Dubai, June 12th, 2011 (WAM) -- Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Dubai Airport Free Zone Director General, today met the Belgian Ambassador to the UAE, Anick Van Claster and discussed ways of enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the UAE and Belgium.
Dr. Al Zarooni reinforced the Dubai Airport Freezone's strategy to attract international companies that add value to the UAE economy. He also emphasized the benefits offered by these companies by being a part of the free zone, considering that a vast majority of them target markets boasting a population of over 1 billion people. He also pointed to the large number of European companies currently operating out of the Dubai Airport Freezone, constituting nearly 37 percent out of a total of 1450 companies. "The Dubai Airport Freezone has worked hard to offer these companies the best of facilities and services that can help develop their trade and investment businesses," he said, adding that there are more than 14 Belgian companies in Dubai Airport Freezone working across different investment sectors that are beneficial for the whole region. Al Zarooni reiterated that the Dubai Airport Freezone has unmatched experience and knowledge base in working with foreign companies, with a thorough understanding of their business targets, which facilitates the way its employees deal with the clients, thus offering them all the facilities needed to support their businesses and investments. He also emphasized that the Dubai Airport Freezone is integrated with the other financial institutions in Dubai, which aim to strengthen foreign investments into the Emirate by offering an elite level of services and the best facilities to achieve the highest level of satisfaction of the investor community. He called the Belgian Ambassador to encourage and create business partnerships between the Belgian and UAE investors to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Anick Van Claster reinforced that leading companies from Belgium were keen to enhance their presence in the Middle East via Dubai and the Dubai Airport Freezone in particular. She also emphasized the need for Belgian companies to take advantage of the business and investment environment offered by the UAE, especially Dubai. She said, "We have seen a lot of interest from Belgian companies to enter the Middle East through the facilities offered by Dubai and Dubai Airport Freezone. The infrastructure that Dubai Airport Freezone and Dubai offer make them the ideal launch pad for Belgian companies eyeing investments and businesses in the region."Claster also noted that the flexibility of investment legislations and laws offered by UAE and the free zones makes it more attractive for major European companies that are looking for new markets abroad. She also emphasized the importance of coordination between Dubai Airport Freezone and the Trade Representative Office of Belgium in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to stimulate more Belgian companies to benefit from the facilities and services offered by the free zone to investors and Belgian companies. She added, "The trade relationship between the UAE and Belgium has achieved exceptional results in the last ten years."She pointed that a majority of companies are involved in steel, ship building, textiles, plastic, jewelries, chemicals and other industries.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
