- Jafza celebrates its 40th anniversary with record trade performance, highlighting its long-term economic impact on Dubai.
- The free zone has evolved from 19 companies in 1985 to over 11,000 today, forming a vital part of Dubai’s global connectivity.
- Dubai’s population has surged from 500,000 to 3.6 million, with an economy now largely driven by tourism, real estate, trade, aviation, and finance sectors
- Jafza’s model has implemented across 11 economic zones in Europe, India, Africa and America.
Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has reached a major milestone, celebrating its 40th anniversary with record trade volumes of $190 billion over the past year, a 15% increase from the previous year and its highest contribution to Dubai’s economy to date, says a report published by DP World.
Navigating Four Decades of Global Change
Built around a purpose-driven model, Jafza combines a major seaport, advanced logistics infrastructure, and supportive business policies to create a thriving commercial ecosystem.
Over the past four decades, it has helped Dubai successfully navigate regional conflicts, financial crises, pandemics, and shifting global trade dynamics. From its establishment in 1985 with just 19 companies, Jafza is, now home to over 11,000 businesses and connected to more than 3.5 billion consumers by land, sea, and air.
Over the last two decades, it has attracted over $30 billion in foreign direct investment and, together with Jebel Ali Port, generated over one million jobs.
DP World’s Perspective on Jafza’s Role
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, emphasized that Jafza’s record-breaking contribution to trade in its 40th year reflects its enduring strength and strategic value. He noted that over the past four decades, Jafza has consistently demonstrated resilience and has now become a model for economic zone development globally.
Supporting this perspective, Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC, highlighted Dubai’s transformation from a small desert town into a global metropolis. He pointed out that the city’s population has grown significantly from 500,000 to 3.6 million, and its economy has shifted away from oil dependence (<1% of its GDP), now growing on sectors like tourism, real estate, trade, aviation, and finance. Being a major contributor to this transformation, The Jebel Ali ecosystem built a multimodal trade network connecting over 3.5 billion consumers worldwide.
Jafza’s Key Contribution to Dubai’s Economy
Jafza’s proven model has laid the foundation for DP World’s global expansion, now implemented across 11 economic zones in Europe, India, Africa, and the Americas, with three more under development.
Currently, Jafza accounts for nearly 75% of Dubai’s foreign direct investment in key sectors such as manufacturing, trade, and transport. It serves a wide range of industries, including electronics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, food, petrochemicals, and advanced manufacturing.
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Source: DPWorld
