SAIF Zone showcases high-end services and incentives

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

More than 100 chairpersons and members of business councils as well as foreign investors interested in setting up businesses at the Sharjah International Airport Free Zone (SAIF Zone) have recently gathered to learn about the zone’s high-end services and incentives.

The meeting, which was organised by SAIF Zone and attended by representatives of multinational companies. Ms. Marian Carella, Chairman of Philippine Business Council and Iqbal Dawood, President of Pakistan Business Council were present at the meeting.

SAIF Zone’s highlighted the distinguished services across many trade, logistic transport and industry sectors, which have been put in place to attract foreign investors and investments, enhance their competitiveness and help them grow and expand. Calling on all members of business councils operating in the UAE to benefit from the so many competitive advantages being granted to the zone-based companies and businesses, especially in trade, industrial and service sectors

Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of Hamriyah Free Zone Authority and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority stressed that SAIF Zone is always investing in developing its infrastructure and introducing innovative services that meet the growing and ever-changing needs of investors. SAIF Zone delivers a host of incentives and privileges that every investor and businessman is looking for, particularly low operating costs and effective business management, besides many more.”

The free zone’s incentives include 100% foreign ownership of businesses, 100 % repatriation of capital and profits, and 100 per cent corporate or personal income tax exemptions, 100% import and export tax exemptions. This is in addition to 24-hour services, all licenses issued within one day, and a hotline that guarantees the availability of immediate manpower, equipment, shipment and customs clearance, 24/7 security and emergency services as well as labour accommodation within the zone.

SAIF Zone also houses containers storage area, storage warehouses, which constitutes a conducive environment for manufacturing, assembly, packaging, import and re-export services. The zone also offers basic amenities including legal and courier services, customs clearance, banking and medical services as well as transportation to the city. Such services do further strengthen the zone’s position as a top destination for businesses.

The attendees lauded ZAIF Zone’s high level of service quality, which satisfy investment requirements. They also expressed their desire to benefit from these services as per their corporate objectives.

It may be mentioned that SAIF Zone is one of the oldest, largest and fastest growing free trade zones in the Middle East. With a sterling reputation and strategic location, it is ranked high as a premier business and investment destination in the UAE and makes an ideal platform to launch Regional and Global operations.

SAIF Zone was established in 1995, becoming the first free zone area within an International Airport in the UAE and also the world’s first ISO 9001 certified Free Zone.

Its logistic location provides easy access to seaports on the Gulf of Oman (Khor Fakkan Port) and the Arabian Gulf (Port Khalid), especially as it was built adjacent to the Sharjah International Airport

The Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) was set up in 1995 and is the premier business destination of the UAE. Situated in the Emirate of Sharjah, the industrial powerhouse of the UAE, the SAIF Zone is the location of over 4,500 companies from 91 countries.

Investors consider Sharjah as a hub of Middle East and precisely due to this, hundreds of thousands of companies are being set up in a short span of time.

Covering a wide cross section of industry, companies include some of the biggest names in the field of IT services, media, consumer durables, light to medium manufacturing and a host of other companies.

There are distinct advantages of doing business in Sharjah and the SAIF Zone. With a trading history dating back to the early 18th century, Sharjah today accounts for more than 40 per cent of all industrial activity in the UAE.

The Sharjah Ports and Free Zone, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Sharjah are extremely pro-active and business savvy entities geared to provide all assistance to potential businessmen.

The cost of setting up a business in Sharjah is less than in any other emirate of the UAE, and the focus on industrialisation has in recent years turned Sharjah into a commercial centre registering an impressive annual growth rate of 12 per cent.

Freezone provides Warehouses of different sizes like 125 sq m, 250 sq m, 400 & 600 sq m. If larger Warehouses are required, it can be obtained by clubbing Warehouses together. As part of promotion going on, annual rent of warehouses has been considerably lowered to suit Client’s purse.