Jafza holds energy engineering forum

Dubai / WAM

The Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) recently organised a forum for the machinery and equipment sector, entitled, ‘Energy Engineering Technologies’, which was attended by companies operating in the niche field of energy engineering.
The machinery and equipment sector, which occupies over 3.1 million square metres in Jafza, has over 29,000 employees, almost 21 percent of the total workforce in the free zone.
The forum provided customers with the opportunity to discuss trends in the sector and its future courses of direction. Senior Jafza management and government partner bodies, including Dubai Customs, Dubai Chamber, Dubai Exports, DP World, the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, World Security and Dubai Trade attended the forum, where customers also addressed their concerns to the management about matters related to operations in the free zone and put forward their suggestions.
According to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, and Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, the machinery and equipment sector in Jafza carried out trade valued over AED40 billion in 2015, 12 percent of the total Jafza trade value.
He said, “The UAE and other GCC nations have initiated a number of infrastructure, logistics and residential and commercial projects in the light of the economic boom resulting in a continued demand for machinery and equipment. This surge in investment has also encouraged new companies to enter the market. In Jafza, there are 730 companies from 61 countries in this sector, of which the Middle East region leads with 36 percent, Europe 28 percent and Asia Pacific 21 percent.”
Bin Sulayem stressed that the free zone authorities constantly upgrade facilities to provide swift and efficient trade support to companies operating from within the free zone. “Under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the free zone is facilitating companies to increase their revenue and achieve profits and attract more foreign investment to the UAE and Dubai,” he said.
Speaking at the forum, Ibrahim Mohamed Aljanahi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commercial Officer at Jafza, stressed the need for continuous innovation and development in the sector to supplement the market with technologically advanced, energy efficient and environmentally-friendly equipment.
He said that the Dubai Industrial Strategy, launched recently by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, has identified the machinery and equipment sector as one of the key sectors of focus due to its significant contribution to Dubai’s growing gross domestic product.