DAFZA's UK seminars showcase prospects of investment and strengthens ties between Dubai and British business community

UAE – June 1, 2016 - A delegation from Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) has recently conducted a series of seminars for potential investors in the United Kingdom, which already accounts for 24 percent of Europe’s total investments in DAFZA. The delegation which was led by Jamal Bin Marghoob, Director for Marketing and Corporate Communication, DAFZA, addressed those who are interested in doing business with Dubai and MENA region and raised awareness on DAFZA’s leading business solutions, incentives and its role in Dubai’s economy during their stay. 

The seminars marked part of strengthen the collaboration between DAFZA and the British Chambers of Commerce and were held in Norfolk, Suffolk, Worcestershire, Manchester and Glasgow and aimed at attracting more foreign investment from the British business community. Among the key markets targeted by the seminars were Software and IT Services, Industrial Machinery, Consumer Products, Textiles, Communications, Transportation, Metals, Food, and Electronic Components.

The DAFZA delegates shared that a huge number of British companies involved in nearly 20 industries currently operate within DAFZA, with a remarkable number of MNCs. They referred to the Freezone’s mutually beneficial partnerships with major British brands such as Yardley, Richard Mille, Serco, Dover, Murphy, Thomas & Betts, Hospira, and Champion Laboratories, Inc.

The UAE and the UK maintain strong trade, economic and cultural relations. Last year, their bilateral flow stood at AED 63 billion. There are currently around 5,000 British businesses operating in the UAE, which represents the UK’s 12 largest trading partner.  More than 100,000 British nationals live and work in the UAE, while over a million British tourists travel to the country each year. Thousands of Emiratis, on the other hand, regularly visit the UK for tourism or study under the country’s prestigious academic institutions.

Bin Marghoob said: “Our visit is an important strategic step towards promoting partnership between DAFZA and the business community in UK. Our seminars were excellent platforms for highlighting Dubai as a preferred business destination to the attending investors, entrepreneurs and government representatives. We also had the opportunity to share details about DAFZA, our offerings, and the potential role we can play in enhancing British business in the MENA region. Overall, we achieved our goal of strengthening Dubai’s ties with the British Chambers of Commerce and the UK’s business community.”

The visit to the UK is an outcome of research conducted recently by DAFZA to identify its target markets for 2016 as well as the specific industries that can benefit most from setting up operations in the Freezone. It is one of a series of visits aimed at fostering international good will, interacting with major foreign business bodies, promoting Dubai to foreign investors, and educating international audiences on DAFZA and its importance to the local and national economies.