Dubai, UAE, February 25, 2013. Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZA) and Dubai Customs have formed a strategic partnership aimed at providing tenants with quality services and facilitate trading.

The two organizations plan to collaborate to study local obstacles, if any, and find suitable solutions to improve the procedures and mechanisms of business services.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by His Excellency, Ahmed Butti, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Director General of Dubai Customs, and Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General of DAFZA, during a meeting held at the Freezone's headquarters.

"Dubai Customs is a working partner for all Dubai business organisations, aiming to streamline and facilitate customs procedures in order to support commercial exchange between Dubai and the rest of the world," said Ahmed Butti, "Through our partnership with Dubai Airport Freezone we will continue to support the UAE's economic development and further Dubai's image as a business hub globally."

"We are extremely grateful to Dubai Customs' support throughout the years. Foreign investors and international companies are given the opportunity to operate freely and achieve their targets in Dubai. Our partnership will facilitate their day-to-day activity and help us to build a package of unique services to cater to our tenants needs," said Dr. Mohamed Al Zarooni.

The agreement is expected to bring joint plans in a number of areas and initiatives, like Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, the creation of new services and comparison reference in Key Performance Indicators results and other management systems.

About Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZA)
Established in 1996 as a part of the Dubai Government's strategic plan to be an investment driven economy, DAFZA is one of the fastest growing premium free zones in the region. The free zone is currently home to over 1,600 companies from various industry sectors, including aviation, freight and logistics, IT and telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, engineering, food & beverage, jewelry and cosmetics. Located strategically within the boundaries of Dubai International Airport, DAFZA offers a range of modern facilities with a state-of-the-art infrastructure.

International investors can enjoy dynamic growth through DAFZA's excellent incentive packages including 100 per cent tax exemption, 100 per cent foreign ownership and no currency restrictions. Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, DAFZA is a gateway providing access to over 2.5 billion consumers.

In 2012, DAFZA was name Number One Free Zone in the World by Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) magazine, moving up from second place in 2011. Previous accolades with fDi include number one Middle East free zone of the Future and number one free zone in the UAE and in the Middle East, in its 2011/12 rankings. DAFZA's commitment to quality is recognized by worldwide ISO certificates for Quality, Environment, Health & Safety and Information Security Management System, as well as Complaints Handling System. In 2010, DAFZA won the Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme award in the service category and in 2012 it was named Best free zone in the world by fDi.

For further information:
Susan Parker: susan.parker@ketchum-raad.com/ +971 50 101 4403 / +971 4425 8975

Liana Khalaf: liana.khalaf@ketchum-raad.com/ +971 50 913 3177 / +971 4425 8977

© Press Release 2013