AKI to open its largest fulfilment centre in the UAE

UAE-based diversified family-owned business Al Khayyat Investments (AKI) has broken ground on its largest fulfilment centre to date which will support the company’s next phase of expansion in the UAE and the wider region.

The new fulfilment centre, which is expected to be completed within a year, will house 32 loading bays in a total built-up area of 48,000 sqm. It will serve AKI’s core business units and cater to the company’s physical retail operations as well as its growing e-commerce businesses.

The state-of-the-art distribution hub located in Dubai Industrial City will provide AKI with double its existing storage and dispatch capacity, serving more than 8,000 business customers, and half a million consumers of home delivery services, processing over three million orders per year.

The centre is designed to operate as a green building with LEED certification, achieved through the installation of solar energy systems and operational processes with a low carbon footprint.

“As the Group continues to forge ahead on our digital transformation journey, we have enhanced our competitive edge and improved efficiency in all aspects of our operations. We are excited to bring digitalisation to the heart of our processes at the new fulfilment centre, which will make it one of the most advanced distribution hubs in the country,” said Zaid S. Al Khayyat, Managing Director of AKI.

The new distribution centre will also be equipped with cutting-edge technology in line with AKI’s vision to implement intelligent and scalable infrastructure within all its operations. The fully automated and paperless facility will use artificial intelligence to support faster and more efficient storage, handling and processing. The facility will also use innovative technologies for fast and accurate order picking, wearable radiofrequency devices for handsfree picking and RFID technology for inventory tracking.