Jafza attracts 267 new companies in H1 2017

Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has announced that it has attracted 267 new companies from nearly 50 countries worldwide in the first half of 2017.

The latest figures mark a 6% growth from the corresponding period last year, with local and regional companies accounting for almost 60% of the new entries in H1 2017.

More than 340,000m2of space was leased during this period for facilities in multiple sectors, including the steel and construction materials industries, which mark 8% of new companies.

Demand for land plots was also high, with 318,000m2space leased for warehousing (11,500m2), office space (over 2,000m2), and showrooms (3,700m2).

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, the parent company of Jafza, said: "Jafza’s performance in the first half of the year highlights its position as a major hub for trade and logistics in the region, and one of the engines of economic growth in Dubai and the UAE.”

Jafza recently announced that its non-oil foreign trade grew by 17% from 23.9 million to 27.9 million tonnes in 2016, worth $80.2b