Aramex benefitted from the continuing boom in global e-commerce, digitalisation measures and restructuring initiatives to record a 38% rise in net profits in the third quarter.
The Middle East-based express and logistics group reported net profits of AED 113 million in the July – September 2018 quarter, up by 38%, while nine-month profits increased by 25% to AED 339 million. Quarterly revenue rose by 8% to AED 1,239 million while nine-month revenue grew at the same rate to AED 3,661 million.
CEO Bashar Obeid said: “We are thrilled to record another strong set of results this quarter. The boom in global e-commerce continues to fuel the growth of our top line, with our International Express business growing by an impressive 18% for the period. Furthermore, our 38% surge in net profit is a confirmation of the positive impact our strategic initiatives have been having since the beginning of this year.
"Today, our internal processes are running more efficiently, operationally we have become leaner, and we have upgraded our service level to our customers. Ultimately, this has helped create efficiencies, improved our cost management, thus supporting the expansion in our bottom line.”
Iyad Kamal, Chief Operating Officer at Aramex, added: “We continue to see the impact of operational changes and investments across the business quarter by quarter and are proud of the progress we have achieved. Investment in technology and digital transformation forms the cornerstone of our strategy, and we have focused heavily on these areas because we know that they are key to delivering our customers the transparency, visibility and flexibility that they demand.
“We are well positioned to continue this growth momentum and continue to ensure that the business remains diversified and efficiently operated, with a strong focus on improving last-mile delivery.”
Outlining its Q3 performance, Aramex said its International Express segment witnessed strong double-digit growth, up by 18% to AED 543 million compared to Q3 2017. This solid performance was a result of the growth in international cross-border e-commerce across all regions, most notably from Asia and Turkey.
The Domestic Express business dropped slightly, down 3% to AED 254 million in Q3 2018, compared to Q3 2017. Despite solid growth across most of Aramex’s core markets, quarterly performance was impacted by the downscaling of operations in India as part of restructuring efforts, in addition to currency exchange fluctuations, mainly the Australian dollar.
Aramex's Freight-Forwarding business remained stable, rising by 2% to AED 292 million, as the company focused on diversifying across different geographies and strategic sector verticals, including Oil and Gas, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Aerospace, and Retail.
The company’s small Logistics and Supply Chain Management business witnessed double-digit growth of 14% to AED 76 million due to strong demand for warehousing and other value-added services, notably in the UAE, Singapore and Africa.
Commenting on Aramex’s outlook for the remainder of 2018, Obeid said: “We expect to end the year on a solid footing. As such, we will continue to focus on enhancing end-to-end delivery and further improving customer service through investments in technology and digitization.
"I am also very optimistic about the growth in the global e-commerce business and will continue to focus efforts on optimal means to capture those rising and evolving opportunities. Accelerating the growth of our B2B and Freight-Forwarding capabilities across the network remains a key focus area for us for the remainder of the year and beyond.”
