Jafza registers 8% growth in companies on annual basis

International

In 2015, Jafza conducted roadshows in counties such India, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Germany, and Portugal to attract companies to the in the Free Zone. Based on Market Research, Jafza met some of the renowned companies in their countries of origin to explore their future plans, especially those looking at expanding into regional markets.

Alongside, Jafza also participated in Dubai Week in China held in May last year organized by Falcon associates.
The Free Zone also received over 70 trade delegation and foreign diplomats from 21 countries to identify the services and features offered by Jafza.

Dubai Industrial Plan

The Economic Development Committee of the Executive Council of Dubai commissioned Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Industrial City to develop the Dubai Industry Strategy 2021 to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the economy of Dubai and attract foreign direct investment activities while encouraging local investment and supporting small and medium enterprises. By adopting advanced technology, the plan aims to promote and diversify the industrial sector to increase the volume of exports.

Industry

Jafza has been one of the key factors in developing and strengthening the industrial sector of Dubai as the Free Zone continues to attract new players in this sector. Jafza, home to 765 industrial companies with a growth of 18 per cent, reflected positively on employment in this sector. The chemicals and petroleum products sector rose to the largest number of industrial enterprises by 25 per cent, followed by Steel and Building Materials at 20 per cent and Machinery & Equipment at 17 per cent.

Agreements

Jafza and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further strengthen cooperation between the two entities to promote Dubai as one of the world’s leading trade and travel centres, as well as the most favoured investment destination.

Capitalising on the global profile of Jafza and Dubai Tourism, the MoU enables both entities to work jointly to promote Dubai as an international hub for trade and tourism through new events, products and concepts including Dubai EXPO 2020 as well as EZW’s Jafza One – the Convention Centre complex and other products.

Jafza also entered into a collaborative initiative with the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC), the judicial arm of Dubai Land Department, to allow the Free Zone to register its rental dispute cases with the centre electronically.

Jafza is the first organization to lodge its rental disputes with the Rental Dispute Centre online; thus saving a significant number of manpower and dramatically improving operational efficiency at both the organisations.

Jafza and Shanghai Yaming Lighting Co Ltd, a leading Chinese lighting company too signed a MoU to identify areas of collaboration across the entire supply chain of lighting industry including manufacturing, sales, R&D and distribution. This was an important step forward in providing energy-saving techniques of high quality in the region in general and the UAE, in particular.

Green Free Zone

The 7-year project aims to reduce electricity and water consumption in buildings by 28 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively with a significant decrease in carbon dioxide emissions by 75,000 tonnes.

In line with the strategic goal to make the Free Zone the most energy efficient business hub, Jafza signed a MoU with DEWA’s Etihad ESCO to retrofit its existing buildings and facilities to make them more energy efficient and thus save the free zone authority energy worth AED132 million.

Jafza has always been in the forefront of implementing the Government’s green initiatives to promote and preserve sustainable ecosystem. The initiation of the present retrofit project further reinforces its commitment. The move is an important step forward in the direction of achieving the Government’s Dubai 2021 plan and following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to use technology and innovation to convert Dubai into a sustainable green city. The project will significantly reduce Jafza’s carbon footprint and will make its operations more sustainable and efficient.

The first phase of the project comprised energy retrofit of 157 staff accommodation buildings in Jafza replacing 5,000 old air conditioners with highly efficient split units; 85,000 old light fixtures with high efficiency LEDs and 31,000 old water fixtures with new efficient water units.

Occupancy

The total occupancy rate in the free zone stands at 85 per cent of the total facilities where 95 per cent of the offices were leased to customers. However, the completion of Jafza One second phase at the end of this year will provide additional units for the companies. While warehouses reached 96 per cent, residential complexes were 97 per cent and 79 per cent occupied, respectively. `

International awards

Jafza won ‘Dubai Quality Award 2015 — Free Zone’ to become the first free zone to win this prestigious award three times and ‘Dubai Appreciation Award for Human Resources’ by the Department of Economic Development in Dubai.

Jafza received prestigious local and international awards, including UK-based fDi magazine as ‘Free Zone of the Year’ under five categories. The free zone won ‘Start-Up Support Award’, ‘Reinvestment Award’ and ‘Infrastructure Development Award’ in bespoke categories. In regional categories, Jafza won ‘Highly Commended – Overall Free Zone of the Year – Middle East’ and ‘Highly Commended – Free Zone of the Year – Large Tenant – Middle East’.

Jafza was also awarded the Frost & Sullivan Award — Logistics Infrastructure Services and the 9th Annual Supply Chain and Transport Awards for Logistics Hub of the Year.