Abu Dhabi: A new automotive hub is to be developed in Abu Dhabi's Mussafah industrial area by the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp).
Mohammad Hassan Al Qamzi, CEO of ZonesCorp, told Gulf News that the facility, which will be called Auto City, will help raise the standards of services in the emirate over the next ten years.
"ZonesCorp conducted extensive studies to understand the requirements of the automotive industry in Abu Dhabi prior to developing the master plan," Al Qamzi said.
"The main objective was to create a business environment that meets the specific needs of the automotive industry. It falls in line with plans to rehabilitate Mussafah industrial area and improve the standards of the automotive industry," he said.
Sustainable setting
He said that Autocity will open the door to investors in the automotive sector located in Mussafah and other areas to look towards expansion in a sustainable setting which abides by Abu Dhabi's environmental guidelines.
"Once fully developed, Autocity will occupy an area three times the size of the automotive activities within Mussafah," said Al Qamzi.
"The Autocity will complement other existing initiatives, including Motorworld by Aldar.
"The Autocity will also host a range of market segments including service centres and workshops, spare parts retail and storage, commercial vehicle dealerships, auction houses, automotive storage, vehicle depots and industrial clusters, in addition to providing urban and commercial supporting areas and facilities," Al Qamzi said.
Autocity will be developed in four stages, beginning with an area of 2.8 square kilometres to eventually expand to 6.3 square kilometres by 2020.
Al Qamzi said the construction of the infrastructure is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year and completed by the fourth quarter of next year.
Tenants can begin accessing their plots by the first quarter of 2013.
Logistics network
The Autocity will be supported by a logistics network present in the E30 and E11 highways close to the project and a planned railway station and logistics hub in the adjacent Industrial City of Abu Dhabi.
"We have already received the interest of 20 investors requesting land space of over 3.5 square kilometres in Autocity, reflecting … the significance of our new development," Al Qamzi said.
The statement showed that land allocation for the different clusters will be divided as follows: 47 per cent will be allocated to workshops and spare part clusters; 25 per cent to storage, depots and industrial usage; 20 per cent to commercial vehicle dealers; 7 per cent to auction houses and the remaining 1 per cent to commercial offices.
‘Different services'
"By organising different services in one location, Autocity will provide a comprehensive destination for a host of automotive requirements, thereby increasing efficiency and convenience for the industry," Al Qamzi said.
Through Autocity, ZonesCorp also aims to encourage more nationals to enter the automotive industry.
ZonesCorp said it is also developing industrial zones and currently operates five industrial cities with a total area of 48 square kilometres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain hosting more than 600 industrial projects, more than 200 of which are fully operational.
The statement said that ZonesCorps' upcoming projects also include Western Region developments which will be implemented in close coordination with the Western Region Development Council.
