DHL Express signs 10-year SAF supply deal with SAF One Bahrain
The agreement will supply 250,000 tonnes of SAF from 2028 and support DHL’s target to raise sustainable aviation fuel usage to 30%.
DHL Group announced that DHL Express has signed an offtake agreement with Dubai-based SAF One, bringing the first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in the Middle East into DHL’s global SAF supply network.
Under the agreement, DHL Express will receive long-term access to 25,000 metric tonnes of unblended SAF annually from SAF One’s Bahrain plant, totalling 250,000 metric tonnes over a ten-year period starting from planned production in 2028.
The SAF produced at the Bahrain facility will support lifecycle CO2e reductions across DHL’s regional and intercontinental air network and help the company achieve its target of increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels to 30% by 2030.
Abdulaziz Busbate, CEO, DHL Express MENA, said the partnership will help accelerate regional decarbonisation, strengthen local innovation ecosystems and provide customers with emission-reduced shipping solutions. He added that the agreement reflects DHL’s long-standing commitment to Bahrain and the wider region.
Travis Cobb, EVP Global Network Operations & Aviation at DHL Express, said integrating the first SAF plant in the Middle East into DHL’s global supply chain marks another step towards sustainable aviation. He said the agreement also expands DHL’s SAF footprint geographically and strengthens sourcing resilience.
Deepak Munganahalli, Co-Founder and CEO, SAF One, said the agreement is an important step towards establishing a major SAF production facility in the Middle East. He also thanked stakeholders in Bahrain, including BAPCO Energies and the Bahrain Economic Development Board, for supporting the project.
According to DHL, the SAF One facility will use renewable feedstocks and next-generation refining technologies to produce certified sustainable aviation fuel. DHL said the long-term agreement supports the growth of clean energy infrastructure across the Middle East.
The SAF supplied under the agreement will be allocated globally through a verified “book and claim” model, allowing customers to reduce Scope 3 emissions even on routes not directly fuelled with SAF. DHL said the SAF volumes will be integrated into its GoGreen Plus offering, which provides decarbonised logistics solutions through sustainable fuels and low-carbon technologies.
