DP World, UAE Region and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) organised a webinar for Japanese companies operating in the UAE. The webinar shed light on the initiatives taken by them to tackle the unforeseen challenges that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring business continuity and promoting the well-being and safety of the community. It also assessed future opportunities that will enable companies to grow regionally. The webinar was supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai, Japan Business Council (JBC) and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Dubai.

Key speakers included His Excellency Sekiguchi Noboru, Consul General of Japan in Dubai; Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chief Commercial Officer, DP World UAE Region; Naoyuki Okuya, Managing Director, Denso Middle East (JBC’s Jafza Committee President for 2020) and Masami Ando, Managing Director, JETRO Dubai.

Japan is one of Jafza’s key trade partners. In 2019, Jafza’s total trade value with Japan stood at around AED 13.8 billion, making Japan Jafza’s eighth-largest partner by trade value. Jafza is working with several Japanese trade promotion bodies and other institutions to strengthen Japanese presence in the region by attracting companies from diverse sectors. Being in the leading trade logistics hub in the region, with worldwide investments in new technologies, infrastructure and digital transformation, to enable our customers global trade not only for the MENA region but also beyond.

His Excellency Sekiguchi Noboru, Japanese Consul General in Dubai asserted, “The trade ties and the mutual trust between DP World, Jafza and Japanese enterprises have been strengthened over the years. Taking that into consideration, I hope the Japanese business community receives continued support from Jafza and the innovative climate sustains despite the fast-changing business environment due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Consulate-General of Japan in Dubai will make the best endeavors to facilitate the cooperation between DP World, Jafza and the Japanese business community.”

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza said, “As the gateway to the region, we are always keen to enhance cooperation with our strategic partners to improve trade flow. Jafza has enjoyed a cordial relationship with key Japanese business partners as the bilateral ties between the two countries are growing at a steady rate. Reports state that the total value of non-oil trade between the two countries has surpassed AED534 billion in the 11 years between 2009 and 2019, with more than 10,000 Japanese companies, agencies, and brands operating in the UAE. These impressive figures highlight the great alliance between the countries. As an industrial and logistics hub, Jebel Ali provides a fertile investment environment to Japanese companies that are looking to make it a base and reach out to clients in the region and the world over. The exchange of ideas and knowledge at the webinar helped us understand the emerging needs of our partners and assess the challenges they are facing, enabling us to deliver added value to them.”

Naoyuki Okuya, Managing Director, Denso Middle East (JBC’s Jafza Committee President for 2020)said, “The mission of JBC (The Japanese Business Council) in Dubai is to Contribute to mutual benefit for the activity of members and accelerate the promotion of “Japanese businesses” in the UAE. The JBC-Jafza committee has been created since 2011, and we will continue to collaborate with DP World, UAE Region and Jafza to expand the business presence of Japanese and UAE companies globally.”

Masami Ando, Managing Director of JETRO Dubai added, “This webinar has been organised at a pivotal time and provides detailed insights on enhancing and sustaining economically beneficial synergies between companies in the region. In the current scenario, Jafza’s multimodal connectivity in collaboration with DP World’s continued support will truly enable Japanese companies to set up in the UAE and continue to prosper. We, at JETRO, are committed to extending our full support to Japanese companies seeking business opportunities in the region, benefiting not only the UAE but also the MENA region.”

Japanese companies play a pivotal role in stimulating trade between Jafza and various regional countries due to the high export competitiveness enjoyed by Jafza, regionally and globally. The free zone’s multimodal connectivity to markets around the globe and operations in over 40 countries has led to the creation of a dynamic and streamlined global supply chain that greatly benefits partner companies.