SCLGLinkJune2016 | Page 32

Ports & Freezone News in Jafza include China National Petroleum Corporation, China National Building Material Group, Baosteel, SAIC Corporation, Noble Corporation and N-Steel China. It is also noteworthy that Jafza hosts more than 7,000 renowned global businesses, including 100 Fortune 500 companies that provide their services with high efficiency to the region’s markets. DAFZA’S UK SEMINARS SHOWCASE PROSPECTS OF INVESTMENT AND STRENGTHENS TIES BETWEEN DUBAI AND BRITISH BUSINESS COMMUNITY and Glasgow and aimed at attracting more foreign investment from the British business community. Among the key markets targeted by the seminars were Software and IT Services, Industrial Machinery, Consumer Products, Textiles, Communications, Transportation, Metals, Food, delegation from Dubai Airport and Electronic Components. Freezone Authority (DAFZA) has recently conducted a series The DAFZA delegates shared of seminars for potential inves- that a huge number of British tors in the United Kingdom, which companies involved in nearly already accounts for 24 percent 20 industries currently operate of Europe’s total investments in within DAFZA, with a remarkable DAFZA. The delegation which was number of MNCs. They referred led by Mr. Jamal Bin Marghoob, to the Freezone’s mutually benDirector for Marketing and Corpo- eficial partnerships with major rate Communication DAFZA, ad- British brands such as Yardley, dressed those who are interested Richard Mille, Serco, Dover, Murin doing business with Dubai and phy, Thomas & Betts, Hospira, MENA region and raised aware- and Champion Laboratories, Inc. ness on DAFZA’s leading business solutions, incentives and its role in The UAE and the UK maintain Dubai’s economy during their stay.   strong trade, economic and cultural relations. Last year, their biThe seminars marked part of lateral flow stood at AED 63 billion. strengthen the collaboration There are currently around 5,000 between DAFZA and the Brit- British businesses operating in the ish Chambers of Commerce UAE, which represents the UK’s and were held in Norfolk, Suf- 12 largest trading partner.  More folk, Worcestershire, Manchester than 100,000 British nationals live ​A 32 June 2016 and work in the UAE, while over a million British tourists travel to the country each year. Thousands of Emiratis, on the other hand, regularly visit the UK for tourism or study under the country’s prestigious academic institutions. Bin Marghoob said: “Our visit is an important strategic step towards promoting partnership between DAFZA and the business community in UK. Our seminars were excellent platforms for highlighting Dubai as a preferred business destination to the attending investors, entrepreneurs and government representatives. We also had the opportunity to share details about DAFZA, our offerings, and the potential role we can play in enhancing British business in the MENA region. Overall, we achieved our goal of strengthening Dubai’s ties with the British Chambers of Commerce and the UK’s business community.” The visit to the UK is an outcome of research conducted recently by DAFZA to identify its target markets for 2016 as well as the specific indus-