By Maria Kalamatas | May 19, 2025
Doha —
The runways are expanding. Warehouses are going vertical. And in places like Doha, Dubai, and Riyadh, air cargo terminals are becoming central to regional growth plans.
Gulf countries are betting big on airfreight. But beneath the investment headlines, operators face a quiet challenge: how to grow fast—without breaking the system they’ve just built.
“We’ve doubled volume capacity in three years,” said a senior manager at Hamad International Airport. “But demand is scaling faster than infrastructure can absorb.”
Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have all poured funds into aviation logistics. The vision is clear: connect Asia, Europe, and Africa through smart hubs that combine freight, free zones, and final-mile solutions. The numbers support the momentum. Qatar’s cargo tonnage rose 17% year-on-year. Dubai saw 21% growth across its air logistics network.
But growth brings pressure.
Cold chain facilities are reaching limits. Customs clearance times remain uneven across lanes. And while aircraft handling has improved, landside bottlenecks persist—especially for transshipment cargo.
Forwarders say the real constraint isn’t aircraft—it’s ground coordination.
“There are moments where freight lands on time but doesn’t leave the terminal for 36 hours,” said a regional forwarder based in Jebel Ali. “That gap is where value evaporates.”
The demand surge is also redefining expectations. Retailers want same-day re-export. Pharma clients require uninterrupted cold chain integrity. And e-commerce players expect systems that adjust hourly, not daily.
To keep pace, regional airports are investing in automation, AI-based slot planning, and bonded corridor integration. But the risk is that tech upgrades outpace human coordination—leaving operators with fragmented fixes instead of scalable solutions.
The Gulf’s airfreight story isn’t just about visibility. It’s about synchronization.
And in 2025, success won’t go to the fastest hub. It will go to the one that stays in rhythm as the tempo rises.
