lighthouse - January 2020

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

It always gives me pleasure, and the start of this New Year is no different when I can wish you all an excellent 2020 ahead.

The past year had some challenging days. Both within and beyond our organization, we have seen unexpected changes. The business conditions were incredibly challenging for the entire Shipping and Logistics fraternity. Issues which included trade wars, and unrest in the Middle East. Fortunately, as usual, the confidence and the will power shown by everyone at CSS was so amazing that together we admirably sailed through rough seas.

I genuinely feel that the power of our inner mind is the main driving force in one’s life, although nowadays, we don’t experience it quite as often — the foundation stone of our perceptions, decisions, and other emotions. But the demands of modern living mean many are driven away from using spiritual consciousness as a positive force. Instead, we often sideline our inner self when it comes to deciding by letting today’s stresses and strains dominate.

To rise to greater things in 2020, we need to see it as an excellent opening for all of us to reunite with our inner mind. Given time and the space to re-invent or re-engineer consciousness before taking action, while achieving what seemed previously unattainable. There are promising things ahead for all of us. We need to visualize them and go for it.

The trade wars now seem to be over and will bring balance back to the ailing economy of Nations. The much-awaited Dubai Expo 2020 is just around the corner, and opportunities to grasp.

It was a similar keen mindset that drove those of us involved with the inauguration of CSS. It seems like only yesterday when CSS set sail on a journey in the Shipping and Logistics industry. 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the company, and it perhaps fits that traditionally this anniversary is known as a ‘Silver’ anniversary. I am confident heralding this milestone landmark because, with our inner minds set to sail fair, any wake will drive us forward to silver-lined horizons

EXECUTE 2 WIN

CSS GROUP SALES STRATEGY MEET 2019

“Execute 2 Win”, was the theme adopted for the CSS Group Annual Sales Strategy Meet in 2019. The meet was organised within the CSS Group facilities at Jebel Ali, Dubai on the 27th and 28th of November 2019. Invited delegates from within the organisation from Middle East & Indian Sub-continent attended the 2-day meeting.

CSS has always strived to excel in all its ventures, year on year and today has reached a respectable position amongst the renowned names in the field of Shipping and Logistics fraternity. The 2-day meeting consisted of presentations from each departments and discussions on implementing new sales and marketing strategies for the year 2020.

Consolidated Shipping Group, established in the year 1995 in Dubai, UAE is one of the fastest growing NVOCCs. Gearing up to celebrate the silver jubilee of its offerings in 2020, CSS offers Professional and dedicated services in the field of Ocean Freight, Air Freight, Local & International Land Transportation, Projects Management, Supply Chain Management and Personal Effects Management.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

CSS GROUP PRESENTATION AND INTERACTIVE SESSION FOR NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS DELEGATES CSS Group was invited by the Dubai Exports to address gathering consisting of the business partners from New Zealand. Being the preferred logistics partner of Dubai Exports, CSS Group got this opportunity on the 28th of October at the Deira office of the DE.

Santanu Datta, AGM – Business Development and Roshmon Manoli, General Manager – Sales & Marketing, represented CSS Group at the function. A 20-minute presentation was done during the event, which was followed by an interactive session with the visiting delegates. The presentation showcased the capability of CSS Group in assisting the EXIM activities between UAE and New Zealand. It was a venue for CSS to prove how they can be of value addition to the potential mutual business of the two countries through Sea & Air logistics.

“We thank Dubai exports for offering this rare opportunity to CSS to be a part of this business gathering and to explain and interact with the business delegates regarding our service offerings. With a strong presence in the Middle East, CSS is fully confident in partnering to fulfill this ambitions trade plan between the two countries through the Shipping & Logistics fraternity” mentioned Santanu Datta.

Mr. Abdel Rahman Al Hosani did the Dubai Exports presentation. The entire event consisted of Breakfast, which was followed by networking sessions and tour at Exports Resource Center for the delegates

TAILOR MADE LOGISTICS SOLUTION

CSS group has always shown great concern for the convenience of their clients all through the years of its operations. It has brought in sea changes within the departments to make the organisation customer friendly. A novel initiate which CSS has embarked recently on, is the tailor-made logistics solutions within the Middle East region. As the name itself defines, a tailor-made logistics solution has got a wide spectrum of scope in making convenience to attending to the client’s needs with regard to the cost, load ability, time, distance and much more other factors.

CSS offers a full range of tailor-made solution to their clients. For the customers based at the Northern Emirates, maximum thrust would be given to the nearest port than offering solutions from Jebel Ali. This could bring in drastic result regarding the cost on toll, transport & weighment charges. The import console product for both Sea & Air, benefits the customer on the cost part without compromising on transit time or routing.

Ground-breaking approaches lie at the heart of such product offerings. It takes time to build a good customer base, but without offering them the best products in the most affordable manner, it makes things difficult to retain the trust and confidence in them. The import console of house B/L works like a Console’s console, which could eventually reduce the origin and destination charges for the customer. Another innovative approach is turning the same import container into export on the same carrier which could optimize the freight and transport cost for both the customers and the carrier. The tailor made solutions from CSS has been received with much enthusiasm by the industry fraternity.

E-COMMERCE AND LOGISTICS ROUND TABLE

The E-commerce and Logistics round table organized by the SCLG provided a perfect platform to discuss the opportunities and prospects in the e-commerce side of Supply chain and Logistics. The SCLG hosted the event on the 16th of October at the Dubai South headquarters of the SCLG. On an invitation, CSS Group represented by Richard Varghese, Asst. General
Manager, Sales & Marketing, attended the event.

SCLG is continuously in research for finding opportunities to support growth and innovation in the industry. In managing the supply chain, numerous elements need trend analysis, and discussion is given global economic scenario, changing regulations, and the arrival of new technology. SCLG deploys and delivers such discussion and debate through multiple roundtables as appropriate.

“The event and discussion opened up a wide window in front of us to understand more about the e-commerce platform in the Supply chain and logistics industry. In future every company should give impetus to the e-commerce platform to reach out to the masses and to utilize the maximum opportunities out of it” commented Richard Varghese.

Headquartered in Dubai (UAE), Supply Chain & Logistics Group (SCLG) is a membership driven industry business group engaged in advancing the supply chain & logistics industry locally, regionally, and globally. SCLG currently has a membership base of 200+ corporate organizations and is growing.

DP WORLD BERBERA’S COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN SOMALILAND TO CHANGE TRAJECTORY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Global trade enabler DP World has embarked on an ambitious partnership with Abaarso School in Somaliland, to dynamically enhance educational opportunities for youths. DP World Berbera manages and is currently expanding the multi-purpose port of Berbera.

The partnership was officially launched with a visit by Suhail Albanna, CEO and Managing Director, DP World MEA Region, to Somaliland. The name Abaarso has become associated with excellence, thanks to the Abaarso School of Science and Technology, the only American accredited school in Somaliland.

DP World Berbera has just finalized two scholarship programmes. The first is a scholarship programme for high performing Somaliland students to attend the Abaarso School of Science and Technology. Through this scholarship, ten students will have their entire six years at Abaarso funded by DP World Berbera.
These students were selected from amongst the highest scores on Abaarso’s 7th grade enrolment exams. By providing this scholarship, DP World Berbera helps assure that Abaarso’s world-class opportunities are open to all Somaliland students regardless of financial capability.
The second scholarship is for DP World Berbera to provide eight annual scholarships for promising young women from the Sahil Region to join Barwaaqo University’s School of Education. Barwaaqo University, founded by Abaarso in 2017, is the first all-female boarding university in Somaliland. Modeled on Abaarso’s education, Barwaaqo focuses on developing strong
fundamentals and character, delivered in a 24-hour boarding environment.
The aim of this scholarship is for the young women who graduate to return to the Sahil Region and significantly improve the quality of education. To this end, DP World Berbera plans to partner with Abaarso and the city of Berbera to support the creation of a K-12 school in Berbera; DP World Berbera Kaabe School.

Suhail Albanna, CEO and Managing Director of DP World MEA Region said: “The presence of a high quality American accredited K-12 school will have a positive impact on the education opportunities available to the people of Somaliland. In the long term, we also hope the young women from Barwaaqo University will help to establish an international standard education system in Berbera, which will enable expat management who will establish their business in the Economic Zone to bring their family and children with them. The Barwaaqo University will serve the entire Sahil region and will support women’s empowerment in the area.”
Albanna added “Education is one of the key pillars in our sustainability strategy and we are looking to improve people’s lives to bring positive change to communities in which DP World employees live and work.”
Abaarso School currently serves students in grades 7-12, and the demand to enter its Grade 7 is over 35 times the available capacity. It has just opened its 1st Kaabe School in Hargeisa, which will ultimately enroll approximately 700 students, employing a student-centric Montessori-inspired learning environment.
The DP Berbera Kaabe School will follow this same model and aims to achieve American accreditation. The development of the school will give DP World’s Berbera employees access to high quality education for their children rather than having to send them to boarding schools or live in the capital, Hargeisa.

DUBAI EXPO 2020: “CONNECTING MINDS, CREATING THE FUTURE

An Expo is a world fair or an extravagant international exhibition designed to showcase achievements of nations. The word Expo was derived from the French word “Exposition Universelle” which means Universal Exposition. There are two types of Expos that are conducted in different parts of the world; one being World Expo (formally known as International Registered Exhibitions) and other being Specialized Expo (formally known as International Recognised Exhibitions). Since the 1928 Convention Relating to International Exhibitions came into force, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has served as an international sanctioning body for international exhibitions. As per the norms, a bidding process began in 2011 between four different Countries and Dubai was declared the winner. This triumph and jubilation led to the massive event called Dubai Expo 2020.

Theme of Expo 2020:
Expo 2020, is the First World Expo that is being conducted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region;
1. starting from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021. The event which is hosted in the heart of Dubai shall welcome 200 international countries and about 25 million or more visitors. It will be one big step towards efficient development.
2. The Expo will be held in the name of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’ The goal is to connect people and innovative ideas, leading the people of the world towards a better tomorrow.
3. Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability shall be the core themes of the Expo and it will connect nations, multinational corporations, non-government organisations and millions of visitors from all over the world, providing an opportunity to see future innovations, marvel at unique architecture, experience diverse cultures, taste cuisines from all over the world, and enjoy live performances, art and other entertainment.

Initiatives in the Expo 2020:
1. Al Wasl Plaza is one of the biggest initiatives taken in the Expo and it is said to bring together a physical manifestation of the main theme of the Expo; it is the site where the event will be conducted and each participating country will have its own pavilion to showcase their achievements and innovations.

2. World Majlis is a dialogue programme aimed at facilitating global conversation and creating connection between people and ideas. It brings together various government, professional, academics and cultural backgrounds in a meetings space where people will share informed opinions to help shape decision for communities.

3. Expo Live is an innovation and partnership programme launched by Expo 2020 to promote creative solutions that improve
lives while preserving the planet. Expo Live will support to demonstrate the power of a World expo in bringing a progressive and a prosperous future.

4. Global Best Practice Programme is a series of best practices from around the world have been selected to be showcased in the event. A total of 25 Best practices in five different categories have been selected by an international jury that can be replicated, adapted and scaled for a greater global impact.

Interesting facts on the Expo 2020

Expo 2020 Dubai will have a dedicated metro station capable of carrying 23,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Dubai’s metro system is driverless.
The Expo site is 4.38sq km in size, or 613.5 football pitches if you prefer.
There will be a ‘Superstore of the Future’ on site which will be 3,000sqm in size.
25 million visitors are expected to visit Expo 2020 Dubai, Australia’s population is a similar number.
Expo is expected to create almost 300,000 jobs. The majority in the tourism sector.
90% of the materials used to construct the site will be used to create legacy buildings after the event.
Uber has signed an agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to test flying cars during the event.
The Expo 2020 Dubai logo was inspired by a ring found in the UAE at 4000-year-old archaeological site.

EXPO 2020: A massive phenomenon for the Country and the people
Each new beginning, every new initiative, any new product brings a lot of changes and development in the society and and the Expo is no different, it also aims in bringing the best for the people and the residents of UAE.

According to Expo 2020 Executive Body, Dubai’s Expo 2020 is expected to yield $24.2 billion in revenue;
Expo 2020 will provide 277,000 new job opportunities and will have a positive impact on small and medium enterprises
(SMEs);
It is predicted to boost the economy of the Emirates by an average of 6.4 percent every year from 2014 to 2016 – ultimately increasing to 10.5 percent by 2020;
The UAE government has predicted that revenues of up to $17.7 billion will be generated if the Expo is a success, which organizers feel is certain;
Some analysts have predicted that by 2020, the UAE could garner as much as $150 billion in foreign direct investment in sectors such as real estate, hospitality, and tourism;
The Expo 2020 is expecting 25 million visitors, 17 million of which will be international, this naturally will give a big thrust to the tourism and hospitality industries;
For the Expo, Dubai is constructing a massive new city over an area of 1,082-acre. This project itself has generated 15% of the city’s new jobs. The figure is expected to double as the city gets closer to 2020.

Conclusion:
Thus Expo 2020 Dubai will be a celebration of human brilliance and achievement and an opportunity for people to connect from different corners of the world, to experience the best of art, culture, geography, science, technology, innovation and invention and to set into motion millions of new thoughts and ideas that will make a lasting impact in our lives.

Throughout its history, UAE has shown the world what is possible through its remarkable development. With Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai will go a step further in inspiring the next generation to spark innovations that will underline the next 50 years of human progress.

SPICEJET & GULF AIR COLLABORATE TO COORDINATE CARGO SERVICES

SpiceJet and Gulf Air have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to examine areas of potential synergy, including looking at co-ordinating cargo services, interline or codeshare agreements, shared engineering services and pilot training. The MoU was signed by Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, and Krešimir Kucko, Chief Executive, Gulf Air. Singh comments, “This agreement is going to play a very important role for airline’s next phase of growth as we continue to explore the innumerable opportunities around us.”
SpiceJet’s cargo division, SpiceXpress, took delivery of its first 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) earlier this autumn. The standard-body freighter, the first 737-800BCF to be operated in south Asia, was leased from NGF Alpha Limited, a division of Spectre Cargo Solutions.

CHRISTMAS

Ho Ho Ho…. Jingle all the way! Celebrations are the best time for employees and members of staff involved in interacting more with each other, thus improving teamwork within the organization. Just like in past years, the CSS group has taken this opportunity to celebrate Christmas and hence tightens the bonds between the employers. Celebrations at our office with our staffs were truly reminded us that we are one family. And yes, CSS Group can’t miss a single festival to celebrate. So, here how CSS Group Celebrated Christmas.
Though celebrations at CSS group is always a moment to cherish forever, we have planned something bigger this time with new ideas to make Christmas celebrations very much interesting and interactive.
We have week long celebrations from 15th -22nd of December at our Headquarters (Jebel Ali) and winners were given prizes. We started our day with Christmas tree and office decoration. Which made our office environment turns naturally into the Sparkling mode. Celebration, gifts, games, carol songs and the potluck lunch with around 30 dishes from starters to desserts. We have conducted a grand tea party for our Logistics staff on the 19th of December, who has decorated the Warehouse beautifully. It was a memorable Christmas celebration for all of us. Our chairman reminds us that Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand. As the sky takes on shades of orange, we do not even realize the time and our Christmas celebration at the office were ended with lots of goodies and smile on the face and yes, at the end of celebrations it was full positives. We Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Hope this New Year comes with healthily, wealthily and wisely. We will honor Christmas in our hearts, and try to keep it all the year.