Jafza posts 150% growth in trade with China

Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), of Economic Zones World (EZW), seeks to take advantage of the steady growth occurring in the Chinese economy and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Dubai and the UAE through participation in the Bauma China 2012 Exhibition. Bauma is one of the largest international exhibitions that specialises in the field of machinery and construction equipment and is taking place in Shanghai from Nov.27-30, 2012. Commenting on Jafza’s participation in the exhibition, Talal Al Hashimi, Managing Director of the EZW-UAE Region, said: “The Chinese economy is one of the strongest and largest economies in the world. We have seen trade between Jafza and China grow by 150 per cent over the last five years, reaching Dhs37 billion by the end of 2011, up from Dhs16 billion in 2006.” “Our aim, through involvement with this exhibition, is to attract FDI into Dubai and continue to contribute to the Emirate’s GDP. Currently EZW contributes over 25 per cent to the Dubai’s GDP and accounts for over 40 per cent of the total FDI in the UAE. Exhibitions and international forums such as these provide the ideal platform to communicate with global business leaders in the field of machinery and construction equipment and related industries, whether from China or from the rest of the world,” he added. Al Hashimi pointed to the importance of China for the Free Zone, as Jafza is continuously seeking to enhance the number of Chinese company based in Jebel Ali. We also endeavor to raise the total volume of trade between Jafza and China. Jafza is situated in a large pavilion area with over 36sqm in the Bauma exhibition, which has been running every two years since 2002. This exhibition is the sixth since Bauma began and is based at the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is expected that there will be an estimated 170,000 visitors this year, up from 155 thousand visitors during 2010, traversing through the 230,000 sqm exhibition area. In 2010 there were over 1,890 exhibitors, of whom over 1150 were from China with the rest constituting an international contingent from 37 different countries. Roughly 86 per cent of visitors to the previous Bauma exhibition were from China, the remaining 14 per cent travelling to the show from 171 countries around the world. Jafza’s aim in participating in Bauma is to attract new customers as well as promoting its brand among the global business community. Jafza representatives will also meet and communicate with leading companies operating in this field in the world, and look at the industry trends at the moment. The team is communicating with a number of different companies participating in the exhibition, in addition to visitors who are showing interest in establishing their companies or opening branches in the Middle East. Jafza is displaying what the Free Zone has to offer in terms of facilities and services to customers, and how easy is for companies to establish a base in Jafza’s competitive site; highlighting Jafza’s excellent location in Jebel Ali Port, the largest in the region, its connection through the customs bonded corridor to Al Maktoum International Airport, and the connection to Dubai International Airport. EZW is the global provider of sustainable industrial and logistics infrastructure solutions. The company aims to create a robust network of economic zones, technology, logistics and industrial parks as well as build-to-suit developments across the world with an objective to support the dynamic expansion of its rapidly growing international customer base. EZW’s current portfolio includes Jafza, Gazeley, TechnoPark and Dubai Auto Zone. Jafza is Economic Zones World’s flagship operation and home to more than 6800 multinational companies, including over 120 of the Global Fortune 500 enterprises. It is a leading driver of the burgeoning UAE economy. Jafza is the region’s most efficient logistics hub and the only one in the world located between a top container terminal (Jebel Ali Port) and a top international airport (Al Maktoum International Airport), enabling the best in multi-modal connectivity.