Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), the flagship free zone operation of Economic Zones World (EZW), has posted 5.5 percent growth in the number of companies in the Industrial sector since January 2012. The sector in the Free Zone is estimated to have generated trade worth Dh 77 billion over the year.
"We expect the growth momentum in the sector to pick-up significantly in the next five years as the plans for economic diversification in the countries in the region gather steam," said Ibrahim Mohamed Al Janahi, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of Jafza, speaking at the Strategic Customer Forum for industrial companies which was held in Jafza on Tuesday.
He was referring to the massive planned spend on infrastructure development in the region to enhance their non-oil based income generation capabilities.
He said, "More than US$4 trillion is expected to be spent on developing economic infrastructure that will enable countries to diversify their economies from oil to non-oil sectors. This development will not only provide a huge boost to industrial activities in the construction and infrastructure development sectors, but also other economic sectors such as FMCG, food, healthcare, transport etc. that come under pressure to meet the rising demand of the affluent population in the import driven region. This is an opportunity for the Industrial sector in Jafza to capitalise on, and through this forum we want to discuss how we can work together to benefit from the highly positive market outlook." The Customer Forum for industrial companies was the latest in the series of sector specific forums held by Jafza as part of its ongoing efforts to maintain strategic communications with its customers. The forums provide an ideal platform to discuss trends and opportunities while providing scope to management and Jafza companies to enter into a comprehensive dialogue to find ways to take optimum advantage of emerging prospects and also to understand how Jafza, as an enabler, can help the sector grow.
Jafza officials briefed the industry gathering on various initiatives the Free Zone has taken to enhance its infrastructure in physical and digital space, such as new road networks being developed in Jafza South, upgrading of existing infrastructure such as Gate 4 and Roundabout 6 in Jafza North, and various new e-initiatives such as its recently launched mobile application for iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices.
Senior officials from Jafza and the leading companies in the industrial sector joined the discussions at the forum alongside Jafza partners including Dubai Customs and DP World who addressed customer issues and queries pertaining to their respective areas.
Source: WAM