Released on = October 24, 2006, 12:01 am

Press Release Author = Eventis FZC - Media One Group

Industry = Transportation & Logistics

Press Release Summary = Seventy-seven companies nominated! Twenty-three individuals
nominated! Nominations encompass eight countries in the Middle East!

Press Release Body = Seventy-seven companies and twenty-three individuals in the
logistics industry in eight countries in the Middle East are vying for the
twenty-eight prestigious MELA Performance Excellence Awards in logistics as the MELA
Awards 2006 stepped into the second phase and opened the Voting Process on October
18, 2006. The list of nominees that made it to the MELA ballot came from the
nomination process, which started on August 22, 2006, and ended on October 5, 2006.

Winners for the MELA Awards 2006 will be determined by the Middle East logistics
community as they cast their vote for the best companies and outstanding individuals
from the industry. A massive media campaign is underway through print, online and
visual media to encourage the participation of the entire Middle East logistics
community in the Voting Process for the MELA Awards 2006.

The MELA Awards 2006 is the first-ever event in the Middle East that will bring
together the region's key logistics industry players as they set benchmarks for
performance excellence and recognise the industry's best practices and give a toast
to stellar performers who have made an impact on the Middle East logistics industry
through their valuable contributions.

In the award category for air, six awards await the Best Airport, the Best Emerging
Airport, the Best Air Cargo Terminal, the Best Express Operator, the Best Air Cargo
Carrier, and the Best Air Charter Operator. For the sea category, four awards lie in
wait for the Best Seaport, the Best Container Terminal, the Best Emerging Container
Terminal, and the Best Shipping Line. For the land category, awards are instituted
for the Best Road Hauler (Best Land Transport Company) and the Best Land Freight
Forwarder. Awards are also in store for shippers as the Best Exporter and the Best
Importer. Awards for the Best Logistics Park (Air), the Best Logistics Park (Sea)
and the Best Emerging Free Zone have been incorporated, while awards for the Best
Logistics Service Provider in Sea Freight, Air Freight, Perishable Logistics and
Best 3PL are also in place. Key industry players will also be rewarded as the Best
Project and Special Cargo Provider and the Best Trade Finance Bank.

But the MELA Awards 2006 not only give a toast to organisations but also to the
deserving individuals who demonstrated leadership and contributed vitally to the
development of the Middle East logistics industry. The five prime individual awards
in logistics are the Outstanding Achievement Award, the Personality of the Year
Award - Maritime Industry, the Personality of the Year Award - Air Cargo Industry,
the Personality of the Year Award - Land Transport Industry and the Young Achiever
of the Year Award.

The MELA Awards 2006 Nominations are audited by AGNMAK, Dubai, UAE, the Official
Auditors for MELA Nominations and Voting. The list of contestants in the Voting
Process is based on the audited results of the MELA Awards 2006 Nominations.

The Voting Process for MELA Awards 2006 is open until November 5, 2006, 24:00 Hours.
The ballot forms are distributed in newspapers, and trade and business magazines in
the entire Middle East. Duly filled-in ballots can be couriered to the MELA
Executive Office, 401 & 402 Bu Haleeba Plaza, Al Muraqqabat Road, Deira, Dubai, UAE
(Tel: +971 4 297 6987). Voting can also be done online through the MELA website
www.mela.ae. A grand celebration awaits the MELA Awards 2006 winners at the
grandiose Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE, on November 21, 2006.

THE FINAL AUDITED LIST OF NOMINEES IN EACH OF THE 28 MELA AWARD CATEGORIES

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LOGISTICS - INDIVIDUALS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
1) Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways, Qatar
2) Fadi Ghandour, President & CEO, Aramex International, Middle East
3) Issa Baluch, Chairman & CEO, Swift Freight, UAE
4) Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President - Cargo, Emirates Airline, UAE
5) Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Dubai Ports World, UAE

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR - AIR CARGO INDUSTRY
1) Ali Murtada, VP - Business Units, Gulf Air, Bahrain
2) Hamdi Osman, Regional VP, FedEx, Middle East
3) Ingo Roessler, VP, Etihad Crystal Cargo, UAE
4) Michael Proffitt, CEO, Dubai Logistics City, UAE
5) Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President - Cargo, Emirates Airline, UAE

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR - LAND TRANSPORT INDUSTRY
1) Bengt Ekstrand, Regional Director, GAC, Middle East
2) Fadi Ghandour, President & CEO, Aramex International, Middle East
3) Hisham Al Oumi, Chairman, Mubarrad Transport Co, Kuwait
4) Mark Pell, Managing Director, TNT Express-Gulf, Middle East
5) Tarek Sultan, Chairman & Managing Director, PWC Logistics, Middle East

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR - MARITIME INDUSTRY
1) Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor, CEO, STALCO Group; President, NAFL; & VP, FIATA
2) Fawzi Kanoo, Chairman, Kanoo Shipping, Bahrain
3) Hisham Gamal El Din Helmy, Chairman, Maersk-Egypt, Middle East
4) Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, Ports and Free Zone Authority, UAE
5) Saher Tahlawi, Director General, Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia

YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR
1) Abdul Aziz Ali al Shanfari, Chairman, Salalah Port Services, Oman
2) HH Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Chairman, RAK Free Trade Zone, UAE
3) Mohammed Sharaf, CEO, DP World, UAE
4) Salma Hareb, CEO, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, UAE
5) Shahla Ahmad Abdul Razak, Director - Marketing & Sales, DAFZA & Deputy Chief
Executive, Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE

SHIPPERS

BEST EXPORTER
1) Al Tayer Group, UAE
2) Juma Al Majid Group, UAE
3) Nokia, Middle East
4) Sony Gulf, UAE
5) The Kanoo Group, UAE

BEST IMPORTER
1) Al-Futtaim Group, UAE
2) Samir Photographic Supplies Co, Saudi Arabia
3) Tawoos LLC, Oman

SEA

BEST SEAPORT
1) Jebel Ali Port, UAE
2) Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia
3) King Abdul Aziz Port, Saudi Arabia
4) Port of Aden, Yemen
5) Port of Salalah, Oman

BEST CONTAINER TERMINAL
1) Aden Container Terminal, Yemen
2) Aqaba Container Terminal, Jordan
3) Jebel Ali Port Container Terminal, UAE
4) Khorfakkan Container Terminal, UAE
5) Port Rashid, UAE

BEST EMERGING CONTAINER TERMINAL
1) Bahrain Port, Bahrain
2) Doha Port, Qatar
3) Jebel Ali Port Container Terminal, UAE

BEST SHIPPING LINE
1) APL, Middle East
2) Evergreen Shipping, Middle East
3) Hapag-Lloyd Container Line, Middle East
4) Maersk Line, Middle East
5) United Arab Shipping Co, Middle East

AIR

BEST AIRPORT
1) Bahrain International Airport, Bahrain
2) Dubai International Airport, UAE
3) King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia

BEST EMERGING AIRPORT
1) Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE
2) Doha International Airport, Qatar
3) King Fahad International Airport, Saudi Arabia

BEST AIR CARGO TERMINAL
1) Abu Dhabi Cargo Village, UAE
2) Dubai Cargo Village, UAE
3) Sharjah International Airport, UAE

BEST EXPRESS OPERATOR
1) Aramex International, Middle East
2) DHL Express, Middle East
3) FedEx Express, Middle East
4) SkyNet Worldwide Express, Middle East
5) UPS (United Parcel Service), Middle East

BEST AIR CARGO CARRIER
1) Emirates SkyCargo, UAE
2) Gulf Air, Bahrain
3) Lufthansa, Middle East
4) Qatar Airways, Qatar
5) Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saudi Arabia

BEST AIR CHARTER OPERATOR
1) Chapman Freeborn Air Chartering, Middle East
2) Emirates SkyCargo, UAE
3) National Air Cargo, Middle East

LAND

BEST ROAD HAULER (BEST LAND TRANSPORT COMPANY)
1) Mubarak & Sons Transport, UAE
2) PWC Logistics, Middle East
3) Saudi Land Transport Co, Saudi Arabia

BEST LAND FREIGHT FORWARDER
1) DHL Danzas Air & Ocean, Middle East
2) Mubarrad Transport Co, Kuwait
3) PWC Logistics, Middle East

BEST LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDER

BEST 3PL
1) GAC Logistics, Middle East
2) Kanoo Group, Middle East
3) Kuehne + Nagel, Middle East
4) PWC Logistics, Middle East
5) Schenker Logistics, Middle East

AIR FREIGHT
1) DHL Danzas Air & Ocean, Middle East
2) Gulf Agency Company, Middle East
3) Panalpina Group, Middle East
4) Schenker, Middle East
5) Swift Shipping and Freight Logistics, UAE

PERISHABLE LOGISTICS
1) Dnata, UAE
2) Dubai Flower Centre, UAE
3) PWC Logistics, Middle East

SEA FREIGHT
1) APL Logistics, Middle East
2) DHL Danzas Air & Ocean, Middle East
3) Gulf Agency Company, Middle East
4) Kanoo Shipping, Bahrain
5) Maersk Logistics, Middle East

BEST LOGISTICS PARK

BEST EMERGING FREE ZONE
1) Ajman Free Zone, UAE
2) Fujairah Free Zone, UAE
3) Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone, UAE

BEST LOGISTICS PARK - AIR
1) Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, UAE
2) Dubai Cargo Village, UAE
3) Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone), UAE

BEST LOGISTICS PARK - SEA
1) Hamriyah Free Zone, UAE
2) Jebel Ali Free Zone, UAE
3) Salalah Free Zone, Oman

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

BEST PROJECT & SPECIAL CARGO PROVIDER
1) Bahwan Exel, Oman
2) Dnata, UAE
3) Freightworks, UAE

BEST TRADE FINANCE BANK
1) Citibank, Middle East
2) HSBC, Middle East
3) Standard Chartered Bank, Middle East

Web Site = http://www.mela.ae

Contact Details = Shawn Rodrigues
MELA Media Committee
PO Box 72247
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 265 4811
Fax: +971 4 297 6988
Email: info@mela.ae
Website: www.mela.ae