Etihad Airways , the national airline of the UAE, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Abu Dhabi-based Lulu International Group. Etihad Airways will be the preferred supplier of air cargo services for Lulu's retail operations into and out of the UAE. Under the agreement, Etihad Airways will offer the Lulu International Group and its forwarding agents a range of preferential and priority air cargo services. This includes transporting mostly fresh produce from countries such as Egypt, India, the Philippines, Thailand and the United Kingdom to and through the UAE. Best known for the Lulu chain of supermarkets, department stores, hypermarkets and shopping malls, the Lulu International Group operates businesses all over UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Ivory Cost, Ghana and Benin. Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Baumgartner, said: "We are delighted to have signed this MoU with the Lulu International Group and look forward to working together as this relationship develops. "This deal is central to Etihad Airways ' role of facilitating trade into and out of the UAE, and will further support the commercial development of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi." Emirates247. Chief Executive Officer of Lulu International Group, Saifee T Rupawala, said: "We are very excited about this new agreement with Etihad Airways which will help us immensely in effectively managing our worldwide supply chain and logistics. This in turn will help us cater to the diverse needs of our large multi-ethnic consumer base with prompt service and competitive prices."
