Prioritize port and airport proximity, connectivity to major highways, and direct liner or air-carrier services on key trade lanes. Evaluate on-site customs/bonded processing, cross-dock capacity, and local carrier relationships for last-mile coverage and consolidated ocean/air departures to minimize transit time and freight cost.

Bonded and free zone options defer duties and VAT until goods are released into the local market, improving cash flow and reducing landed cost. They also streamline customs clearance and simplify re-export processes, but may incur higher facility or handling fees—so model duty deferral versus warehouse operating costs.

Compare order accuracy, on-time fulfillment, dock-to-stock lead time, inventory accuracy, average pick/pack cycle time, return-processing time, and cost-per-order. Validate historical SLA performance, penalties, and reporting cadence to ensure transparency and continuous improvement.

Require modern WMS with RESTful APIs or EDI, real-time inventory feeds, ASN and shipment tracking, barcode/RFID support, and TMS linkage. Confirm vendor support for integration testing, secure data exchange, exception alerting, and reporting dashboards to maintain inventory accuracy and reduce latency in order routing.

Assess customer density, parcel vs pallet volumes, and carrier rate schedules. Port-adjacent sites favor ocean imports and LTL consolidation; airport-proximate sites suit express and high-value goods; free zones benefit deferred duties and re-export models. Balance rent, handling rates, and outbound routing to the GCC to select the optimal node.