NAQEL Express, a leading express logistics and supply chain company in Saudi Arabia with the largest seamless network, is power-ing ahead with an expansion from its core oil and gas logistic services into the pharma and healthcare sectors.
The company has shown its agility with its pharma services by providing integrated professional logistic solutions for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic.
NAQEL's pharma services include a full range of professional logistics solutions for the healthcare sector, complying with the standards of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority with good distribution practices.
The four main pharma services of NAQEL include international shipping, customs clearance, warehousing, and transportation with full and partial loads with door-to-door delivery services.
Adnan Al-Mazrooa, NAQEL Deputy CEO, presided over the agreement signed at the Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh with The National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) to provide a storage area of 13,000 sq m to store medicines in Asir in the south-ern region.
He says: “NAQEL Express aims to become the preferred logistics service provider in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East for the pharma sector. Our uniqueness lies in our ability to offer a range of product offerings across varied sectors.
“The experience and knowledge we have gained in logistics for the oil and gas sector stand us in good stead with our expansion into the pharma sector. It is only appropriate that our experience and service levels achieved during the pandemic should inspire the move into the pharma and healthcare sectors.”
As with all its other sector offerings, NAQEL offers its pharma customers numerous logistical advantages through its 14 regional offices and 170 strategic partners globally.
The company uses the latest technologies and ensures operational compliance with all local and international regulations and standards, storing and transporting all categories of medicines at the appropriate temperatures.
Rooms equipped with the appropriate temperatures for storing and handling medicines ensure the highest level of safety, security and efficiency in transporting medicines and provide 24/7 call centre and customer support services.
NAQEL owns three warehouses: In Jeddah over 38,000 sq m, in Riyadh covering an area of 17,000 sq m and the third in Asir over 13,000 sq m.
NAQEL has also signed memoranda of understanding with medical sector companies, including King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah, some of which provide HSE support to oil companies.