Awal Express
Awal Express is a Manama, Bahrain-based freight forwarder founded in 1975 that provides customs clearance, shipping, logistics, and warehousing services to import/export clients. It operates as a privately held small business with 11-50 employees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersManama, Bahrain
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Awal Express does
Awal Express is a Bahraini freight forwarding and logistics company headquartered in Manama, Bahrain. Founded in 1975, the firm provides freight forwarding, customs clearance, logistics, shipping, and warehousing services. Its service portfolio spans the core functions required to move goods into and out of Bahrain — documentation, regulatory clearance, physical transport, and storage — positioning it as a mid-market, full-service forwarder in the Gulf logistics ecosystem. The company is privately held and employs between 11 and 50 people, consistent with a small, established operator rather than a high-growth scale-up.
The company's underlying technology and platform architecture are not disclosed. The corporate website returned only a loading/verification page during data collection, and no proprietary systems, APIs, mobile applications, or digital booking platforms are documented in the source material. Revenue model details — pricing structure, contract types, customer mix, and margin profile — are likewise unavailable; the website displayed a loading screen and no financial, pricing, or investor relations information could be extracted. No management team, ownership structure, parent company, or shareholder information is publicly listed in the available data.
The data environment for due diligence is thin. There are no disclosed customer logos, no named partnerships or alliances, no certifications or compliance attestations, no M&A history, no funding rounds, no product launch announcements, and no regulatory actions on record. The 50-year operating history suggests established relationships within Bahraini trade and customs infrastructure, but the absence of any verifiable digital footprint or current operational disclosures means that most investment-relevant dimensions — revenue, growth rate, customer concentration, technology stack, and ownership — remain unconfirmed.
Awal Express firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Awal Express
- Website
- https://awalexpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Awal Express is a Manama, Bahrain-based freight forwarder founded in 1975 that provides customs clearance, shipping, logistics, and warehousing services to import/export clients. It operates as a privately held small business with 11-50 employees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Awal Express industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Air Courier Services (4513), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI) (TLACAHAE), Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD), International Fulfillment, Forwarding & Consolidation Services (CRAFAJAE), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)
Keywords
Where Awal Express is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manama
- HQ country
- Bahrain
- HQ region
- Middle East
Markets served
Awal Express business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Awal Express product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Awal Express provides freight forwarding, customs clearance, logistics, shipping, and warehousing services to businesses operating in and through Bahrain. The company manages the movement of goods across borders, handles regulatory documentation and customs procedures, and offers storage facilities for client cargo. It serves as an integrated logistics intermediary connecting shippers with carriers and customs authorities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Freight Forwarding End-to-end freight forwarding service that arranges the movement of goods on behalf of importers, exporters, and shippers. Targets businesses in Bahrain requiring cross-border cargo transportation.
- Customs Clearance Customs clearance service managing regulatory documentation, duties, and compliance procedures for goods entering or leaving the country. Serves businesses trading internationally through Bahrain.
- Logistics Services Coordinated logistics services supporting supply chain movement, transportation planning, and operational logistics management. Targets businesses with ongoing shipping and distribution needs.
- Shipping Services Shipping services for the transportation of cargo, coordinating with carriers to move goods between origins and destinations. Serves businesses shipping products domestically or internationally.
- Warehousing Warehousing and storage service providing space for client cargo before onward distribution or after arrival. Serves importers, exporters, and distributors needing temporary storage of goods in Bahrain.
Companies that use Awal Express
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Awal Express technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Awal Express competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CEVA Logistics: Global supply chain and freight forwarding operator with GCC presence, providing freight management, customs, contract logistics, and warehousing — overlaps with Awal Express's full-service positioning.
- Aramex: Major Middle East-headquartered logistics and express delivery provider offering freight forwarding, customs, and warehousing across the GCC and globally — overlaps directly with Awal Express's service lines at much larger scale.
- Expeditors International: US-headquartered global freight forwarder with strong presence in Asia–Middle East trade lanes, offering comparable ocean/air forwarding and customs services.
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global forwarder with active Middle East operations in air/ocean freight, customs brokerage, and contract logistics — comparable service portfolio at larger scale.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with significant GCC operations covering ocean, air, customs, and contract logistics — a broad incumbent benchmark for capability and scale.
- Agility Logistics: Kuwait-based global logistics company with strong Middle East presence in freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs — a broad incumbent competitor in the same regional market.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding and customs brokerage arm of Deutsche Post DHL, operating extensively in Bahrain and the GCC — competes for the same regional forwarding and customs clients.
- DB Schenker: Global logistics provider with established Middle East network offering air/ocean freight forwarding, customs, and supply chain solutions — competes in the same regional tender pool.
Direct peers
- Kanoo Shipping: Bahrain-based freight forwarding and logistics arm of the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group, providing ocean/air forwarding, customs clearance, and supply chain services in the GCC.
- GAC Group: Bahrain-headquartered global shipping, logistics, and freight forwarding group offering customs clearance, ocean/air freight, and warehousing — directly comparable service mix and Gulf regional anchor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Awal Express social profiles
Digital presenceAwal Express financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Awal Express leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Awal Express funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Awal Express M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Awal Express
What does Awal Express do?
Awal Express provides freight forwarding, customs clearance, logistics, shipping, and warehousing services to businesses operating in and through Bahrain. The company manages the movement of goods across borders, handles regulatory documentation and customs procedures, and offers storage facilities for client cargo. It serves as an integrated logistics intermediary connecting shippers with carriers and customs authorities.
When was Awal Express founded?
Awal Express was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Awal Express based?
Awal Express is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, in the Middle East region.
Who are Awal Express's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CEVA Logistics, Aramex, Expeditors International, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, Agility Logistics, DHL Global Forwarding and DB Schenker. Direct peers are Kanoo Shipping and GAC Group.
Does Awal Express have an API?
No public API is recorded for Awal Express.
What industry is Awal Express in?
Awal Express's product category is Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACABAG, Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance), with a secondary code of TLACAHAE, Customs & Regulatory Filing Documentation (Entry/Exit Summaries, Declarations, ENS/AMS/ACI). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.