For years, getting a parcel out of Lebanon has often meant finding a friend with a flight and some spare room in their suitcase. Wakilni wants to take that step out of the process.
The Beirut-based delivery company has partnered with DHL Express Lebanon so customers can send personal items, gifts, and orders abroad without waiting for someone else to travel. Wakilni takes care of the booking and pickup inside Lebanon, and DHL Express carries the shipment to its destination.
Prices, zones, and what cannot be shipped
A rate sheet on Wakilni's help site, written for e-commerce businesses, splits destinations into three zones. Delivery takes 2 to 4 working days in the closest zone and up to 5 to 7 working days in the farthest. Indicative prices run from $25 to $50 for packages up to 1.5kg, depending on zone and volumetric weight.
That same document sets some limits. Shipments to Syria and Palestine are declined because DHL has no local presence there, and items like cosmetics and oils need clearance from the health ministry. Fees are paid in US dollars at pickup, cash on delivery is not available, and customs duties may apply when the package arrives.
Wakilni has not said whether individual senders pay the same rates as businesses.
From paperwork runs to cross-border parcels
Wakilni started in 2016 as a concierge service, delivering items and paperwork for three clients with a team of six. Co-founder Yusr Sabra, an electrical engineer by training, grew it into a fulfilment company offering delivery, warehousing, and courier services to businesses and individuals.
According to the company, it now employs more than 300 people and completes tens of thousands of deliveries every month across Lebanon and Jordan.
Adding international shipping gives that local network a door to the rest of the world. Lebanese online shops selling to customers abroad get a trackable option, and so do families sending things to relatives overseas, a group that grows every time another friend announces they are "leaving soon."
Questions about the service can be sent through the Wakilni app or to frontdesk@wakilni.com.
Wakilni
