Saudi Arabia - Leading international polyurethane (PU) solutions provider Pearl Polyurethane Systems has reached a milestone in its sustainability journey, becoming one of the first organisations in the UAE to utilise Etihad Rail’s National Rail Network to transport products from the UAE to Saudi Arabia in partnership with DHL Global Forwarding.

Pearl, reached another milestone in its sustainability journey, transported a shipment of sustainable PU insulation materials as part of DHL’s first consignment from Dubai to Al Ghuwaifat via rail.

In partnership with DHL, Pearl is now integrating rail as a mode of transportation for its inter-GCC shipments to seamlessly connect to the system house’s customers while reducing the carbon emissions resulting from the movement of goods, aligning with Pearl’s sustainability goals.

Irina Kuzina, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Pearl Polyurethane Systems, said: “At Pearl, we strive to be agents of change, and we aim to contribute to sustainable development through our commitment to continuous improvement and a range of ongoing R&D initiatives focused on PU innovation.

"Making the logistics of our operations more sustainable was the next logical step, and we’re proud to be one of DHL’s first pioneers to transport our products from the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Etihad Rail’s National Rail Network. Not only are we dedicated to providing more eco-friendly PU systems that help our customers achieve their sustainability targets, but we are also always on the lookout for ways to minimise the environmental impact of our own operations, including the production and transportation of our products.

“Rail is considered one of the most sustainable modes of transport, and we achieved a 22 per cent CO2 emissions reduction when compared to transporting our systems via truck. Pearl’s vision is to offer end-to-end sustainable polyurethane systems and solutions to our customers, and we will continue to explore logistics strategies and modes of transportation that get us closer to achieving that goal. We would like to thank DHL for presenting us with the opportunity to be one of the pioneers of this programme, and we are looking forward to further collaboration to achieve our sustainability targets,” Kuzina said.

To unlock the benefits of rail transportation and utilise the National Rail Network as a major facilitator of operations, DHL entered a strategic partnership with Etihad Rail in 2023. The logistics giant is committed to adopting rail as one of the major modes of transport to the UAE and beyond. Completed in February 2023, the second stage of the National Rail Network connects the UAE to Al Ghuwaifat, Saudi Arabia, via a 139-km track.

Mary Oxley, Vice President of Marketing and Sales – Middle East & Africa at DHL Global Forwarding, said: “DHL is delighted to be joining forces with Etihad Rail and our customers to advance the goal of making logistics more sustainable. We approached Pearl Polyurethane to be one of our pioneers. Following the successful transportation of the first shipment between the UAE and Saudi Arabia via rail, we look forward to positively contributing to the UAE’s vision of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and helping our partners achieve their sustainability targets.”

As the only polyurethane system house in the Middle East to hold International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) approval, Pearl has taken significant strides in developing eco-friendly PU systems and insulation solutions that offer customers enhanced energy efficiency.

The organisation also utilises green ingredients, such as cashew nut oil, algae oil and date seed oil, in the manufacture of polyester.

Kuzina concluded Pearl will continue to build on the organisation’s sustainability progress, which has included the installation of solar panels and transition to electric-powered forklifts at Pearl’s state-of-the-art GCC facilities, to achieve the shared vision of contributing to a brighter, greener future.  

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