Abu Dhabi Ports, in response to the rising demand from both foreign direct and existing investors, has launched a major freezone within the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), at ongoing the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit 2017 (GMIS).
Khalifa Port Free Trade Zone (KPFTZ), a 100 sqkm free zone area (across Areas A and B of Kizad), is fully integrated with the regions first semi-automated port, which has already attracted wide portfolio of investment sectors to Kizad including aluminium, automotive, engineered metals, port logistics, food processing, pharmaceuticals, packaging, polymer converting, and other industries, that rely on their proximity to Khalifa Port.
The new freezone offers a flexible master plan that is capable of accommodating more industries in the future from a land use perspective. Within the additional freezone territory allocated in the 16 sqkm Area A of Kizad will be a new business park.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: We decided to make the announcement of the Khalifa Port FTZ at GMIS because its vision of uniting key industry experts and stakeholders and providing transformational ideas and solutions, along with a vision for the future that supports and benefits the private and public sectors, and civil society, is well in-line with our business objectives, mission and vision.
Approximately 40 companies currently operate in the Khalifa Port Free Trade Zone with a mixture of activities including industrial, trading and service orientations.
Mana Mohamed Saeed Al Mulla, Kizad CEO, said: Kizad is committed to adopting the latest innovations in all aspects of its industrial clusters that will support its main objective to build a sustainable economy and put the UAE at the forefront of many specialized industries in the region.
With this new addition of freezone land, we intend to attract global interest from manufacturing investors that will bring new technology, product diversification and increased trade through our ports.
Spanning a total area of 84 sqm, Area B will feature heavy, light and logistics industries, commercial complexes, big-box retail stores, a town centre and mixed-use developments, as well as residential developments, said a statement.
Khalifa Port FTZ offers importers and exporters convenient reach to more than 4.5 billion consumers within four of the worlds time zones. In addition, the free trade zones multimodal connectivity to roads, ports, air and future rail networks ensures easy accessibility to all of the regions key logistics and trading destinations, it said.