Power 25 2022: Farooq Shaikh, CEO of LogiPoint, Ranks 4

LogiPoint is a Saudi Arabia based logistics real estate company, which is recognized today as the leading developer and operator of Logistics Parks and Economic Zones in the Kingdom. The company began its journey in 1999 as the Kingdom’s first Bonded and Re-Export Zone and has since evolved into a multi-faceted, award-winning logistics hub serving the international supply chain industry.

Farooq Shaikh, the CEO of LogiPoint, has over 20+ years of high impact experience in the Middle East shipping and logistics industry and held senior leadership roles with industry leading global organizations in UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan before coming to Saudi in 2009.

In 2009, Farooq joined the SISCO Group’s SAR2 billion Red Sea Gateway Terminal project as part of the core senior management team and played an instrumental role in building, launching and operationalising the first privately built state-of-the-art container terminal in the Kingdom.

Since 2018, Farooq has been at the helm of LogiPoint as the CEO and has led the organisation through a global pandemic, navigated the unforeseen consequences of the ensuing (and ongoing) perfect storm in the shipping and logistics industry, and responded effectively to a scramble for elasticity and resilience across the full spectrum of LogiPoint clients, all the while growing the organization and expanding its footprint.

During this period, LogiPoint have commissioned the construction of ‘Built-To-Suit’ green facilities for global brands and blue-chip companies in the e-commerce, express delivery and 3PL segments; launched LogiPoint’s Warehouse Village 5, a multipurpose, state-of-the-art warehousing complex which includes specialized sections for handling pharmaceuticals as well as ambient, cold and frozen goods; accelerated the Jeddah Logistics Park and opened their Central Region office in Riyadh. At the core of these developments is an unwavering commitment to meet the evolving needs of the market with a singular focus on enabling the logistics and supply chain industry.

In the pandemic years, companies are having to redesign their supply chains around resilience and elasticity rather than mere speed and alacrity. LogiPoint have accelerated investments in the Logistics Real Estate arena to ensure that there is sufficient capacity for businesses in the region to scale their operations while they respond to rapidly changing demand patterns.

Farooq Shaikh has underlined the multiplier effect LogiPoint investments have on the region’s economy and spearheaded these big-ticket investments in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goal to transform Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub.

Farooq has made ESG a cornerstone of the LogiPoint value system, which is reflected in the fact that LogiPoint buildings have all been designed with green technologies at their center – from relying on renewable resources for energy needs to conserving water to eliminating waste, all new buildings adhere to strict environmental protocols dedicated to reducing carbon footprint.

As part of those initiatives, the company has recently also announced planting of thousands of trees in the LogiPoint projects. LogiPoint operations teams are trained to treat environmental concerns as top priority in all operations, while the company is building green commitments into their value system, designs and KPIs.

Farooq has demonstrated a passion for people. The welfare, well-being, and growth of the LogiPoint personnel take top priority under his leadership, which is also why LogiPoint witnessed a growth rather than a reduction in its teams even during the pandemic.

There are extensive investments made in hiring and developing the right talent, while there is a clear focus on tapping the rich and diverse talent pool of Saudi women workforce. There is a conscious effort to induct female talent across departments and groom them for leadership roles. From providing a safe and inclusive work environment to ensuring opportunities for professional growth through training and through empowering them by defining clear career paths for them, the company invests constantly in expanding and growing their female workforce.

Under Farooq’s able leadership, LogiPoint have been shortlisted for and won numerous prestigious awards, which demonstrates the recognition the company is getting from within the industry also. As the world comes to terms with the new set of normal in a post COVID-19 world, Farooq is looking to lead LogiPoint into this new world as an important stakeholder in the regional logistics market.