Dubai: An agreement has been signed to allow a smooth entry and exit of goods between Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai South, which is developing multiple industrial clusters within it.
Dubai South - the venue of Expo 2020 Dubai - also houses a “Logistics Corridor”, a 200 square kilometre custom bonded zone that connects air, land and sea. This will, the master-developer believes, will set a “new global standard for goods handling of within four hours from sea to air”. (Dubai South has been designated as a free zone.)
DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali Port is the principal gateway for all Expo-related cargo. “We believe the thousands of companies using the port and operating out of Jafza and Dubai South will benefit immensely as a result of our cooperation,” said Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director of DP World - UAE Region and CEO of Jafza.
“DP World - UAE Region and Dubai South have taken a major step towards further enhancing the logistics and supply chain efficiencies required to support the on-going work at Expo 2020 site.”
Terms of the deal
The MoU aims at enhancing the services for customers at the security gates by unifying policies and procedures between the two free zones. In addition to route efficiencies, the two sides will also engage in an exchange of knowledge in industry practices that would further enhance the management of trade flows between Jafza and Dubai South.
“The signing of agreement with DP World is part of our efforts to ensure more efficient operations and, thereby, smoother transport of goods between the Dubai South and Jafza,” said Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South.
“This will provide great benefits, especially for companies and participants of the upcoming Expo 2020, which will require easy processing of their entry and exit between these free zones.”
Jafza is home to over 7,500 companies, while Jebel Ali Port handled 3.6 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container unit) in the third quarter of 2019.
