DP World, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions, showcased its streamlined chemical supply chain solutions and extensive range of logistics offerings at the 13th edition of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Conference.
Valued at AED21.4 billion, DP World UAE’s petrochemical hub accounts for 60 percent of Dubai’s total trade value in the sector. Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) alone supports 4,100 port customers and is home to 565 companies from the petrochemicals sector.
Complementing this is the Jebel Ali Port, a hub for global petrochemical companies catering to growing markets of the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, and the Middle East.
“The petrochemicals sector is an integral pillar of Operation 300bn, the UAE’s Industrial Strategy that aims to increase the GDP from AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion by 2031.” Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, DP World – UAE Region and Jafza, said. “Since 95 percent of all manufactured goods rely on petrochemicals, the sector is essential to the global economy. So, despite the 2020 crisis and the delayed economic recovery, the sector is poised for significant growth in the decades ahead”.
“The UAE’s export-orientated industry is already witnessing improvements which will be sustained by new polypropylene capacity, due to a ramp-up in production in 2022,” Abdulla Bin Damithan said. “Events like GPCA give us the opportunity to attract local and international companies, accelerating our growth as the preferred petrochemical hub of the region.”
The Jebel Ali Port supports 65 percent of the GCC’s polymer exports and 33 percent of its petrochemicals’ exports. The port has two million square metres of dedicated liquid chemical handling capacity comprising 11 berths and over one million cubic metres of liquid bulk storage space.
Spread over an area of 3.9 million square metres, Jafza supports several key petrochemicals companies, including DOW, BASF, Total and Gulf Petrochem. The free zone offers a holistic solution – handling imports in bulk and containers and offering 235,000 cubic metres of storage capacity.