Dubai Airport leads other free zones

Dubai: The Dubai Airport Free Zone is No 1 among the 18 free zones in the UAE in terms of import/export activity, according to a study by a UN organisation.

In a briefing to visiting business management and marketing students from Sharjah University, Mohammad Suwailem, sales director of the Dubai Airport Free Zone, said the free zone contributed 1.28 per cent and 2.15 per cent to Dubai's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

He based his observations on a report by economists of the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consultations (GOIC).

The GOIC report stated that "due to the reasonable number of companies working in the Dubai Airport Free Zone, in comparison to those in Dubai as a whole, the contribution of the free zone [to] GDP seems to be substantive."

First place

The Dubai Airport Free Zone over the years has continuously occupied first place among all free zones operating in Dubai in terms of generating import/export per square metre, competing with and complementing other free zones in the country.

Suwailem added: "A study conducted in 2006 by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, which belongs to the World Bank, revealed that Dubai Airport Free Zone exceeded other free zones in the Middle East and North Africa by 5.45 per cent in providing encouraging investment opportunities.

"All these results wouldn't have been achieved without sound strategy and commitment to lead and quest for excellence."

He explained that at the Dubai Airport Free Zone, the positive results were achieved by a sound methodology and implementation of a three-year corporate strategy which is monitored carefully with key performance indicators.