FedEx’s new cost-effective shipping solution to boost regional trade

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Updated 21 August 2023
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FedEx’s new cost-effective shipping solution to boost regional trade

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, has launched FedEx Regional Economy and FedEx Regional Economy Freight services to cater to the increasing demand for cross-border trade in the Middle East region. The deferred, day-definite road services offer businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises, cost-effective shipping solutions for less urgent shipments within key countries in the Middle East.
FedEx Regional Economy and FedEx Regional Economy Freight utilize the Middle East Road Network to offer seamless connectivity between Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while ensuring the safe and secure transportation of goods using real-time track and trace via fedex.com. With this service, shipments will have express clearance with competitive transit times between three to five business days for Regional Economy and four to six business days for Regional Economy Freight between key Middle East markets.

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The deferred, day-definite road services offer businesses, including SMEs, cost-effective shipping solutions for less urgent shipments within key countries in the Middle East.

The customs-cleared, door-to-door intra-Middle East economy road services allow customers to save significant costs on less time-sensitive deliveries of shipments up to 68 kg using Regional Economy, as well as shipments above 68 kg using Regional Economy Freight, without compromising reliability. In addition, customers can take advantage of the suite of digital tools to streamline their intra-Middle East cross-border deliveries, including creating shipments, managing pick-ups, billing and more.
Both services are ideal for businesses across diverse industries, including automotive, electronics, oil and gas, fashion and retail, chemicals, e-commerce and healthcare. These industries have different shipping requirements ranging from lightweight parcels to heavyweight shipments. Businesses can use the economy road service to ship palletized or irregular-sized goods or goods that cannot fit in standard-size air shipping containers.
“At FedEx we are constantly strengthening our service offerings to meet evolving customer demands. We are seeing businesses prioritize day-definite delivery over speed, recognizing that not all shipments are urgent and require next-day delivery,” said Taarek Hinedi, vice president of FedEx Express Middle East and Africa operations.

“The launch of our Regional Economy services is part of our continuous efforts to equip businesses with differentiated shipping solutions that offer more value, contributing to the growth of businesses and regional industries.”
In Saudi Arabia, FedEx also launched the International Economy and International Economy Freight services, enabling businesses in Saudi Arabia to expand their global reach in a cost-effective and reliable way.
According to GSci Transport Intelligence, the Middle East and North Africa GDP is expected to grow at a steady CAGR of 3.1 percent over the next five years. With this projected economic growth, businesses in the region are seeking more robust logistical support.

 


25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

Updated 27 December 2025
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25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

The Social Development Bank concluded the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum — DeveGo 2025 — announcing the achievement of high-impact outcomes that further reinforced the forum’s position as the largest national platform in the region dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, and freelance work in Saudi Arabia and beyond. 

The forum witnessed broad participation from local and international experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of local, regional, and international institutions.

Over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, the forum drew 25,000 participants and visitors, who benefited from over 45 specialized workshops and over 2500 advisory sessions delivered by more than 70 consultants and experts. 

The sessions covered key areas including entrepreneurial planning, business models, venture capital, digital platforms, freelancing, and emerging technologies. 

The forum also featured 20 panel discussions with leading local and international speakers, addressing major global trends in entrepreneurship, including the future of artificial intelligence, the creative economy, digital transformation, and venture investment. 

The forum saw the launch of the Saudi Empretec Fellowship, in the presence of Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. 

The partners in success within the Social Responsibility Portfolio supporting entrepreneurs were honored. 

It also saw the honoring of 13 winners of the Handicrafts Competition, representing various regions of the Kingdom, the announcement of winners of the Salam Award for Promising Projects, and the recognition of leading entrepreneurial projects fund under the Enterprises Track. 

In addition, the NEXT UP Challenge concluded on the third day of the forum with 20 startups presenting their projects to more than 500 investors, enhancing opportunities for networking and partnership building.

As part of efforts to strengthen the support ecosystem, the forum witnessed the signing of 51 agreements, along with the launch of a suite of new financing products. These included the Capital Expansion Product with a ceiling of up to SR10 million, the Payroll Product with a ceiling of SR2 million, and the Rental Product with a ceiling of SR1.5 million, aimed at supporting enterprises in asset development and covering operational costs. 

This reflects the bank’s direction toward offering more specialized financing tools that respond effectively to market needs.

The forum concluded by reaffirming its role as a unifying national platform for entrepreneurship, where accompanying activities and events provided direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts. 

The forum also highlighted success stories and practical experiences that reflect the scale of entrepreneurial momentum in the Kingdom and the growing role of the Social Development Bank in supporting a national economy driven by innovation and knowledge.