Released on = November 23, 2006, 12:29 am

Press Release Author = Eventis FZC - Media One Group

Industry = Transportation & Logistics

Press Release Summary = Twenty-seven prestigious awards bestowed on eighteen
companies and four individuals during the first annual Middle East Logistics Awards
(MELA) 2006

Press Release Body = The grandeur culmination of the first annual Middle East
Logistics Awards (MELA) 2006, celebrating performance excellence in the Middle East
logistics industry, witnessed an august gathering of industry heavyweights from the
entire spectrum of the Middle East logistics industry, in a gala event held at
Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE. Eighteen companies and four individuals have been
honoured from a range of 27 prestigious award categories, fostering healthy
competition among equals in the dynamic and competitive logistics industry in the
Middle East. An august gathering of more than 600 people from the entire Middle East
logistics community converged for the MELA 2006 Awards function.

The Guest of Honour for the event was Dr Mohammed Ahmed Al Zarouni, Managing
Director of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, and Director General of Dubai Airport Free
Zone Authority, and the Welcome Address was made by Rashid Al Jaflah, Principal
Host, MELA, and Chairman, Media One Group. Aleem Aziz, CEO, MELA Management Office
and Vice President, Media One Group, presented the MELA Vision Statement and
launched the MELA Winners' Alliance. Dr Khalid Maniar, Founder & Managing Partner of
AGNMAK, explained the audit process for the MELA 2006 Awards.

Suoud S Al Aqroobi, Director, International Relations Department, Federal Customs
Authority, UAE, gave the Keynote Address on Customs Authority & Logistics Industry -
Past, Present & Future. MELA 2006 Awards ceremony witnessed the launch of the First
Arabic Edition of the 'Transport Logistics: Past, Present & Predictions' authored by
Issa Baluch by Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor, President, National Association of
Freight Logistics, and Vice President, International Federation of Freight
Forwarders Associations, and the launch of 'Hydra 28 - The Logistics Tower', an
exclusive tower dedicated to the logistics industry, at Business Bay. Christopher
Hudson, Exhibitions Director, Messe Frankfurt Middle East announced the MELA
AGM-Messe Frankfurt Joint Venture. The Vote of Thanks was proposed by Dr Satish
Mapara, Shipping & Legal Consultant, GlobeApex Management Consultants; Member, SCLG
Consultative Committee; and Member, MELA Advisory Board.

Fadi Ghandour, President & CEO, Aramex International, Middle East won the
Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Outstanding Achievement Award. In the
Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Personality of the Year - Air Cargo Industry
category, Hamdi Osman, Regional Vice President, FedEx, Middle East, won the award.
Fadi Ghandour also won the award for the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Personality
of the Year - Land Transport Industry category. Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor,
CEO, STALCO Group; President, National Association of Freight Logistics, and Vice
President, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, won the
Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Personality of the Year - Maritime Industry Award.
In the Entrepreneurship in Logistics - Young Achiever of the Year category, HH
Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Chairman, RAK Free Trade Zone, UAE won the award.

The Best Seaport Award has been presented to Jebel Ali Port, UAE; the Best Container
Terminal Award has been won by Jebel Ali Port Container Terminal, UAE; and the Best
Shipping Line Award has been won by Maersk Line, Middle East.

The Best Airport Award has been won by Dubai International Airport, UAE; the Best
Emerging Airport Award has been given to King Fahad International Airport, Saudi
Arabia; the Best Air Cargo Terminal Award has been awarded to Dubai Cargo Village,
UAE; Aramex International, Middle East, won the Best Express Operator Award;
Emirates SkyCargo, UAE, has been awarded as the Best Air Cargo Carrier as well as
the Best Air Charter Operator.

PWC Logistics (currently Agility), Middle East, won four awards - Best Road Hauler,
the Best Land Freight Forwarder, the Best Logistics Service Provider - 3PL, and the
Best Logistics Service Provider - Perishable Logistics. DHL Danzas Air & Ocean,
Middle East, was declared the winner of the Best Logistics Service Provider - Air
Freight Award. The Best Logistics Service Provider - Sea Freight Award has been
given to Maersk Logistics, Middle East. From the Shippers, the Best Exporter Award
was conferred on NOKIA, Middle East, and the Best Importer Award was given to
Al-Futtaim Group, UAE.

Award for the Best Logistics Park - Air went to Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority,
UAE, and Jebel Ali Free Zone, UAE, won the award for the Best Logistics Park - Sea.
The Best Emerging Free Zone Award has been won by Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone,
UAE; the Best Project & Special Cargo Provider Award has been presented to Dnata,
UAE; and the award for the Best Trade Finance Bank was won by HSBC, Middle East.

MELA 2006 - the momentous event - has been organised and managed by Eventis, a Media
One Group company. The event has set the benchmark for performance excellence in the
Middle East logistics industry, with winners for the MELA Awards 2006 being
determined by the Middle East logistics community in a never-before, decision-making
two-stage process of nominating and voting for their choice of companies and
individuals from the industry. A massive media campaign was ensured through print,
online and visual media to encourage the participation of the entire Middle East
logistics community in the Nomination and Voting processes for the MELA 2006 Awards.


Both the Nomination and Voting processes were audited by AGNMAK, the Official
Auditors for MELA 2006 Nomination and Voting processes. Well-known industry experts
and distinguished policy makers covering the entire gamut of the logistics industry
in the Middle East have extended support to MELA 2006 Awards by representing MELA on
its Advisory Board - Juan Torrents, President, World Federation of Free Zones
(FEMOZA); General Mazen Nadim, President, Egyptian International Freight Forwarding
Association (EIFFA); Samir Choueiri, President, Lebanese Forwarders' Syndicate; Dr
Mahmoud Abdallatt, Secretary General, Arab Union of Land Transport, Jordan; Fahad A
Hammad, Vice President - Cargo Sales & Services, Saudi Arabian Airlines; Ali Khalfan
Al Jallaf, Director, Dubai Cargo Village, Dubai, UAE; Dr Khalid Maniar, Founder &
Managing Partner, AGNMAK, Dubai, UAE; Captain Mansoor Yasin A Ghafoor, President,
National Association of Freight Logistics (NAFL), and Vice President, International
Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), Switzerland; Dr Satish Mapara, Shipping and
Legal Consultant, GlobeApex Management Consultants, Dubai, UAE; Dr Khalid Al
Mehairi, Chairman, Emirates Advocates, Dubai, UAE; and Varun Sharma, Head of
Logistics, Maritime and Mercantile International, Dubai, UAE.

The MELA Executive Board includes Mike Lee, President, Supply Chain and Logistics
Group (SCLG); Prakash Nair, Manager - Network, Cargo Sales Development, Emirates
Airline; Geoff Wheatley, Regional Director, SSI-Schaefer; Aleem Aziz, Vice
President, Media One Group, and CEO, MELA Management Office; and Martin Menachery,
Editor, Media One Group, and Head - Press & Information, MELA Media Committee, MELA
Management Office.

The MELA 2007 has been slated for November 20, 2007 (Tuesday).

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

Contact Details = For more information or photographs, please contact:
Martin Menachery, Head - Press & Information, MELA Media Committee, PO Box 72247,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tel: +971 4 297 6987/265 4811; Fax: +971 4 297 6988;
Email: martin@mela.ae; Website: www.mela.ae

Mirzi D Moralde, Sr Communications Executive, MELA Media Committee, PO Box 72247,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tel: +971 4 297 6987/265 4811; Fax: +971 4 297 6988;
Email: mirzi@mela.ae; Website: www.mela.ae