Jafza honoured at free zone awards

The free zone has picked up the ‘Excellence Award for Sustainability’, the ‘Excellence Award for Non-Fiscal Incentives’ in the global category and the title of ‘Industrial Champion’ in the Middle East at this year’s fDi Global Free Zones of the Year Awards.

Established in 1985, Jafza was one of the first free zones in the UAE and is now home to more than 10,000 businesses. ““By choosing Jafza, global businesses can not only take advantage of our one-of-a-kind ecosystem but operate in a setting that is better for the environment,” said Abdulla Al Hashmi, chief operating officer parks & zones, DP World GCC.

The annual fDi Magazine awards, part of the Financial Times Group, are now in their tenth year. Judges evaluated 69 free zones this year against a range of criteria, including growth performance metrics, their strategies and success in attracting large tenants and SMEs, and development of infrastructure and decarbonisation initiatives.

Jafza’s green energy projects include the Middle East’s largest rooftop solar installation, consisting of more than 158,000 solar panels, LED street lights and a major retrofit project to install solar water heaters.

The free zone generates annual trade worth over AED 550 billion (€142 billion) and provides market access to more than 3.5 billion people.