Dubai Airport FZ companies looking to boost exports

Companies from Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA) are seeking to increase their sales outside the UAE through services provided by Dubai Export Development Corporation (EDC), an agency of the Government of Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED), and its partners through a seminar, hosted by DAFZA and jointly conducted with EDC.

The seminar, apart from providing valuable knowledge and trade information to companies and enterprises from DAFZA, outlined selected export facilitation services available to DAFZA’s customers. Among the topics discussed were the Dubai Sub-contracting & Partnership eXchange Program (SPX), Exporter Assistance Program and EDC’s Export Publications and Market Intelligence provision for EDC Members.

EDC’s partners, Intertek Group Plc, which provides product certification, inspection and laboratory testing services to UAE firms, and the Export Credit Insurance Company of the Emirates (ECIE), that helps UAE-based companies make use of opportunities to grow their exports safely, also presented their services during the seminar.

DAFZA, officially established by the Government of Dubai, pursuant to Law No.2, 1996, now has over 1200 companies from various sectors, doing business all over the world. It recorded a robust increase of 63 per cent in its sales in the first six months of 2010 as compared to the first half of 2009.

“Part of EDC’s strategic partnership with DAFZA is to provide its companies with necessary information on export services to enable them in entering and expanding operations in international markets. DAFZA companies will obtain export information, market intelligence, export assistance and training from Dubai SPX, Intertek and ECIE,” said Engineer Saed Al Awadi, Chief Executive Officer, EDC.

“This seminar focused on important areas which will encourage DAFZA companies to explore opportunities outside the UAE. Areas such as Export Credit, product certification services and sub-contracting facilities are among the essential tools which EDC is offering to local companies wishing to export,” he added.

Rami Rabia, Senior Export Relations Office at EDC, presented value-added services provided to exporters while Engineer Ahmed Al Qedrah, Industry Analyst, explained the significance of SPX. Al Qedrah also highlighted the process of matchmaking with subcontracting companies from different sectors, which will increase business opportunities for investors, traders and manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Husny Saeed, General Manager of Intertek Dubai, focused on the topic ‘Intertek’s Government Services to DAFZA Exporters’. He tackled the requirement of Certificates of Conformity for customs clearance in certain markets and how Intertek can help exporters comply with these requirements, as well as information on Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI) for export to countries which have implemented a Fiscal programme for the protection of duty revenues.

“Many governments around the world have implemented Product Conformity Programmes to ensure the safety and quality of goods being imported into their country and to protect their citizens from substandard products; for exporters it is a mandatory requirement in some markets to obtain a Certificate of Conformity. Other governments require compliance to their Fiscal programmes through Pre-Shipment Inspection to determine correct levels of duty payable. Intertek, with its decades of experience, can help exporters comply with these requirements and ensure smooth customs procedure.” Husny Saeed said.

Schuyler D’Souza, Chief Commercial Officer of ECIE, tackled various trade credit risk solutions and policies available for local exporters. Among these policies were the popular Short-term Trade Credit and Documentary Credit Policies, the Foreign Investment Insurance Policy; Critical/Strategic Supplies (CAPEX) Policy for supplies made by foreign companies into local projects of strategic nature; and XoL Policy suitable for crude oil suppliers and aluminium smelters and other projects.

He added that ECIE currently covers over AED 1 billion worth of business in diverse sectors from Oil & Petrochemicals; Packaging & Plastics; Food & Agriculture; Medical & Safety Equipment; and Industrial Cables. ECIE works with world class investment grade reinsurers and banks to offer innovative Trade Credit Management solutions to UAE based manufacturers, traders and service organisations assisting them in growing their exports safely by eliminating of their non-payment risk, and enabling the financing of trade.

The seminar was attended by various companies from DAFZA from sectors such as telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, electrical & electronic machinery and building materials.

DAFZA has been ranked second in the world and first in the Middle East, according to Global Freezone Ranking 2010/11 by Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) Magazine, a premier publication for the business of globalisation published by The Financial Times Ltd. Furthermore, it ranked second globally in the category of “Best for FDI Promotion” and second in the category of “Best Transportation Links”, a testament to the zone’s standing as a leading freezone in both the Middle East and internationally.