World FZO confab ends on a high note

Dubai / Emirates Business

The second edition of the three-day long World Free Zones Organization’s Annual International Conference and Exhibition concluded on a high note, drawing the participation of over 680 experts from 60 countries. On the third day of the conference and exhibition, the members of the organization and its board of directors gathered for the closing general assembly meeting.
Leading the general assembly meeting, Dr Mohammed Alzarooni congratulated the members on the success of the conference and summarized its key highlights. The organization was also updated on the activities of the organization over the last year following which all the members collectively voted to pass three resolutions: public disclosure of the annual report, budget for 2016, and the re-election of the board members.
During the general assembly meeting, Dr Alzarooni said: “We had received three successful bids to host the third annual conference and after close examination, we are proud to announce that the host city of the 2017 edition of the conference will be Cartagena, Colombia.”
The bidding process took place over seven months, starting with a letter of intent, which was received by eight members interested to host the conference. The three finalists were invited to present their bids to the Board of Directors, after which three rounds of voting took place to decide the winner.
As a formal procedure of the final decision, Dr. Alzarooni handed a flag of the World FZO to His Excellency Edgar Martinez, Director of the Free Zone Chamber of Colombia and head of the Colombian delegation.
It was additionally announced that the conference would return to Dubai in 2018 and bidding for 2019 would start at the end of this year.
Among the key highlights of the organizations activities outlined in the meeting was the Free Zone Executive Education Program, that will drive knowledge building, as well as innovation and networking and the Free Zone of Future program, launched during the conference by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. A global initiative for local prosperity, the program aims to equip members of the World Free Zones Organization with tools and resources necessary for achieving their long term goals.
The World Free Zones Organization’s 2nd Annual International Conference and Exhibition ran from 9-11 May at the Grand Hyatt Dubai. The 2016 edition attracted the participation of international free zones, multi-lateral and commercial organizations and encouraged open dialogue towards developing a vision for the free zone of the future.
The three-day conference and exhibition included five panel discussions and seven workshops. The sessions deliberated on key challenges facing free zones today and the most significant opportunities they have ahead of them towards shaping a dynamic environment that supports the growth of this pivotal economic sector. Prominent focus areas of the conference also included beyond best in class practices, policies and their implications in global value chain, as well as opportunities in global value chain for free zones of the future and the perspective of multinational corporations with regard to the global value chain.