Emirates Industrial Cities a strategic partner at Sharjah Economic Districts Forum 2009

The Forum will take place on 10 and 11 May 2009, under the patronage of H.E. Sheik Dr. Sultan Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Zamil, Chairman of Emirates Industrial Cities, says:

"Everyone is looking forward to this forum, as it comes at a time of economic turmoil. Sharjah Economic Districts Forum represents Sharjah's desire to go forward by providing facilities and services to investors and supporting industrial activities, which has developed rapidly during the last five years due to the emirate's strategic location and transparent positioning."

Board member Sheik Abdullah Fahid Al Shakrah, added, "Our partnership with the forum reflects our interest in supporting the industrial foundations, as they are the key to any industrial evolution. The Sharjah Economic Districts Forum is a great place to meet leading industrial experts and exchange opinions and ideas on the latest industrial investments and developments."

Emirates Industrial City is one of the largest projects in the emirate of Sharjah. Warehouses and logistic support services cover an area of 20 million square feet of Emirate Warehouse City project's 83 million square feet grounds, and are divided into eight sections.

Two sections have been specified for warehouses and logistics support, with 400 warehouses that can be subdivided. The other six sections include industrial investment options and support services to meet investors' industrial needs; commercial activities and prime locations for company offices; permanent sale exhibitions for factories; as well as multi-purpose business centers with the ability to host other activities and services.

Investments at Emirates Industrials City, which includes Warehouses City, currently amount to over Dhs5bn. Infrastructure works for Emirates Industrial City is 100% complete, while infrastructure works for Warehouses City, already at 50%, is currently at phase 1 of development, and is scheduled for completion within 15 months.

According to the latest industrial statistics, the emirate of Sharjah houses 19 industrial districts; 17 of which are specified for factories, while industrial district no. 18 is specified for expos and warehouses. Industrial district no. 19 in Al Sajaa District, like Emirates Industrial City, offers high-standard, professional industrial investment planning.

The emirate of Sharjah has many industrial districts located at Al Thaid, Kalba' and Khourfakan Cities, as well as at Al Hamriya and Sharjah International Airport Free Zones, which include 404 industrial projects (25% of total projects) out of 1614 projects currently in existence in the emirate.

The latest industrial survey states that 404 industrial facilities are active in free zones, while 1210 facilities exist inside the emirate. A total of 1614 industrial companies are active in the emirate, with 75758 workers earning a combined payment of Dhs1945m.