Interview with
Mr. Niroshana Hettiarachchi
Sales & Marketing Manager
When was the company established in the UAE and who are the owners of the company today?
We were established on the 23rd of October 1991 under the leadership of Mr. Hamid Sher Lodhi.
Tell our readers about your main line of business. I understand that you also specialise in seaworthy packaging. Can you tell us more about that and perhaps provide us with some examples?
Zuhal Shipping & Logistics LLC provides a wide range of Freight and Logistics solutions in the United Arab Emirates. With a rich history of 27 years in the industry we are specialized in various activities and services.
Freight Brokerage is our main business stream. Based on our annual volume commitments with the liners, we manage to get special rates negotiated in different sectors according to the liners capacity and strength. We mainly capitalize on our volume with the major carriers such as Maersk, CMA, MSC, Wanhai, Cosco and Hapag.
Customs Brokerage is also an equally important division of Zuhal Shipping and Logistics. We perform customs brokerage services in all the gateways to the United Arab Emirates. We operate in Jebal Ali, Port Rashid, Khalid Port and Abu Dhabi Port for containerized, bulk and loose seafreight cargo, and Dubai International Air Port and Abu Dhabi International Air Port for Air Cargo.
Being a UAE based company it’s very important to be connected with all the other gulf countries through the land boarders. As we all know most of the traffic between the gulf operates through the land borders due to the short delivery time. Therefore to offer our customers a convenient service we established our presence in Hatta, Khatmat Melaha and Mazyed borders connecting to Oman and Sila border connecting to the other GCC territories such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Industrial and household packing and removals is one of the key divisions under Zuhal Shipping and Logistics LLC. We have a history of more than 15 years. ZuhalPack has a solid reputation and recognition among business partners and corporations in the packing and moving industry. Zuhal Pack’s highly trained packing crew are capable of packing and lashing of any kind of out of gauge machinery, industrial equipment, heavy lifts, boats, yachts, vehicles and motorcycles. Our industrial packing supervisors are very experienced and educated in technical handling, drawings and HSSE.
Apart from the industrial packing and moving, Zuhal Pack caters to household goods removals across the globe. Starting from the point of receiving the inquiry our specialized move coordinators will contact the customer and organize a pre-move survey. While conducting the survey we educate our customers about the moving process, different customs procedures in both countries and other valuable information for the customer to make their move a smooth and comfortable experience.
Road transportation is another key division of Zuhal Shipping and Logistics LLC. We operate a mixed fleet of flatbed trailers, low bed trailers, curtain side and reefer box trailers across the GCC. During the past couple of years, we have increased our fleet and now operate with more than 37 own trucks/trailers as well as externally contracted assets for long term contracts. Moreover, we have a 3 ton fleet for distribution services within the UAE and recovery vehicles.
Our warehouse and distribution services consist of an open-yard facility of 38,000 Sqm and 12,000 Sqm of closed facility. Our warehouse facility is closely monitored by CCTV camera’s and 24/7 security personal to ensure the safety of the goods stored by our valued customers. Furthermore we are equipped with firefighting and HSSE.
We operate our own fleet of containers across the Indian subcontinent and the GCC. We operate with 200 units of our own fleet and another 300 of leased containers.
Apart from operations in the UAE, we operate branch offices in Qatar and in the African sectors such as Kigali – Rwanda, Lubumbashi, Bukavu and Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There is a lot of competition in the UAE, in what way do you feel that your company is different?
Yes the competition is very high in the UAE. The biggest challenge is how to retain market share especially with very thin profit margins. One can say the profit margin is paper thin and most of the competitors in the UAE operate with the minimum assets and facilities under their belt. So obviously, companies who are rich in assets will always look for extraordinary measures to remain competitive in the market. With this in mind we always try to offer personalized services to our valued customers.
We have a very experienced and dedicated operations team who monitor each and every move of all shipments and update the customers regularly. Also, we have appointed key account holders to focus on their customer’s daily requirements and demands. We treat all shipments with high importance and I can say that we have achieved success in close communications and efficiency.
I see from your email signature that you are advertising the World Expo 2020, will you be involved as a logistics provider for that?
Yes, we are involved in the EXPO 2020 as a logistics provider.
Could you provide us with some examples of project shipments that you have handled recently?
We are regularly handling piling rigs and accessories within the UAE and across the GCC for the construction industry. As you know, it’s always with over-dimensions and overweight. We provide a total end-to-end service to our customers, even obtaining special authority permissions and organizing police escorts.
Also, we are very strong in handling earth moving equipment such as crawler cranes, JCB units and bulldozers.
Further, we are actively involved in chartering cattle carriers, bulk and cargo carriers for both sea and air.
How to get in touch with you?
You can contact me through our general mail id info@zuhalshipping.com or niroshana@zuhalshipping.com
Niroshana Hettiarachchi
Manager Sales and Marketing
Mob: +971 54 3244 670
Tel: +971 4 262 3075
Fax: +971 4 266 2851
