Amazon announced it will open five new delivery stations across Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, Abha, and Dammam. The buildings, which total 36,000 sqm in area, will be fully operational in time for White Friday this year and will enable next day and same day deliveries, on orders placed before midnight, to customers based in these regions. Amazon’s delivery stations embody its 20+ years of operational expertise, technology advancements, and transportation infrastructure investment that enable faster delivery for customers, more than ever before.
In addition to employing people in Amazon’s delivery stations, the openings will also create hundreds of job opportunities for Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners, during the holiday season, bolstering Amazon’s growing pool of homegrown Saudi talent. Delivery stations power the last mile of Amazon’s order process and help speed up deliveries for customers. Packages are shipped to a delivery station from Amazon Fulfillment and Sortation Centers, loaded into delivery vehicles, and delivered to customers.
Prashant Saran, Director of Operations for Amazon Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said: “We are excited to continue to invest in Saudi Arabia. The new delivery stations are powered by the latest Amazon technology to provide an even more efficient delivery experience for customers in Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, Abha, and Dammam, which are home to around nine million people. This step comes as we continue to enhance our fast and convenient service throughout Saudi Arabia.”
The new buildings have been designed with Amazon’s high safety and associate amenities, as well as energy efficiency systems, in line with Amazon’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems will be monitored to ensure a comfortable working environment, while also reducing unnecessary energy consumption. Amazon is on a path to powering its global operations with 100% renewable energies by 2025, having already reached 65% in 2020, and is now the biggest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world.
Amazon offers employees highly competitive pay, benefits from day one, and training programs for in-demand jobs. The company prioritizes the safety and health of employees above all else, and has invested more than USD 15 billion to help keep employees safe and deliver products to customers throughout 2020 and 2021. This included implementing more than 150 significant process enhancements, from deep cleaning of our facilities to processes that allow for effective social distancing, among others.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced a series of infrastructure investments to further enhance the customer experience in Saudi Arabia with the opening of 11 new buildings, a move that is set to create at least 1,500 new jobs, in addition to hundreds of opportunities with partners.
