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German logistics company DHL Group has unveiled its new Middle East and Africa (MEA) Innovation Center in Dubai South, UAE, alongside a €120 million ($140.84 million) investment in a new multi-user warehouse in the same logistics district.
The facility, which will operate with carbon-neutral standards, is located near the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport and aims to serve as a key logistics gateway between East and West, according to the company.
The warehouse, set to begin construction in early 2026 and be completed by summer 2027, will span 55,000 square meters of storage and office space on a 96,000-square-meter site.
The new MEA Innovation Center, covering 1,700 square meters, replaces DHL’s previous mobile setup and becomes one of only four permanent DHL Innovation Centers worldwide, joining facilities in Cologne, Singapore, and Chicago.
Designed as a collaborative platform, the center brings together customers, partners, startups, and academic institutions to explore emerging technologies, test scalable solutions, and co-develop responses to real-world logistics challenges, the company said in its statement.
DHL Supply Chain MEA CEO Orkun Saruhanoglu said the new facility would enhance the company's regional presence by integrating innovation and operations more closely. "This state-of-the-art site is designed to shape the future of trade by serving as a contractual logistics gateway that connects global supply chains," he stated.
DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation President Katja Busch emphasized the region’s importance for the group, noting, "The new Innovation Center, built on the success of our previous mobile setup, is now a permanent facility and a clear symbol of our commitment to the MEA and the UAE."
Buket Cox, General Manager of DHL Supply Chain Türkiye, highlighted Türkiye’s connection to the initiative through its accredited R&D center. "We are excited to see the impact of the new Innovation Center’s output as a company that promotes logistics innovation in Türkiye," she said.
The launch of the warehouse project and innovation hub follows DHL’s announcement earlier this year of a multi-year investment agenda allocating €500 million for the Middle East and €300 million ($352.11 million) for Sub-Saharan Africa.
With operations in over 220 countries and territories and a workforce of around 602,000, DHL Group reported approximately €84.2 billion ($98.82 billion) in revenue in 2024.
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