The move aims at attracting more Korean companies into Jafza and further strengthening bilateral trade between Dubai and Korea. Jafza is currently home to 52 Korean companies including Samsung, Deawoo, Hyundai, LG Electronics, Mobis among many others. These companies together have generated trade worth AED 2.1 billion in 2010.

Jafza is located at the cross roads of Asia, Europe and Africa, the three most important continents, that together form the world’s largest consumer market. The strategic location makes Jafza one of the most attractive business hubs to reach and serve the untapped wider Middle East region that comprise more than 75 countries in West and South Asia, Africa and Europe. These countries together represent a huge market of 2.7 billion people and have a combined GDP of USD 4.4 trillion.

Jafza is rated as one of the fastest growing free trade zones in the world. In its 26 years of operation, Jafza has posted more than 350 times growth in its number of companies that has grown from 19 in 1985 to over 6,700 in 2011, which include about 125 of the Global Fortune 500 companies. Jafza is today a truly global organisation where almost all countries in the world are represented. Jafza is built around the Jebel Ali Port. Spread over an area of 57 square kilometres, Jafza ranks among the world’s largest free zones.

Jafza’s incredible success is attributed to its deep commitment to service excellence, customer centric approach, outstanding infrastructure and its unique logistics capabilities, the four key elements that support a company to grow and achieve whatever they want.

Unsurpassed connectivity

Jafza’s close proximity to the port is a huge advantage. Today, the DP World managed Jebel Ali Port, one of the 10 largest container ports in the world, is served by 150 shipping lines, offering 90 weekly services as well as feeder services that provide extensive connection to regional markets.

Jafza is further connected to Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali via the Dubai Logistics Corridor, launched in 2010. This makes Jafza, perhaps, the only fully fledged special economic zone in the world, which is located between the two mega logistics enablers namely Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport. The synergy created by the sea port, airport, and a free zone in effect means excellent multi modal connectivity and faster and efficient capability for Jafza based companies to move goods. Supported with the region’s extensive highway network Jafza presents itself as the most efficient ally for all types of business operations.

As the leading business hub of the Middle East, it focuses on long-term customer relationships and fosters alliances with global investors by providing them with world class infrastructure supported with value-added services and incentives.

Jafza’s products include office units, warehouses, light industrial units and land on long term lease. These land sites are suitable for a variety of purpose-built facilities. Other value added products include business centres, hotels for visitors and customized Build-to-Suit solutions.

Jafza has recently adopted and implemented the Central Bank’s Wages Protection System (WPS) to secure timely payment of wages to thousands of people working in free zone companies, making it the second regulatory authority for the system in the country, after the Ministry of Labour.

With the introduction of the new initiative, Jafza and the Central Bank will streamline and guarantee the timely payment of wages to free zone employees by their employers and effectively monitor the process to ensure transparency and security.

The model adopted by the Central Bank is one where information flows from the employer to one or more of the contracted agents for payment of the wages to their employees. Funds from the employers are secured by Central Bank prior to dispatching the wages information to the agents. The system empowers Central Bank and Jafza with the functionality that would allow effective monitoring of the payment of wages by the employers to their employees. The key steps in the complete cycle are registration, funding of wages, payment of wages, refunds and settlements, and reporting.

Employers can choose any registered agents, namely banks, money exchanges and other financial entities to facilitate payments and provide services to its employees.

Commenting on the move and reiterating the free zone’s commitment to supporting Government initiatives, Ibrahim Aljanahi, Jafza Deputy CEO said: “Our collaboration with the Central Bank and implementation of WPS is a reflection of our deep commitment to not only provide the most efficient services to our business community, but also to support Government initiatives. We are determined to enhance transparency and operational efficiency and lead in the adoption of technology and services that are beneficial to our customers. We view this system as a public service that will ultimately enrich the business environment in Jafza.”

Fatma Salem, Executive Vice President & Commercial Director-Jafza said: “Free Zones in general are dynamic but complex organisations. Jafza in particular focuses on right integration of people, processes and technology to sustain its dynamism. By partnering with the Central Bank, we have found safe, secure and robust mechanism that provides a vital solution for salary payments in the free zone and provides much-needed protection to workers.”

Currently Jafza houses over 6,700 companies who employ more than 115,000 workers, both skilled and unskilled. The new facility will safeguard the rights of these employees and significantly reduce defaults on wage payment, labour disputes and other related issues. Although currently the system has 174 registered companies, the free zone expects full adoption within one year.

The number of industrial companies in Jafza stood at 593 at the end of 2011, up 4.5% from the previous year, announced officials at Jafza’s recent Strategic Customer Forum held for Manufacturing and Industrial companies.

Jafza saw 34 new industrial companies join the free zone last year, which includes many leading multi-nationals such as MAN, David Brown, Allison Transmission, Legnano Teknoelectric, Stemcor Special Steels Limited among others. 61 % of the new companies are in Machinery and Equipment sector, 18% are in Consumer Goods, 9% each in Chemical/ Petroleum and Steel and Metal and 3% in Automotive.

The Strategic Customer Forum was the eighth in a series of industry events initiated by Jafza to encourage dialogue with key clients to facilitate growth in respective sectors. The first seven forums were held for clients in the Logistics, Chemical/Oil & Gas, Automotive, Machinery & Equipment Manufacturing, Electronics and IT, FMCG and Pharmaceutical products, Steel, Metal and Building Materials industries.

In keeping with its commitment to corporate social responsibility and in response to the Government’s recent appeal to donate blood, Jafza held its first blood donation drive of 2012 recently.

The initiative was held in collaboration with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the collected blood was donated to the Dubai Blood Donation Centre of the Latifa Hospital. According to recent newspaper reports, the country has a shortage of blood for Thalassemia patients, who need transfusions frequently.

Medics from DHA and Latifa Hospital set up a four-bed mobile camp outside Jafza’s Building # 15. Donors included Jafza officials and staff as well as employees from different companies located in the Free Zone and some visitors.

While part of the donated blood will be used to help patients suffering from Thalassemia, the rest will be used to help accident victims and other emergency cases at various hospitals.

Ibrahim Aljanahi, Jafza Deputy CEO donated blood at the mobile camp and said: “Jafza whole-heartedly supports Dubai Health Authority and its humanitarian and health awareness campaigns. The Free Zone has regularly hosted blood donation drives during the last decade and we will continue to do so, encouraging our employees and clients to contribute to society in a meaningful way. Donating blood is not a time-consuming process and it can make a huge difference to the people who need it.”

Economic Zones World (EZW) has signed an MoU with the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), represented by the UAE Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), to boost its information systems and strengthen cyber security across its operations.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Mrs Salma Hareb, CEO of Economic Zones World and H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of TRA.

Under the agreement the two parties will collaborate on information security including the provision of early warning and notification of threats and vulnerabilities in order to detect, prevent and respond to the broader set of cyber security threats such as hacking, viruses and corruption on the Internet.

The MoU outlines the various phases of the work that will be undertaken by the parties. aeCERT, established by the TRA in 2008 as the cyber security coordination centre for the UAE, will initially evaluate the current information systems used by the free zone operator, and its effectiveness against cyber attacks.

As part of the agreement, the Centre will make suggestions and provide consultation on preliminary threats to better protect EZW systems and electronic data. The two parties will also jointly work on new and existing technologies that could enhance operations and mitigate risk.

Mrs. Salma Hareb, CEO, Economic Zones World, said: “With our operations getting increasingly more advanced and complex, we give the highest priority to quality and security. This collaboration with aeCERT reinforces our commitment to applying the most stringent standards for information security management. We are continuously evaluating and enhancing existing systems for the betterment of our clients and their businesses.”

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of TRA said: “The TRA, being a regulatory authority for ICT, aims to provide the best level of services to users, and one of the ways we can ensure industry-best standards, is by protecting our users from cyber threats. We are pleased to sign this MoU with a leading UAE company such as EZW who is witnessing growth and prosperity, and its expansion in an ever-developing world of IT requires the highest possible levels of protection for its data and network. We are confident that the experience of our aeCERT team will be of great benefit to EZW’s cyber security.”

The Free zone operator has taken many measures to shore up its IT infrastructure over the years. In 1996 Jafza won ISO accreditation (ISO 9002:1994) becoming the first ISO certified free zone in the world. In addition to receiving an ISO 27001 certification, Jafza has also developed a process based Quality Management System meeting ISO standards which documents all core business and support processes in the free zone.

Almost 200 Business Associates of Jafza were recognised for their contributions towards the Free Zone’s growth at a specially hosted Business Associates Seminar recently.

Long-standing associates of Jafza such as legal consultants, foreign trade organisations, consulates, embassies and overseas representatives, who have endorsed and promoted Jafza among prospective investors over the years and continue to be vital to its success, attended the event.

Welcoming the attendees, Talal Al Hashimi, Managing Director of Economic Zones World, UAE Region, the parent organisation of Jafza, stated that free zones in UAE and Dubai were very productive and had spurred the growth of special industrialised sectors in the country and had contributed towards building the nation into a knowledge-based economy. He said: “A recent Government survey that Jafza was involved with has revealed that companies based in free zones are eight times as productive as those in the rest of Dubai. The study explains and endorses the continued growth and success of Jafza based companies and the free zone as such. Year on year Jafza continues to channel billions into the local economy playing a key role as a catalyst for economic and trade development of the Emirate and the country. Today it accounts for more than 21% of Dubai’s GDP, and 7.7% of the UAE’s GDP.”

Ibrahim Mohammed Al Janahi, Jafza Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of EZW UAE region, said: “To help us sustain such growth, we have been fortunate to have a dynamic group of business associates that has helped us seize opportunities and enjoy our current position as the de-facto logistics hub of the region. We take this opportunity to thank them and reiterate that we at Jafza remain focussed on the business interests of our customers, and will continue to provide our trademark high-quality investment offerings to our growing clientele.”

Adil Al Zarooni, Senior Vice President Global Sales, in his presentation briefed attendees on Jafza’s distinctive performance over the last couple of years, the new developments and business prospects.

As part of the proceedings, officials from Customer Service, Commercial Sales, Legal and Engineering and Project Management departments addressed queries of attending associates.

Senior officials from Jafza thanked attendees individually for their continuous support and involvement in the growth of the company and towards the end of the event, felicitated top associates for their distinguished contribution towards the impressive growth in the last year.

In line with its commitment to bring enhanced services to its customers, Economic Zones World recently (December 13) signed an agreement with ZAJEL, one of the leading and fastest growing courier companies in the UAE, a subsidiary of technology & professional services provider emaratech FZ LLC, to provide courier and mail sorting services for customer transactions with Jafza.

Under the agreement, ZAJEL , will provide such courier and mail sorting services to all EZW Group companies and their customers.

The agreement was signed by Ibrahim Aljanahi, Deputy CEO Jafza and Chief Commercial Officer, EZW-UAE Region and Thani Abdullah Alzaffin, Director General & Board Member, Emaratech, the mother company of ZAJEL Courier Services, in the presence of Talal Al Hashimi, MD, EZW-UAE Region, Khawla Kabanji, acting CEO of ZAJEL and other senior officials from both sides.

The EZW Group business units have experienced a steady increase in customer mail and courier transactions in recent years, averaging more than 72,000 per month during 2011 – almost three times the volume in 2008. The number of transactions in November this year has risen 13% compared to the same period in 2010.

Emphasising the need for a dedicated, specialist service provider for the customer free zone transactions, Ibrahim Aljanahi said: “Secure and on-time customer transaction mail services are vital for businesses to function smoothly. Our agreement with ZAJEL is a strategic initiative that is designed to achieve greater efficiency to such mail and courier services, while delivering quality and cost benefits to our customers. We welcome ZAJEL to Economic Zone World’s expanding family of strategic partners.”

ZAJEL’s services include seamless tracking of transactions from pick up till delivery, faster processing of transactions by verification of documents prior to pick up and round-the-clock assistance to its clients via a toll-free and customer services.

Thani Abdullah Alzaffin said: “We thank Economic Zones World for the trust they have placed in ZAJEL Courier Services. As important economic drivers, Jafza and other members of the EZW Group play a vital role in this nation’s development. Mailroom services are critical to the smooth operation of any organisation and we constantly work to minimise bureaucracy and exceed expectations with our products and solutions. We look forward to working with the EZW Group.”

ZAJEL’s clients include the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, Dubai Health Authority, Road & Transport Authority, Emirates Real Estate Solutions, and the Dubai Courts.

Steel, Metal and Building Material companies based in Jafza generated trade worth AED 12.26 billion in 2010 registering a growth of 14% last year in comparison to AED 10.75 billion in 2009. The figures reflect trade of construction and building materials including iron, steel, cement, plastering materials, stone and other similar goods.

Jafza officials announced these figures at the 7th Strategic Customer Forum held specifically for Free Zone customers in the Steel, Metal and Building Material Sectors.

Ibrahim Aljanahi, Jafza Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of EZW UAE region stated that he expected to see the sectors in the region grow in the next few years. He said: “The recent wave of GCC-wide infrastructure projects that have been announced by Governments in the region are expected to drive construction industry recovery.”

Mr. Aljanahi was referring to a recent report that states the GCC plans to invest a $3 trillion in an ambitious investment plan by 2020. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar account for almost 80 per cent of the on-going $452 billion worth of infrastructure projects that are expected to give a much needed boost to the GCC construction industry, according to a recent report by market research specialists Ventures Middle East.

Mr. Aljanahi added: “With its strategic proximity to the port and its unmatched facilities, Jafza is uniquely positioned to cater to the building materials industry and facilitate its growth. The industry was affected by the slump in 2008 but 2009 and 2010 saw an upturn and we are sure this momentum can be maintained. This Strategic Forum is a platform for us to exchange ideas with the industry’s movers and shakers and create genuine dialogue on how we can work together to sustain growth.”

Over the last ten years, Jafza has been playing a catalytic role in attracting and retaining FDI and has seen a 12-fold growth in the number of companies in the steel, metal and building materials sector that grew from 61 in 2000 to 730 in 2010.

Corporate business heads from leading construction and building materials companies including Conares Metal Supply, Doka Middle East, Essar Steel, Tata Steel, Qatar Steel, Al Nimr Steel and Danube Building Material who conduct their regional operations from Jafza currently, attended the event.

Senior officials from Jafza and partners including Dubai Customs, DP World, Civil Engineering Department (CED), Environment Health and Safety (EHS) Department, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dubai Trade and Dubai Municipality collectively addressed queries and suggestions to improve operations and free zone effectiveness.

The Strategic Customer Forum was the seventh in a series of industry events initiated by Jafza to encourage dialogue with key clients to facilitate growth in respective sectors. The first six forums were held for clients in the Logistics, Chemical/Oil & Gas, Automotive, Machinery & Equipment Manufacturing, Electronics and IT and FMCG and Pharmaceutical products industries.