.
“It gives me great pleasure to see this project get off ground within a short period of time. I must thank the Trustworthy Group for their expeditious action which has led to us breaking ground at this facility within the span of a few months of signing this agreement. We look forward to having a fruitful partnership with the Trustworthy team in Abu Dhabi” said Mr. Mohan Pandithage, Chairman and Chief Executive, Hayleys PLC.
Mobilization work on the facilities will begin this month with the ICD becoming operational in June 2019. Spread over a built-up area of 40,000sqm along with 25,000sqm of open yard storage, the 3PL facility will be ready for business by the first quarter of 2020.
“This groundbreaking ceremony marks an important milestone on our project. Trustworthy.ae Group’s investment in building the ICD and 3PL facility in KIZAD demonstrates our continued commitment to the UAE,” said Mr. Abdul Lathif, Managing Director, Trustworthy.ae Group. “We are proud to collaborate with Hayleys Advantis on this exceptional project who are leaders in managing and providing world-class depot and logistics facilities. We are confident that Hayleys Advantis will set a new benchmark for quality and service in the Middle East region.”
The ICD will offer washing, cleaning, repairs and certification for containers with an operational capacity of 1,500 to 1,800 trucks per day. Major and minor container repairs will be served by a state-of-the-art workshop within the facility. The 3PL operations will cater to cold, ambient and open yard storage.
Commenting on the collaboration, Managing Director of Hayleys Advantis Limited, Mr. Ruwan Waidyaratne said, “We are indeed delighted to be partnering the Trustworthy Group on this project and look forward to serving the Abu Dhabi clientele. This being our first project in the Middle Eastern region, we are intent on making a meaningful impact by utilizing the experience and expertise we have developed over the years, by operating in multiple countries in the Asian region.”
The two facilities will feature state-of-the-art equipment that will help improve transit time and reduce costs for the trade. The ICD will deploy advanced intralogistics practices and equipment from the global industry leaders to handle, transfer and stack empty containers. The depot will also adopt most advanced mobile technology to increase efficiency and mobility of the workforce in order to ensure the highest levels of service.
KIZAD, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, is one of the largest industrial zones in the Middle East. Its container volumes are expected to grow exponentially from 1.5 million TEUs to 8.5 million TEUs over the next five years. In line with this, the Trustworthy.ae Group is investing nearly USD 100 million to develop this ICD, 3PL facility and other port-related services in KIZAD over this period.
Hayleys Advantis Limited, the transportation and logistics arm of blue chip multinational conglomerate Hayleys PLC, has been providing services for container storage, repair and refurbishment for over two decades and currently operates two Inland Container Depot (ICD) facilities in Sri Lanka. The company also offers 3PL, Warehousing and Distribution services with an established presence of over two decades. Strategically expanding its reach beyond Sri Lanka, it currently has operations in 10 countries in the Asian region. Advantis is committed to being an innovator in the industry, setting the pace and shaping the logistics category.