Alain Kaddoum leads Savoye Middle East with a mission of boosting the company’s presence and making it the top automation, robotics and software solutions provider for the supply chain industry in the region.

Having recently joined Savoye as Managing Director for the Middle East region, Kaddoum has already started demonstrating his management capabilities and technical expertise to the team.

With more than 12 years of professional excellence, Kaddoum has taken both leadership and engineering roles. Prior to his position at Savoye, Kaddoum has served six years at Swisslog Middle East. He also worked at UAE-based Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, leading a research team to work closely on a breakthrough protocol for the country’s aerospace industry.

Kaddoum holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from INP-ENSEEIHT, and a Master’s Degree in Automatics, Informatics, and Decisional Systems from INP Toulouse, France, in addition to other academic accomplishments and certifications. He is also fluent in Arabic, French, and English.

Bassel El Koussa, Co-founder and CEO of Quiqup, founded the company in 2014 in the UK before relocating it to Dubai. With experience in adapting and pivoting the business two times, both geographic and in business model. He’s raised $65 million and built a stellar team, offering valuable insights into resilience, innovation, and scaling in the tech and logistics sectors.

With over 22 years of hands-on experience in the freight forwarding industry, Talha Malik is a seasoned executive, leader, and strategist in project logistics and freight forwarding. As the Director of Project Logistics for the Middle East at GEODIS, a global leader in transport and logistics, Talha Malik leads the delivery of bespoke, integrated solutions for the energy and marine sectors.

Talha's core competencies include setting up and managing successful ventures, tendering, project pricing, commercial strategy, technical and legal oversight, vendor management, chartering, QHSE, compliance, people management and development, and cargo management systems. He is also recognized as a "Cargowise Certified Professional" and Key User.

Driven by a mission to provide exceptional value and service to clients and stakeholders, Talha is committed to advancing the project logistics industry and promoting sustainability. A passionate traveler who has explored 52 countries, Talha is always keen to connect and share insights.

Shailen Shukla is an Alumni of Delhi University and IIM, Ahmedabad, is an astute professional with over 30+ years of experience in Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management, Profit Centre Management, Commercial Operations, Project Procurement and Management, Vendor Management and ERP & Systems Implementation.

Currently working as Supply Chain Director in Alesayi Group in Jeddah, KSA. Omar Kassem Alesayi Group’s Consumer and Trading portfolio is built on providing an excellent portfolio of products alongside the highest standards of service for clients and consumers. Over time, the company has invested heavily in the acquisition and development of consumer concepts and services to exceed the demands of consumer and market requirements. Omar Kassem Alesayi Group’s portfolio ranges from automotive, transportation, electrical products, cabling systems and consumer goods. The Group continuously seeks to expand its portfolio with opportunities that provide a variety of products and services through partnerships, complementary offerings, and relevant innovations.

Worked as Chief Logistics Officer at PicTruc LLC, a MHAO group company, with a JV with Unanu India. Powered by Massive Data and Innovation, PicTruc is well poised to bring in Disruptive Technology in Logistics through Marketplace and end-to- end Logistics Platform. Was also group head for Logistics and advisor in Admiral Mobility a JV for Geely Electric Trucks distribution.

Previously for 9 years, worked as Business Head of JECL Logistics LLC (A 3PL company under the Jumbo Electronics Group) and Head Logistics, Jumbo Electronics, a top UAE Electronics Distributor / Retail Chain. Winner of “SCATA (Supply Chain and Transport Awards) – Supply Chain Of The Year Award 2013” and “Supply Chain Of The Year - Highly Commended” in 2014, “Supply Chain Manager of The Year – Highly Commended” in 2015!!!

Earlier worked in Senior Positions in large Indian Companies like Reliance Logistics (General Manager), Grasim (Head SCM), Vedanta (Sterlite Optical and Balco as AGM Commercial), Modi Group (Modi Industries, Modi Cement), etc, and MNCs like Brightpoint (Director Operations) and TNS / Kantar India (Director Business Operations) in India.

Won the Logistics Leader of the Year Award recently!!!

Highly ambitious, whofound her footing in the media space, with its wide genres, discovering the power of words to influence real-world change. Bassant brings more than 15 years of commended performance as a media expert in different genres. Through her diverse expertise she has developed over a decade, she achieved an accurate coverage and exclusive interviews concerning local and foreign affairs, built a wide and reliable network of sources in international organizations, and qualified torun trainings on professional reporting and media coverage. She earned her MA degreewith honor in Journalism and Mass Communications from the American University in Cairo.

With anextensive published numbers of news and reports in areas such as operational performance, sustainable maritime logistics, supply chain information security, contemporary disruptive business applications of technology transformations for organizations, she has gained extensive experience in many industries inside and outside the UAE.

Yasmin Fraij is a seasoned logistics expert with over twenty years of experience in the Middle East, specializing in freight forwarding, customs clearance, and trade control compliance. Since joining Kuehne+Nagel in 2019, Yasmin has been instrumental in developing customs clearance processes and working within Free Zone environments. She excels in supporting overseas customers and new startups, helping them navigate the complexities of Free Zones and customs regulations in the UAE.

With over 18 years of industry experience, Nasiba Alshukairy currently oversees operations of 7X, as its Group Executive Director of Strategy and Investment. Alshukairy has been instrumental in shaping the new strategy of the group and its subsidiaries, driving the business in the fields of trade, transport and logistics ecosystem to achieve exceptional growth. Alshukairy coordinates strategy planning meetings and implementation, along with forging partnerships, leveraging opportunities and growth evaluations.

Joining 7X in 2024, she brought a long-standing experience from her previous roles in Aramex International as a Global Strategy and PMO Senior Director. Her expertise, gained from her past roles in the area of developing and implementing corporate strategies and business plans, makes her as a vital contributor to the growth of 7X.

Her strong acumen in driving digital and business transformation comes in line with her bachelor’s degree in international economics and master’s in information technology.

Recognising her unwavering commitment towards the development of 7X, Alshukairy was nominated among the ‘Top 15 Women Leaders in the Middle East 2024’ at the third edition of the Middle East Women Leaders’ Summit and Awards 2024.

LogiPoint is a Saudi Arabia based Logistics Real Estate company which is recognized today as the leading developer and operator of Logistics Parks and Economic Zones in the Kingdom. The company began its journey in 1999 as the Kingdom’s first Bonded and Re-Export Zone and has since evolved into a multi-faceted, award-winning logistics hub serving the international supply chain industry.

Farooq Shaikh is the CEO of LogiPoint. He has over 20+ years of high impact experience in the Middle East shipping and logistics industry and has held senior leadership roles with industry leading global organizations in UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan before making KSA his home in 2009.

In 2009, Farooq joined the SISCO (Publicly listed:

http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/SISCO:AB) Group’s SAR 2 Billion Red Sea Gateway Terminal project as part of the core senior management team and played an instrumental role in building, launching and operationalizing the first privately built state-of-the-art container terminal in the Kingdom.

Since 2018, Farooq has been at the helm of LogiPoint as the CEO. He has led the organization through a global pandemic, navigated the unforeseen consequences of the ensuing perfect storm in the shipping and logistics industry, and responded effectively to a scramble for elasticity and resilience across the full spectrum of LogiPoint clients, all the while growing the organization and expanding its footprint.

During this period, LogiPoint commissioned the construction of ‘Built-To-Suit’ green facilities for global brands and blue chip companies in the e-commerce, express delivery and 3PL segments; launched LogiPoint’s Warehouse Village 5, a multipurpose, state-of-the-art warehousing complex which includes specialized sections for handling pharmaceuticals as well as ambient, cold and frozen goods; accelerated the Jeddah Logistics Park, and opened their Central Region office in Riyadh. At the core of these developments is an unwavering commitment to meet the evolving needs of the market with a singular focus on enabling the logistics and supply chain industry.

Under Farooq’s leadership, LogiPoint have accelerated investments in the Logistics Real Estate arena to ensure that there is sufficient capacity for businesses in the region to scale their operations while they respond to rapidly changing demand patterns. The CEO has often underlined the multiplier effect LogiPoint investments have on the region’s economy and has spearheaded these big ticket investments in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goal to transform Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub.

Farooq has made ESG a cornerstone of the LogiPoint value system, which is reflected in the fact that LogiPoint buildings have all been designed with green technologies at their center – from relying on renewable resources for energy needs to conserving water to eliminating waste, all new buildings adhere to strict environmental protocols dedicated to reducing carbon footprint. As part of those initiatives, the company has recently also announced planting of thousands of trees in the LogiPoint projects. LogiPoint operations teams are trained to treat environmental concerns as top priority in all operations, while the company is building green commitments into their value system, designs and KPIs.

Farooq has demonstrated a passion for people. The welfare, well-being and growth of the LogiPoint personnel take top priority under his leadership, which is also why LogiPoint witnessed a growth rather than a reduction in its teams even during the pandemic downturn. There are extensive investments made in hiring and developing the right talent, while there is a clear focus on tapping the rich and diverse talent pool of Saudi women workforce. There is a conscious effort to induct female talent across departments and groom them for leadership roles. From providing a safe and inclusive work environment to ensuring opportunities for professional growth through training and through empowering them by defining clear career paths for them, the company invests constantly in expanding and growing their female workforce.

Under Farooq’s able leadership, LogiPoint have been shortlisted for and won numerous prestigious awards, which demonstrates the recognition the company is getting from within the industry also. As the world comes to terms with the new set of normal in a post COVID-19 world, Farooq is looking to lead LogiPoint into this new world as an important stakeholder in the regional logistics market.