With more than 25 years of professional experience, Engineer Al Suwaidi has worked with government departments, economic authorities, and local and international entities, and has held leadership positions across various vital sectors.
He took on his current role in May 2020 and has been leading the free zone to new heights. AlSuwaidi started his career in the energy sector at Emirates General Petroleum Corporation and then stepped up to become part of the marketing and operations department at Dolphin Energy.
Subsequently, he moved to the investment and business sector as Executive Director of Energy and Environment Park in TECOM Group, a Dubai Holding company. He also became involved with the green building construction and sustainability sectors at the TECOM Investment Group and became Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC).
Later, he ventured into the maritime industry and served as the Vice President for Commercial, Procurement, and Project Management at Drydocks World and as the General Manager of Dubai Maritime City (DMC).
AlSuwaidi is also part of the technical committee of the Japanese Classification Society (ClassNK) and Emirates Classification Society (Tasneef), and Vice Chairman of the UAE Shipping association.
Al Suwaidi took on his new role at a challenging time with the social and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affecting the logistics industry altogether.
He says: Ajman Free Zone hosts companies from the logistics sector. In response to the challenges of the pandemic, we have modified our policies and developed a strategy in line with the guidelines and improvements set by the UAE legislation to support these companies.
“Amid the pandemic, we helped ensure continuity of business operations, enable rapid adaptation to current conditions, and expedite recovery by providing special incentives and facilities. Specifically, we either reduced or cancelled certain fines and fees and extended financial support, flexible instalment plans, and discounts on registration and labour accommodation.”
He adds: “With these incentives, we were able to help businesses maintain their operations in the emirate and contribute to the continuous growth of the national economy. Moreover, our combined efforts have helped foster confidence and optimism within the business community, in line with the goals of Ajman Vision 2021.”