Warehouses and light industrial units in the city and (below) Belhoul

DUBAI Industrial City (DI), a member of Tecom Investments, attracted 212 new companies during 2012, marking an increase of 82 per cent in the number of new companies that opted to use the various industrial real estate services and facilities on offer at the city.

Companies in DI grew from 259 to 471 during the 12-month period.

Dubai Industrial City, one of the largest specialised hubs in the light to medium manufacturing sectors in Dubai, also witnessed growing demand for industrial land. Investors such as Othman Mohamed Sharif, Al Barakh Dates Factory and Interpro Wood Industries leased more than 5 million sq ft of industrial land in 2012, marking an increase of 14 per cent in industrial companies in DI compared with 2011.

The warehouse occupancy rate also increased to reach 82 per cent of a total of 7 million sq ft of storage facilities available in the city, in addition to 100 per cent occupancy recorded in the city’s 3 million sq ft of open storage lands.

Dubai Industrial City is the second largest industrial real estate project in Dubai and spread across a plot of 55 sq km.

It was established to serve as a catalyst for the UAE industrial sector’s growth and expansion with special emphasis on machinery and mechanical equipment, transport equipment and parts, base metals, chemicals, food and beverages and mineral products.

Designed according to the highest standards of safety and security, the storage units come in sizes of 5,000 and 10,000 sq ft and can be utilised as workshops for light industrial use.

Abdullah Belhoul, managing director of DI, commented: “Achieving high growth rates in 2012 emphasises that Dubai Industrial City continues to be an attractive industrial and logistic hub for local and regional companies. It also stresses on the importance of the industrial sector, being the second largest contributor to the total GDP of the UAE.”

Belhoul added: “We recently signed an MoU with the UAE Ministry of Economy to support the industrial sector and increase cooperation between both our organisations as well as with the private sector to drive the economic diversification process and enhance the business and investment environment in line with Vision 2021. We expect the MOU to contribute to the development of the industrial sector and the UAE economy. It also positions Dubai Industrial City as a preferred destination for the industrial and logistics sector at the local and regional levels.”

Well-utilised open storage space

A large number of local and regional companies chose Dubai Industrial City as a preferred destination for their storage and logistical facilities, including Juma Al Majid Group, Home Centre, Al Gurg Unilever and Al Futtaim Logistics, which have occupied a combined area of more than 940,000 sq ft of warehouses in the city.

Belhoul pointed out that Dubai is currently witnessing a visible economic recovery, which demonstrates investors’ confidence in the economy of the emirate and the whole UAE.

“With the wise vision of its leadership, the UAE has proven to be one of the preferred global investment destinations among all sectors, despite any global economic climate or changes. We expect growth in demand from local and regional companies for industrial products and services offered by Dubai Industrial City in the coming few years. These companies are actually benefiting from the overall growth of the local economy and the industrial sector.

Belhoul also stressed that Dubai Industrial City business partners acknowledge and praise the role of government entities towards diversification of the UAE economy and making DI an ideal platform for them.

Belhoul thanked the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). RTA built a roundabout that provides direct access from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Street to Dubai Industrial City. Dewa meets DI’s electricity and water needs. It has constructed four electricity substations across the enclave.

The official also thanked the Department of Economic Development (DED) for facilitating the issuance of business licences and Civil Defence for its efforts in preserving safety at DI.

Dubai Industrial City is strategically located next to the new Al Maktoum Airport (Dubai World Central) and in close proximity to the Jebel Ali Free Zone.