KEZAD or Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD Group (Arabic : مناطق خليفة الاقتصادية أبوظبي – مجموعة كيزاد, romanized: Madīnat Khalīfah Al-Iqtesā'diyah Abu Dhabi - Majmoua Kezad) was launched by AD Ports Group on September 19, 2022, as part of the plan to consolidate and grow its Economic Cities and Free Zones offering. [1]
As part of its plans to achieve economic diversification by 2030, the Abu Dhabi Government drew up plans to launch a multibillion-dollar industrial park and ports operation on a greenfield site in Taweelah (adjacent to the newly built Khalifa Port) which would become the emirate's first industrial free zone offering 100 per cent foreign ownership. [2] By 2030, Kizad is expected to contribute up to 15% of the emirate's non-oil GDP. [3]
Besides its proximity to the state-of-the-art Khalifa Port, the industrial zone is located almost equidistant between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with extended frontage along the E11 Highway connecting the two cities. An additional arterial roadway is planned, linking Kizad to Al Ain, the UAE's largest inland city. In addition, these roads link the zone to three major international airports – Abu Dhabi International Airport (35 km (22 miles)), Al Maktoum International Airport (52 km (32 miles)), and Dubai International Airport (85 km (53 miles)). [4]
KEZAD's strategic location linking the east and west, and its intermodal infrastructure linking sea, air, roads and rail, gives investors easy and efficient access to over 4.5 billion consumers within four time zones. [5]
For logistics operations, firms based in the KIZAD Logistics Park (KLP) enjoy facilities including high-spec pre-built warehouses spread over 1.3 million square feet. [6]
KIZAD's anchor investor, Emirates Aluminium (EMAL), which aims to be one of the world's largest single-site Aluminium smelters, began operations in 2009. [7] It currently produces 800,000 tons of Aluminium at Kizad and with increasing demand for Aluminium, the local market will reach 1.3 million tons with the inauguration of its phase two very soon. [8]
According to media reports, KIZAD could lead to the creation of more than 150,000 jobs due to a deal signed with more than 50 local and international companies. By late 2013, these logistics and heavy industry manufacturing investors included Bauer, [9] KSB, [10] Al Braik Investments LLC, [11] Palletco, [12] Brasil Foods (BRF), [13] City Pharmacy, [14] and Emirates Calcium Carbonate Factory [15] which all signed up long-term leases at Kizad and began constructing facilities on the site. [16]
In a March 2014, media interview, KIZAD's then CEO, Samir Chaturvedi, stated the industrial zone will hand over pre-built warehouses spread across more than one million square feet in the newly developed Kizad Logistics Park (KLP) to tenants later that month. [17] The interview followed on from the news that major UAE supermarket chain, Spinneys, had inked a 50-year deal to build and operate a dedicated cold storage distribution center across 382.9 thousand square feet in KIZAD. [18]
The United Arab Emirates is a high-income developing market economy. The UAE's economy is the 4th largest in the Middle East, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$415 billion in 2021-2023.
Transport in the United Arab Emirates refers to the various forms of transport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by road, rail, air, and water.
E 11 is a highway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The longest road in the Emirates, it stretches from the Al Batha border crossing at the Saudi Arabia–UAE border in al-Silah in the al-Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ends at the Oman–UAE border crossing of al-Darah in al-Jeer, Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastline along the Persian Gulf. The road forms the main artery in some emirates' main cities, where it assumes various alternate names —Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, Al Ittihad Road in Sharjah Emirate and Ajman Emirate, and Sheikh Muhammad bin Salem Road in Ras al-Khaimah.
Jebel Ali Free Zone is a free economic zone located in the Jebel Ali area at the far western end of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, near Abu Dhabi. Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is the flagship free zone of DP World, and is an integral part of DP World UAE's integrated business hub. Created under a Ruler's Decree, Jafza commenced operations in 1985 with 19 companies offering standard size office units and warehouses to provide ready-built facilities to customers. In 1990 Jafza expanded its facilities to include light industrial units.
Zayed Port also called Mina Zayed, is a commercial deep-water port owned by the Abu Dhabi Ports that serves Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Established in 1968, Zayed Port is in the northeast section of Abu Dhabi city. It was officially inaugurated and became fully operational in 1972, and is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the former President of the United Arab Emirates. The transfer of Zayed Port's container traffic to the newly developed US$7.2 billion Khalifa Port container terminal was completed in 2012.
Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone is a special economic zone in Ras Al Khaimah. RAK FTZ is around an hour drive from Dubai.
Emirates Global Aluminium ("EGA") is an aluminium conglomerate with interests in bauxite/alumina and primary aluminium smelting. It is owned equally by Mubadala Investment Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai.
AD Ports Group is the exclusive developer and regulator of ports and related infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.
Khalifa Port is the Abu Dhabi Ports' flagship deepwater port. It is a gateway to Abu Dhabi and handles all of the emirate’s container traffic. The transfer of container traffic from Zayed Port was completed in December 2012.
Abu Dhabi Terminals or ADT was established in May 2006, by Emiri Decree No. (6) as the main port operator for all commercial ports in Abu Dhabi supporting the economic diversification in Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision. Since 2018, it has is fully owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Ports itself part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy. ADT was formed as part of the restructuring of the commercial ports sector in the Emirate and is the manager and operator of Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT), the region’s first semi-automated and most technologically advanced terminal which was officially inaugurated on December 12, 2012. ADT's other facilities formerly included Zayed Port, a historical port that has served the capital for over 40 years and Musafah Port, located in the heart of the industrial area. Abu Dhabi Terminals was responsible for the smooth transition of container traffic from the old Zayed Port to the new Khalifa Port, located in Taweelah - midway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Muṣaffah or Musaffah is an industrial district to the southwest of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Also known as Muṣaffah Aṣ-Ṣanāʿiyah, it is one of the most important economic areas of the United Arab Emirates and has been designated a special economic zone, with numerous factories and port.
Musaffah Port is an Abu Dhabi Ports' port located in the industrial area of Musaffah south west of the city of Abu Dhabi. The deepwater Musaffah Port and Musaffah Channel include a general cargo terminal at the northwest corner of the Musaffah Industrial Area, as well as an extensive waterfront nearly 40 km long that is occupied by numerous private berths and terminals. It's the city's second port after the establishment of Location Zayed Port in 1972.
The Western Region Ports are five ports run by Abu Dhabi Ports in Al Dhafra Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. These include ports in Mugharrag, Al Sila, Sir Bani Yas, Dalma and Marfa. The ports support local communities in the region and facilitate the transport of people and goods to offshore islands. In addition, they support local industries including fishing, tourism, logistics and leisure activities.
Amana Contracting and Steel Buildings is a UAE based industrial and commercial design-build construction company. It specializes in fast-track, turnkey construction of commercial, industrial and institutional low-rise facilities.
Muhammed Ghassan Aboud is a Syrian entrepreneur. He is one of the founding members of the Syrian Business Council and the Ghassan Aboud Group. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Aboud was listed in the 2018 issue of the Top 50 Most Influential Expats in the UAE by Forbes Middle East. In 2019, his net worth was estimated at $1.75 billion by Forbes magazine.
Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, officially "Abu Dhabi Region", also called "Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area", is the municipal region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi that contains the city of Abu Dhabi, distinct from the Eastern and Western municipal regions of the Emirate. Abu Dhabi City is the capital of both the Emirate and the United Arab Emirates, and has its own local government.
Events in the year 2022 in the United Arab Emirates.