Nippon Express Company launches halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service

Nippon Express Company (NEC) has expanded its domestic halal logistics services in Japan with a new halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service.

By incorporating halal logistics system-certified work procedures into its Express Hi-Speed domestic air cargo transport service, the company has created a rapid halal transport service capable of handling shipments as small as a single cardboard box.

Since it received halal certification for warehousing in Japan in 2016, the company has introduced halal-only roll boxes for consolidated transport of small-lot cargo amounting to less than a full truckload, as well as halal-only rail containers for large-lot cargo into its warehouse-based transport services as it expanded its handling of halal products.

Source: Nippon Express Company. The Express Hi-Speed domestic air cargo transport service was launched on March 8, 2021.

With interest in halal products growing in Japan, Nippon Express has been constructing a halal logistics service network to support customers' supply chains and provide safety and peace of mind to Muslim customers and others.

According to the company, demand for halal products in Japan is expected to rise not only from Japan's 200,000 strong Muslim population, but also with an increase in foreign visitors/residents from a diversity of cultural backgrounds. High certification standards for quality assurance and hygiene control have also expanded interest in halal products among health- and safety-conscious consumers, NEC said.

In 2014, Nippon Express became the first Japanese company to obtain halal logistics certification in Malaysia, and it has since been developing global halal logistics services.

Express Hi-Speed halal transport offers:

- Improved visibility for halal products (special labels affixed on cargo)

- Halal education for employees engaged in operations

- Delivery modes tailored to specific needs (nationwide next-day delivery service, specified delivery time service, charter delivery service)

- Easy-to-use product design (packaged fees by region/weight, multiple-item shipments, business office stop-off service)

- Visualisation of transport status (trace control through up to seven transit points, confirmations via Nippon Express' website)

KSA MCI intensifies inspections prior to Hajj 2018

Source: MCI. Efforts stepped up before Hajj 2018 to ensure a
smooth pilgrimage for all.

The KSA Ministry of Commerce and Investment (MCI) says inspection teams are touring the holy sites at Makkah and Madinah as part of MCI integrated plan for Hajj 2018. The inspectors verify that there are enough foodstuff and commodity stocks for the pilgrimage, and ensure the quality, validity and suitability for human consumption of the goods.

MCI's Hajj strategy covers:

 - Monitoring the availability of foodstuffs and commodities

- Ensuring their validity, quality in conformity with the Saudi standard specifications, and appropriate pricing

- Intensifying the inspection and control on shops, stalls, commercial centres, refrigerated vehicles and mobile trucks used for transporting foodstuffs and commodities

- Eliminating the possibility of commercial fraud and counterfeiting

- Verifying shops’ commitment of placing the price tags on the items offered for sale.

The Ministry’s plan also includes monitoring the jewels and gems shops to ensure the safety and calibration of scales, besides checking and controlling the fuel stations to ensure the absence of any scams such as mixing of the fuel with other substances; checking the safety of pumps and  calibration accuracy, as well as inspecting the auto tyre shops. These activities are in addition to verifying the regular work of the shops and ensuring that they have the necessary licences for practicing the commercial activity.

Biggest opportunity for Brunei logistics industry is the halal trade

The Brunei Freight & Logistics Market Study - Market Trends, Analysis & Forecasts to 2023 report by Mordor Intelligence has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Brunei freight and logistics market was worth US$157.25 million in 2017 with its biggest opportunity in the multi-trillion dollar halal industry. Mordor Intelligence says that the country maintains a pristine image and is looked upon by the Islamic world as a centre of Islamic culture.

The strategic location of Brunei for China and its synergies with the Belt and Road project, open up immense opportunities for the halal certification industry in Brunei. The connections of China with Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries which are being established through the Belt and Road initiative, open up immense opportunities for Brunei. Coupled with oil and gas reserves, Chinese government see a lot of opportunities in Brunei and has been ramping up investments in the country. The Guangxi-Brunei Economic Corridor was set up to tap the halal trade in 2014. A bio-innovation zone is being developed and augmented post this partnership.

The Brunei Halal brand was a first-mover concept, the consultancy added. Kerry Logistics and the government of Brunei partnered to build Brunei Halal internationally, and provide a range of products and services under the brand umbrella. 

Companies mentioned in the report include:

Archipelago
Ceva
DB Schenker
DHL
Kerry Logistics
Yusen Logistics

Explore:

Buy the Brunei Freight & Logistics Market Study - Market Trends, Analysis & Forecasts to 2023 report (March 2018)

National Ferries Company, Oman shares October status update

Source: NFC. Vehicles on a ferry.

The National Ferries Company (NFC) of Oman has announced that ferry services now cover eight local ports through 69 journeys per week, in addition to providing access to several regional ports.

An update issued end-October 2017 shows that both passenger and vehicle volumes have risen. The number of passengers transported for 2017 as at the end of October was 198,622 passengers, compared to 183,354 in the same period last year, an increase of 8%. In contrast, 179,210 passengers had been served in 2017 as of end-September 2017, compared to 165,882 passengers during the same period in 2016.

The number of vehicles shipped on ferries for the same period reached 50,916 vehicles, compared to 44.431 in the same period last year, a rise of 15%. In addition to this, NFC shipped more than 27,000 tonnes of equipment and heavy goods. The number of the shipped vehicles on board of ferries as of end-September 2017 stood at 45,482 vehicles, compared to 39,667 vehicles year on year.

The company has a fleet of seven ferries to transport passengers, vehicles and light cargo, and a landing ship, Halaniyat, that transports equipment and heavy vehicles as well as livestock.

The company's efforts since the start of its operations have not only enhanced the maritime transport system, but have also helped Omanise various senior positions by recruiting Omani youth to work with the ferry crew and provide new job opportunities in the market. Today, Omani youth pilot the latest fast ferries.

Tafweej strategy for Hajj 2016 unfurls slowly but surely

Source: Ministry of Haj & Umra, KSA. Workshop on tafweej.

A workshop on this year's 12-stage tafweej (التفويج) strategy has been held in Makkah under the supervision of HE Dr Mohammed Saleh bin Taher Bentin, the Minister of Haj and Umra by the KSA  Ministry of Haj & Umra on August 20 to increase the readiness of the ministry and establishments involved in the current Hajj season.

Tafweej refers to the logistics of moving large numbers of pilgrims from one place to another as part of the rituals of the Hajj, and the strategy has been completely revised as per HE Dr Bentin's instructions. All tafweej procedures have been overhauled, made consistent, and cover crowd management, modelling, and the treatment of statistical data.

Procedures include:
Tafweej schedule preparation
Communication of such schedules to agencies involved
Mapping Hajj pilgrims' exit and return routes;
Monitoring of establishments' performance to ensure they fulfil assigned tasks;
Holding defaulters answerable;
Monitoring crowd flow on different routes; and comparing the crowd flow with Tafweej projections.

New control mechanisms are in place for the teams concerned with overall management, gate monitoring, and route support; in order to fulfill the directions of Custodian of the Two Holy mosques, HRH the Crown Prince, and HRH the Deputy Crown Prince for facilitating all services for pilgrims from their arrival to the KSA, till their safe return to their countries.

The workshop was attended by various representatives from the Ministry of Haj and Umra as well as by chairmen and officials of the National Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims of Turkey, and Muslims of Europe and Australia.

Dr Hussein bin Nasser Al-Sharif, the Ministry Undersecretary for Haj Affairs, stressed that the plans for the current Hajj season are based on a new vision. "For the best implementation of tafweej plans, the Ministry of Haj and Umra branch in Makkah performs many tasks: following up with tafweej schedules; confirming the presence of tafweej members and guides; preparing reports, and interim results; and submitting detailed reports on all violations, at the end of Hajj," he said.

Source: Ministry of Haj & Umra, KSA. Hajj pilgrims.

Workshops are part of phase two of the tafweej strategy, which covers awareness-building for execution plans, organisational constraints, and schedules. The ministry will continue to reach out to other Tawafa establishments and related agencies to ensure that there is awareness of the tafweej strategy this year.

Enhancements to the tafweej strategy include:

• Immediately implementing evaluation and performance indicators in the field
• Using the tools and technologies aimed at treating tafweej as an organised, seasonal activity and 
• Applying goals real-life constraints to tafweej schedules, such as crowd flow, routes, the necessity of adhering to schedules, the Hajj pilgrims' desires with respect to the Jamaraat ritual (stoning of the devil), locations of Haj pilgrims' camps and exits, schedule preparation times, and information from e-portals. 

In addition, the Tafweej Executive Committee also plans to utilise e-control systems and surveillance cameras to monitor crowd flow, to analyse the field data, and finetune tafweej practices accordingly this Hajj season. Other procedures in place include the immediate detection of violations through technologies and mobile apps; prompt reports of such detection to the ministry's servers; data analytics; identification of problems; and reporting of such issues to the ministry's control unit, tafweej teams, observation and followup committees, and operating tafweej units round the clock from the Hajj season till 15/1/1438, roughly 5 October 2016.

Source: Ministry of Haj & Umra, KSA. Hajj pilgrims on the move.

The Tafweej Executive Committee consists of the Public Security Department, Civil Defense, the Development Commission of Makkah Al Mukarramah and Mashaaer (DCOMM), The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (Holy Makkah Municipality), and The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umra.

The first phase included preparing the implementation plan for tafweej to the Jamaraat facility, and to the train stations at the holy sites:

• Establishing goals and constraints on preparing tafweej schedules to the Jamaraat facility, and to the holy sites train stations
• Crowd management plans drawn up for Mina.
• Adopting a method for schedule control at the Tawafa establishments, domestic Haj companies and related establishments; 
• Commissioning tafweej members and their support teams 
• Installing surveillance cameras and the e-control system to monitor routes, and to accept reports submitted by route leaders and field control units.

In the third and final phase of the strategy, the committee will supervise the accuracy of plan implementation, measuring performance levels, document procedures, and evaluate all stages of activity. A joint room of operations has been set up for critical decision-making in response to circumstances in the field and real-time feedback of the implementation, as well as for crisis management.

MARC scores Westports Malaysia's Sukuk Musyarakah Programme as AA+IS

MARC has affirmed its AA+_IS rating on Westports Malaysia's RM2 billion Sukuk Musyarakah Programme with a stable outlook. Westports handles a multi-cargo port in Pulau Indah, Port Klang, Malaysia.

In affirming the rating, the rating agency considered the potential migration of container traffic volume by one of Westports’ major clients, CMA CGM, to Pasir Panjang Terminal in Singapore. CMA CGM, which contributed 3.31 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), or 37% of Westports’ total TEUs handled in 2015, is expected to move a portion of its existing traffic to Singapore following the setting up of a joint venture with the Port of Singapore Authority. The impact on Westports’ business and financial performance from CMA CGM’s move at this juncture is limited given that any decrease in the liner’s transhipment throughput could be gradual and that a new shipping alliance set to launch by April 2017 could see some traffic being routed to Westports under a dual hub strategy which is likely to be pursued by the new alliance.

Westports’ affirmed rating continues to be supported by its strong cash flow-generating ability, stemming from a steady operational and sound productivity performance. The port retains a strong competitive position, underpinned by its strategic location along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. These strengths are moderated by Westports’ exposure to high client concentration risk and to the vagaries of the global shipping industry.

As at end-2015, Westports’ container handling capacity stood at 11 million TEUs, which is expected to increase by 2.5 million TEUs by end-2017. It remains the dominant port operator in Port Klang, which is ranked the 12th busiest container port globally. MARC believes Westports’ continued investments in upgrading its port capacity and operations have been key in generating throughput growth and maintaining strong operating efficiency. The port achieved a throughput growth of 8.3% year-on-year to 9.1 million TEUs in 2015, translating to a CAGR of 9.2% between 2011 and 2015. For 2015, the port utilisation rate improved to 82.3% from 76.1% in the previous year. The higher port utilisation rate contributed to slightly longer vessel waiting time. MARC expects the vessel waiting time to improve gradually with the commencement of phase one of container terminal 8 (CT8) in April 2016.

While Westports’ debt-to-equity ratio stood at a moderate 0.62 times at end-2015 (2014: 0.66 times), the rating agency expects the port operator to prudently manage its port expansion and debt levels. In 2016, management has budgeted RM750 million for expansion and maintenance capital expenses to be funded by internally-generated funds and short-term borrowings. Westports’ outstanding amount under the sukuk programme is RM1.15 billion as at end-2015; its first two payments of RM50 million each are due in April 2021 and May 2021 respectively.

The outlook on Westports remains stable on expectations that the port operator will continue to maintain its operational and financial metrics at current levels. A prolonged economic downturn, reduction of port calls as a result of industry consolidation and/or erosion in its cash flow and leverage metrics would exert downward pressure on Westports’ rating.

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Ministry of Hajj reveals long-term initiatives to accommodate more pilgrims

Source: Ministry of Hajj, KSA.

Saudi Arabia expects to host many more pilgrims than over the next five years and is preparing to make the umrah and Hajj experiences as smooth as possible, revealed His Highness Dr Bandar ibn Muhammad Hajjar, the Minister of Hajj of Saudi Arabia. According to Dr Bandar, an estimated 8 million umrah pilgrims and 3 million Hajj pilgrims will visit this year, and the numbers will grow over the next five years.

Dr Bandar reported that the umrah and Hajj experiences are being enhanced on many fronts, including e-tracking for foreign pilgrims, crowd control (tafwij) during all stages of the Hajj journey, accommodation, health services, transportation, communications services, and project management. Other initiatives include the welcome and farewell ceremonies for umrah pilgrims, development of a Pilgrim City in Yanbu, and operating rest-houses along the Makkah-Madinah road.

The Ministry of Hajj is conducting studies on accommodating more pilgrims, including estimating water and electricity requirements, health, and transportation services, Dr Bandar said. The studies also cover the housing capacities in Makkah and Madinah, estimating local movement, and the accommodation of large numbers at the Mataf* (tawaf area), Mas`a** (sa`y area) and Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain***.

His Highness Dr Bandar further noted that the state has made the development of Al-Haramayn Al-Sharifayn and care of its visitors a top priority. Recent achievements to this purpose include the expansions of Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain, the Mas`a and the Mataf areas have all been expanded; established a Jamaraat**** facility, railway services in Mashair and Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain; built the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah and the Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah, and also opened a Pilgrims Rest Hall with a 2,400-man capacity. 

*The mataf is the area where pilgrims circumambulate the Ka'abah as part of the ritual called the tawaf

**The Sa'y area is where pilgrims go seven times between the hills of As-Safa and Al Marwah

***Referring to the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah

****A ritual where pebbles are thrown at pillars called jamaraat occurs as part of the pilgrimage

Food and bio-industry conference in Brunei this May

Source: Brunei Darussalam government.

The two-day International Food and Bio-Industry Investment Conference will be held in Brunei Darussalam in May 2015 as part of the Sultanate's Brunei BioInnovation Corridor's (BIC) initiative. The conference and the BIC initiative are in line with the nation's intention to achieve further diversification, competitiveness and sustainability of the economy.

Source: Brunei Darussalam government. Aerial view, BIC.

Hosted by the government of Brunei Darussalam, the conference will align with BIC's purpose to promote Brunei Darussalam as a regional hub for bio-industry research and innovations, with a focus on halal food products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and logistics. Delegates will include senior government officials; business executives, investors, as well as high-profile speakers from around the globe. Topics of discussion are to cover economic opportunities in addition to in-depth bio-innovation.

Source: Brunei Darussalam government. BIC masterplan.

"The BIC spans an area of approximately 500 hectares, and will attract investment in research and development, manufacturing, and commercial industries. It is an additional sector that will strengthen the economy," said His Majesty The Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on the occasion of HM's 68th birthday.

The BIC, in the Brunei Muara District, is an initiative led by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei Darussalam. The BIC is a mixed use environment able to accommodate research and innovative technology applications. It is anticipated to provide up to 28,000 full time employment positions, in which 9,500 roles would be related to food processing. 

Discussions are in progress for developing Phase 1 (37 hectares of land to be subdivided into 25 plots) with investors. Approximately 30% or up to 195 hectares of land is earmarked for industrial usage, and 25% of land will be allocated for green space.