Dubai, UAE — DP World’s Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) witnessed the highest customer registrations in a decade in 2022, marking a 30 percent year-on-year growth, and taking the total number of companies to over 9,500.
During the past 10 years, Jafza has seen a 13-fold increase in logistics customers, while the vehicle and transport segment saw a compound annual growth rate of 26 percent.
The increased reliance on manufacturing, logistics and e-commerce opened new market opportunities for retailers and general traders and created a demand for logistics and transport companies to handle the movement of goods through the Free Zone,
China and India remain key trade and economic partners for the Free Zone. The number of newly registered Chinese companies in Jafza saw a four-fold increase in 2022, indicating a post-pandemic, healthy demand from the Far East.
The total number of new registrations of Indian companies increased by 30 percent from 2021. DP World’s India-UAE Trade Bridge, and economic partnerships like the UAE-India CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) have increased customers’ confidence in expanding their reach through Jebel Ali, the statement said.
Abdulla bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, DP World UAE and Jafza, said, “Last year, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached a record AED2.23 trillion, increasing more than 17 percent year-on-year. We can proudly say that we have played a significant role in enabling this achievement. With trade facilitated through our Jebel Ali hub increasing considerably in 2022, Jafza continues to take the lead in achieving national goals.”