DHL starts Liège–Jeddah temperature-controlled service

DHL Global Forwarding has started a dedicated temperature-controlled air charter service from Liège to Jeddah for life sciences and healthcare cargo. The service operates three times a week and moves pharmaceutical shipments under controlled temperature ranges of 2–8°C and 15–25°C. From Jeddah, goods are further distributed across the Gulf through road feeder connections to Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. The aim is to improve the handling of sensitive medical cargo by reducing temperature breaks and transit risks across long distances.

The model allows companies in Western Europe and other regions to consolidate shipments and truck them to Liège before air transport to Saudi Arabia. The flow is designed as GDP-aligned, with controlled handling from origin to destination. In Saudi Arabia, regional distribution and final delivery support is handled by AJEX, a certified pharmaceutical logistics provider in which DHL holds an equity stake.

The solution is focused on import flows into the Gulf region only. It reduces multiple handling points and keeps cargo within defined temperature ranges across air and road segments. This helps maintain product quality for sensitive healthcare shipments moving between Europe and the Middle East.