Supply chains are recalibrating, and the Middle East and Africa are investing aggressively to meet the moment. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton and special guest co-host Yaseen Ahmid welcome Toby Maier, CEO for Middle East and Africa at DHL Global Forwarding, for a wide-ranging conversation on what is changing trade and logistics across the region. Toby breaks down how recent tariffs are redirecting export flows into the Middle East and Africa, why GCC countries are racing to build world-class logistics hubs, and how production is shifting from Turkey toward markets like Egypt and Morocco. They also explore what it will take to build stronger, more reliable supply chains across Africa, from investment in life sciences and healthcare infrastructure to modernized regulation that reduces delays at customs. Toby shares how DHL’s publicly announced $300 million investment through 2030 prioritizes end-to-end capability that helps medicines, vaccines, and other critical products reach communities across a fast-growing population. The conversation also tackles the practical realities of energy access, data centers, and the cost to deliver goods, plus how sustainability efforts like electrified fleets and sustainable aviation fuel can support performance and emissions goals at the same time.   This…

From saving time, cutting costs, and enhancing efficiency to mitigating errors, relieving workforce pressures, and reducing employee turnover, technology adoption can pay dividends when it comes to freight auditing. In this unique episode of Supply Chain Now, we’re joined by two companies that have worked together to realize the benefits that technological innovation can bring to the freight auditing table. With Ecolab having undergone its own highly successful transformation journey, Natalie Rekow, Senior Logistics Manager, Transportation Admin, Cost Performance and Freight Payment, offers up her firsthand experiences on the differences that embracing key solutions can make. Alongside her is Shannon Vaillancourt, President and Founder of RateLinx – the partner enterprise that stepped in to support Ecolab during its process optimization venture – who provides a window of insight looking at exactly what’s involved in moving from a manual to technology-driven operation. Tune into this insightful discussion on freight auditing transformation to discover: · The difficulties presented by manual processes. · How AI-backed software can be leveraged to tackle the work of hundreds of people. · The critical importance of not just any data, but good data.