Aviation360 MEA

Kuehne+Nagel has been selected as a preferred partner to operate IDA Foundation’s healthcare hub for the Middle East and Africa region, located in Dubai. IDA Foundation, an independent social enterprise headquartered in Amsterdam, provides medicine and medical goods to healthcare organisations worldwide in over 130 countries.

The new IDA Foundation hub, located at the Kuehne+Nagel facility at Dubai South, will serve as a centralised kitting and global health logistics centre for the region and beyond. Over 60% of the existing, fully GxP- compliant warehousing facility is already dedicated to handling healthcare products, confirming the organisation’s expertise in handling delicate, temperature-sensitive goods.
In the UAE, Kuehne+Nagel will support IDA Foundation with product handling, including temperature and access-controlled storage, aggregation, and local and international distribution. A dedicated pharmacist will ensure compliance with strict regulations and risk mitigation.The honourable guests of the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony represented local and international organisations that played a pivotal role in achieving
this success and promoting healthcare logistics in the UAE: International Humanitarian City, Dubai South, and World Health Organization.

“Expanding our regional hub in the UAE strategically places IDA Foundation to provide fast and reliable supply of health goods to those in need, with a focus on the Middle East and Africa,” says Wendy Eggen, CEO of IDA Foundation. “We chose Kuehne+Nagel because of the trust and confidence in their unwavering reliability, best-in-class warehousing services, their commitment to sustainability, and a wide range of supplementing services that allow agile response.”

The partnership between Kuehne+Nagel and IDA Foundation extends a decade-long cooperation between the two organisations. Kuehne+Nagel Emergency and Relief Logistics in Copenhagen has successfully been a long-term partner in providing humanitarian logistics for IDA Foundation in
order to distribute health products to any location in the world. “This alliance is a testament to our shared vision of providing every patient the healthcare product in condition and in the time they deserve, but also delivering sustainable logistics solutions,” says Lee I’Ons, President, the Middle East and Africa at Kuehne+Nagel. “Our expertise in handling healthcare products, our persistent reliability, and the exemplary dedication of our teams were fundamental to this success.”

Kuehne+Nagel UAE offers sea, road, air, and project logistics solutions, as well as value-added, tailored services from offices based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with a team of more than 350 professionals. Over 105,000 sqm of ultra-modern warehousing space allows smooth handling of all kinds of products, from automotive to healthcare, FMCG, and general cargo, for over 30 customers.