Caterpillar sets up regional parts distribution centre in Dubai's Jafza

Caterpillar is strengthening its distribution network in the Middle East with a new regional parts distribution centre in the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area (Jefza) in Dubai, the world's largest and fastest growing free zone.

Caterpillar Logistics Services Inc (Cat Logistics), a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc, has formally launched construction work on a new regional parts distribution centre in Jafza.

The 450,000 square-foot facility, known as the Middle East distribution centre, will strengthen Cat Logistics' primary after-market parts support network in the Middle East and Africa region, Dubai World, which owns the Dubai free zone, said in a press release.

The Middle-East centre, which will employ between 100 and 120 people, is being developed as part of an ongoing plan to expand and enhance the Caterpillar parts distribution network in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

"The new Middle East distribution center is an important part of Caterpillar's overall plan to develop the global Cat Parts distribution network further and get parts to dealers and customers faster," said Steve Larson, vice president of Caterpillar Inc.

"We are very pleased to get construction of this new facility underway in Jafza, which, we believe, is ideally located for our business. It will improve parts availability in the region, contributing to high levels of machine uptime, which is critically important to our customers," said chairman and president of Caterpillar Logistics Services Inc.