Dubai: Ebrahim Mohammad Al Janahi, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of Jafza, has invited Maldivian investors to use Jebel Ali Free Zone’s facilities to capitalise on emerging investment opportunities in the region.

“The Middle East in general and the GCC in particular is witnessing an economic boom which is largely driven by huge investments on developing economic infrastructure by most of the countries in the region who want to reduce their dependence on oil income. The UAE’s recent win of the bid to host World Expo 2020 in Dubai has provided a further boost to this boom opening more opportunities for global businesses,” he told a three-member delegation from the Maldives who recently visited Jafza.

Mohammad Saeed, Maldivian Minister for Economic Development, led the delegation which was received by Ebrahim Mohammad Al Janahi, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of Jafza.

Present were Adil Al Zarooni, senior vice-president of Sales, Tarek Bin Galaita, VP, Sales, Europe, and Ahmad Bin Hareb, senior manager for Sales, Americas, at the Free Zone.

The visiting delegation and Jafza management discussed ways to increase bilateral cooperation between the Maldives and Jafza, the trade and logistics hub of the Middle East region comprising West Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Speaking on the occasion, Al Janahi thanked the Maldivian delegation for their keen interest in establishing closer commercial and trade ties with Jafza and Dubai and highlighted Jafza’s key value propositions as the region’s gateway and business hub.

He also stressed the fact that more than 7,300 of the world’s leading multinationals have made Jafza their home to serve the Middle East markets.

Adil Al Zarooni described Jafza’s facilities, services and its multimodal logistics capabilities which are further enhanced by a logistics corridor that connects Jafza with Jebel Ali Port, the region’s largest container terminal, and Al Maktoum International Airport, enabling the fastest cargo transfers.

He also briefed the delegation on Jafza’s recent initiative to establish Halal Zone as a part of Dubai’s strategic focus to evolve into one of the world’s leading Islamic economies. He also talked about the Jafza’s move to establish matajircom, the world’s first purposes-built smart retail hub in the free zone.

Saeed expressed his deep admiration for Jafza’s business model and his thanks for the warm welcome given to his delegation. He called his visit very fruitful, since the Maldives is planning to establish its first free zone.

The UAE is one of the Maldives major trading partners, accounting for approximately 33 per cent of the republics’ total imports. Bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to Dh943 million between 2009 and 2013.