Recently, an MSC ship sailed with cargo from Israel, for the first time, directly to Dubai, through Egypt’s Port Said. In the first container on the ship, which will leave Ashdod Port, will contain a special shipment of adhesive tapes from the Davik plant at Kibbutz Sde Boker. The customer from Dubai is a local company called KIMOHA, which purchased the adhesive tape designed to create carrying handles (that are found on 6-packs of liter and a half bottles). The customer has been in contact with Davik for several years; however, only in recent weeks has a logistical and financial solution been found that facilitated making this relationship a reality.
Orna Hozman-Bechor said: “We are proud to be Israel’s first gateway for exports to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. This export is the beginning of wide-scale activity that will have a great impact on the economics of the entire region. The Ashdod Port adheres to the highest level of service in the new activity with this region as well.”
Davik Ltd.: “Davik is proud to take part in this historic and symbolic event – the first merchandise sent to Dubai will leave the kibbutz of the first Prime Minster of the State of Israel. The company’s employees decorated the merchandise with Israeli and UAE flags with the hope for a long-term partnership. We are proud to participate in this historic step; and we have no doubt that if the ‘old man’ was still with us, he would be proud of the special significance that this lends to his vision of making the desert bloom.”
At the beginning of the week, there was an announcement that the Ashdod Port was in advanced negotiations with DP World Ltd. for the first operational collaboration of its kind in the Middle East. In recent weeks, a series of meetings has been held between the Port’s chairperson, Ms. Orna Hozman-Bechor, and CEO, Mr. Shiko Zana with the Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayim, Chairman of the Group and the DP World CEO and management team. A delegation from DP World headed by the Sultan attended the first meeting in Israel, where the initial outline for collaboration was drawn. This outline includes concrete collaboration in a number of operational segments in addition to the operational collaboration and development of terminal 21 as a semi-automated terminal, where 24 thousand containers can be docked.
