BWI: Frost & Sullivan: Saudi Arabian Logistics Market Races to $13.78 Billion due to the Rising Importance of Manufacturing

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Frost & Sullivan
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 12:01 PM IST (06:31 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest; Business: Accounting & management consultancy services, Automotives, Telecommunications
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Frost & Sullivan: Saudi Arabian Logistics Market Races to $13.78 Billion due to the Rising Importance of Manufacturing


Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, January 11, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- The return-to-form of the Saudi Arabian oil industry and the country's active diversification into oil-based businesses are expected to cause a surge in exports (nearly $271.58 billion in 2010), creating opportunities for the nation's freight forwarding market. The spectacular growth in export-import volumes, backed by a rise in the domestic uptake of major manufacturing and consumer-oriented industries such as retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), engineering, chemicals, food, and electronics, has catapulted the country ahead of other leading Middle Eastern countries in the logistics field.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.automotive.frost.com), Strategic Analysis of the Logistics Market and Contract Logistics in Saudi Arabia, finds that the markets earned revenues of $13.78 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach $20.54 billion in 2015. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: apparel and footwear, automotive, basic material and industrial products, cement, chemicals, electronic-electrical and communications equipment (EECE), engineering equipments, FMCG, food and beverages, metal, medical and pharmaceutical products, oil and gas, paper, and rubber and plastics.

In Saudi Arabia, the impressive performance of the industries and their strong expansion plans, despite the global economic downturn have opened up several prospects for logistic outsourcing. There has been an influx of global majors in all industries including food and beverages, FMCG, and EECE, as they are looking to expand their geographical reach and capture the highly lucrative Saudi Arabian consumer market.

The rising complexity in supply chains due to the frantic global sourcing and distribution practices has made it imperative for companies to outsource their logistic functions. The high value of items being traded is another reason companies are increasingly seeking the services of third-party logistics services.

"In addition, being the largest economy in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC), accounting for almost two-thirds of the council nations' collective economy size, has made Saudi Arabia a happy hunting ground for logistics service providers (LSPs) in Middle East," says Frost & Sullivan Transportation & Logistics Program Manager Srinath Manda. "The country's growing population of nationals and expatriates and its strong economy are further accelerating the growth of the local delivery services sector."

On the flip side, the expanding population causes traffic congestion on the national and international highways, which affects the industry's performance and restrains logistic activities. The current road network in Saudi Arabia, particularly at international borders with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman, has posed capacity issues, resulting in long waits for load carriers.

Moreover, due to the restrictions on international traffic between Saudi Arabia and other countries, the road network between commercial areas is often circuitous, which, in turn, raises the transportation costs.

"At present, due to the lack of integrated multi-modal transportation service, Saudi Arabian industries depend on discrete single modes of transportation (primarily road) throughout their distribution network, which leads to high logistics costs," notes Srinath. "The Government has implied that it plans to invest heavily on infrastructure, thus enabling multimodal transportation and consequent cost savings."

Meanwhile, Saudi Railways Organization's (SRO) ambitious project, The Saudi Landbridge, is expected to transform the existing rail network in the country into a world-class freight and passenger rail link across the country. Upon completion, the network is expected to facilitate the movement of large quantities of cargo over long distances at competitive rates, thus providing impetus to the logistics industry.

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail to Tanu Chopra/ Nimisha Iyer, Corporate Communications, at tanu.chopra@frost.com / niyer@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

Strategic Analysis of the Logistics Market and Contract Logistics in Saudi Arabia is part of the Automotive & Transportation Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Strategic Analysis of Logistics Market in United Arab Emirates, Strategic Analysis of Logistics Market in Egypt and Strategic Analysis Of Indian Logistics Market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Strategic Analysis of the Logistics Market and Contract Logistics in Saudi Arabia
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CONTACT DETAILS
Tanu Chopra, Corporate Communications - Middle East, Frost & Sullivan, +91 (22) 40013437, tanu.chopra@frost.com
Ravinder kaur, Corporate Communications - South Asia, Frost & Sullivan, +91 (44) 42044760, ravinder.kaur@frost.com
Nimisha Iyer, Corporate Communications - South Asia , Middle East & North Africa, Frost & Sullivan, +91 9820050519, niyer@frost.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, CONSULTANCY SERVICES, AUTOMOTIVE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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