Jafza announces reorganization in top management in line with its growth and expansion strategy

The most significant development is the appointment of Salma Ali Saif Bin Hareb as Chief Executive Officer. This appointment makes Hareb the first lady to assume the CEO position of a Free Zone in the UAE and entire MENA region.

Other major appointments include Ibrahim Mohamed al Janahi as the Vice President - Sales, Talal al Hashimi as Vice President - Property Management; and Ali Bin Damithan as Vice President - Customer Services.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), commented: "The Middle East is currently experiencing rapid economic growth witnessed throughout the various activities ranging from manufacturing to the service sector. We realize the necessity to provide state of the art infrastructure and world class services in order to attract reputable regional and global companies to establish operations in Jafza. Our customer centric approach and the unique value added proposition that Jafza is able to provide to its clients depending on their needs, represent the real competitive edge of our Free Zone. Jafza's strategies are in line with the progress and success story of Dubai as a leading business hub in the world."

"Jafza's growth rate over the past few years is remarkable. The Jebel Ali Free Zone is considered today as one of the leading free zones in the world. A well-conceived organizational change is a pre-requisite to achieve the broader business objectives of Jafza. Thriving for creativity and innovation, we realized the importance of placing our younger managers in senior leadership positions."

"We are delighted to welcome Salma Hareb as Jafza's new CEO. She will make a prudent and insightful Chief Executive Officer", added Bin Sulayem.

Educated in the UAE and the United Kingdom, Hareb has diverse experience and is a strong addition to the executive team. She has a wide business exposure through the various roles she assumed during her career path having worked in operations, marketing, business development, IT development and strategic planning. Her last position was Chief Planning Officer; responsible for developing and implementing Jafza's long term plans.

Al Janahi is assuming his new responsibilities as Vice President - Sales. He has been promoted from his position as Jafza's Regional Manager - Europe. A dynamic representative at major events and conferences around the world, al Janahi was also PCFC's official representative at the World Economic Forum (WEF) earlier this year in Davos, Switzerland. He is a business management graduate from Colorado, USA and has more than 17 years of experience in business management and banking operations.

Talal al Hashimi has been promoted from his earlier position as the Director of Human Resources to Vice President - Property Management. In his new capacity, al Hashimi will have significant contributions to make to the development and management of Jafza's property. Al Hashimi, a sociology graduate also worked briefly as the Head of the Property and Inspection Department at Jafza. He actively participates in various HR and Planning related conferences and seminars and is a member of the steering committee for HR policies.

The promotion of Ali Bin Damithan as Vice President - Customer Services is an acknowledgement for his contribution to the Customer Services Department over the past few years. He holds a bachelors degree in science from the College of Suffolk, USA and has been working with the corporation for close to a decade now.

Jafza recently unveiled its new information packed promotional tools, including a revamped website, a new corporate video, brochure, investor guide and a rules and regulations guide. These promotional tools will update prospective clients, government organizations and the general public on the recent developments, growth and achievements of the free zone. This initiative by Jafza has already helped in attracting more clients to the free zone as it draws attention to the various infrastructure facilities ad services at Jafza and Dubai Ports.

"Jafza offers its customers world-class infrastructure supported with quality, value added services and incentives. Today Jafza is home to over 5,000 companies from more than 120 countries involved in manufacturing, trading, distribution and services. Our strategic investments in major infrastructure facilities and information technology have allowed us to consolidate our unsurpassed logistics capabilities, by sea, land and air," concluded Bin Sulayem.