Dubai - Mubasher: Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) recently organised a roadshow in Seattle, and it was attended by over 40 businesses, according to a press release.
At the seminar, Jafza introduced Dubai as the industrial and manufacturing hub of the region, highlighting the Emirate’s Industrial Strategy launched by the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, and the incentives on offer at Jafza to manufacturing companies.
“Jafza-US trade has grown at the rate of 37% over the past five years. The US ranks in the top five in trade with Jafza and sixth in terms of the number of companies employing more than 10,000 people,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation.
The UAE is the United State’s largest trading partner in the Middle East reflecting the strong economic relationships between the two nations, Jafza highlighted in its statement.
According to figures released by the Statistics Center of the US Department of Commerce, trade between the UAE and the United States during the first half of this year reached $12.84 billion, compared with $11.9 billion over the same period in 2015. US trade with the UAE stood at about 33.5% of the total trade with GCC nations.
Jafza also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Trade Development Alliance Greater Seattle to encourage trade relations between the two cities and organisations in the presence of the Abdulla Alsaboosi, Consul General of the UAE in Los Angeles and Saud Al Nowais, Commercial Counselor, Embassy of the UAE in Washington.
The Seminar was supported by the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce and Trade Development Alliance Greater Seattle, the US-USE Business Council, The Embassy of USA in Washington DC and the UAE Consulate in Los Angeles.
The Jafza delegation also met John Stokes, Mayor of Bellevue City and discussed ways to enhance and strengthen trade relations between the two developing cities.
During the meeting, Ibrahim Al Janahi, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer at Jafza highlighted the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, through the Dubai 2021 plan, to develop as a city of innovation and creativity.
Over 400 US companies are based in Jafza, including some of the Fortune 500 companies from a range of sectors such as General Motors, HP, Dow Chemicals, Ford, General Electric, Caterpillar, FedEx, Schlumberger, P&G and Johnson & Johnson.
