The number of Japanese companies in the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza) grew by 19 per cent at the end of the third quarter of 2016 over the same period in 2015.

Companies involved in automobiles and vehicles accounted for the largest percentage at 21 per cent, followed by electronics, electrical and telecommunications at 17 per cent; engines and machines at 14 per cent; engineering and building materials at 10 per cent; plastics, chemicals and petrochemical products at 8 per cent; and pharmaceutical, nutritional and medical equipment at 6 per cent.

A high-profile delegation from Dafza recently discussed promising investment opportunities abounding in Dubai with the Japanese business community during a series of seminars held recently in Japan.

These international seminars are a part of an ambitious marketing plan aimed at informing global investors about the major investment advantages available within one of the most advanced free zones in the world. They also promote the Emirate of Dubai as one of the most important business hubs in the world in line with Dubai Plan 2021.

The seminars are of significance as they complement growing trade between the UAE and Japan which amounted to Dh 43.3 billion ($11.8 billion) in the first half of 2016, making the UAE Japan’s largest trading partner and main market among GCC countries.

Marghoob: building strong relationship with Japan

They were organised in cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle Easy (JCCME), the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mizuho Bank, and with the support of the UAE Embassy in Japan.

Jamal Bin Marghoob, director of Marketing and Corporate Communications, headed the Dafza delegation and initiated the agenda by launching the first seminar in Tokyo in the presence of Khaled Omran Al Amiri, UAE Ambassador to Japan, who delivered the opening speech.

The second and third seminars were held in Osaka and Fukuoka in the presence of several decision-makers, government dignitaries, investors, entrepreneurs and representatives of major Japanese companies.

Dafza was commended for its efforts to provide exceptional facilities for benefitting from the most promising investment opportunities in the UAE and the regional emerging markets. The seminars included interactive sessions discussing the solid foundations for Dubai’s leadership as an international business and investment hub as well as the competitive elements making Dafza the most developed free zone in the Middle East.

Bin Marghoob said: “Organising these highly informative seminars complements the success of our previous initiatives during which we built strong relationships with the Japanese business community in order to enable Japanese companies to achieve growth, expand further, and establish a strong presence within the promising markets of the UAE and the surrounding region.”

“We are pleased to have met with elite government figures and leaders of Japan’s business world to discuss the most prominent developments advancing our cooperation as well as find ways to forge new and fruitful strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors, especially in terms of capitalizing on existing and emerging trade and investment opportunities between Japan and the UAE and the Mena region in general.

“These seminars also provide a perfect opportunity for us to intensify our contributions to the national economy by attracting further foreign investments to the Freezone which enjoys several competitive advantages and has huge investment facilities, advanced infrastructure, world-class services and qualified human resources capable of meeting the needs of international and multinational Japanese companies.

“We confidently look forward to future prospects, especially as we have managed to seal a series of joint agreements that will pave the way for expanding the presence of Japanese companies in Dafza. This will advance our goal of supporting strong economic relations with Japan which is a main trading partner for Dubai and the UAE,” he added.