Dubai: Jafza’s F&B sector registers 22% growth in 2016
Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has posted a 22.5% growth in foreign companies from the food and beverage sector (F&B), growing from 480 companies in 2015 to 588 last year.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World and chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, underlined the increasing role of the F&B industry in the UAE in driving economic growth and in addressing the food requirements of regional markets.
“The vision of our wise leadership to make Dubai as the Global Islamic Economic Capital provides a major boost to our economy by attracting foreign investment, especially those that are Halal food related. The Dubai Industrial Strategy complements the competiveness of the food industry where local companies can partner global counterparts to increase the emirates exports,” remarked Bin Sulayem.
“We are also focused on research and development in the industry to develop new products and commodities that will suit different tastes and attract consumers,” he stated.
Bin Sulayem pointed out that of the F&B companies based in Jafza, 57% were from the Middle East region, 18% from Asia-Pacific, 13% from Europe, 8% from the Americas, and 4% from Africa.
“The importance of Jafza as a preferred destination is apparent from the high occupancy rate in facilities, ranging from plots of land and warehouses top showrooms and offices dedicated to the F&B industry, spread over 167ha,” he stated.
