New integrated industrial operating model enables scalable growth for downstream metals manufacturers without heavy upfront capital investment

Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group announced the  launch of Metal Park, the world’s first pay-as-you-grow metals ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of H.E. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group.

The launch was also attended by Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of Economic Cities & Free Zones, AD Ports Group, Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of Emirates Steel, and senior KEZAD Group and government officials.

The 450,000 sqm Metal Park, set up by the company with an investment of AED 430 million, introduces a new industrial operating model designed to transform how downstream metals businesses access infrastructure, logistics, and specialist services which replace the traditional capital-heavy and fragmented industrial setup with a fully integrated, scalable ecosystem. The model allows metals companies to grow in line with demand while avoiding large upfront investment, improving capital efficiency, speed-to-market, and operational predictability.

Unlike conventional industrial parks, Metal Park, which operates both in the Free Zone and the Mainland, is now live, fully operational. Its Production Hub, Storage Hub, and Business Centre are already active, enabling metal to be processed on site by its 27 members. The ecosystem provides shared specialist capabilities, secure high-throughput storage, and integrated commercial and operational support, forming a functioning industrial system.

Integrated logistics infrastructure, enabled through KEZAD Group and AD Ports Group, ensures seamless connectivity from production to storage and outbound movement. This integrated setup reduces friction across the value chain and improves throughput, reliability, and speed-to-market for manufacturers operating within the ecosystem.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, said: “Metal Park represents a new chapter in industrial development at KEZAD. By enabling a pay-as-you-grow model, we are lowering barriers to entry, improving capital efficiency, and providing manufacturers with an industry-specific environment where infrastructure, logistics, and services work together from day one. This approach strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a competitive destination for advanced industrial investments, in line with the vision of our wise leadership in the UAE.”

Vahid Fouladkar, CEO of Metal Park, said: “This is not about building another industrial zone. It is about creating an operating model where metals businesses can scale intelligently, supported by shared infrastructure, integrated logistics, and coordinated services that remove complexity from daily operations.”

Metal Park has been engineered around operational excellence, with a strong focus on safety, efficiency, predictability, and sustainability. Processes are designed to reduce manual handling, minimise idle time, and optimise energy use, while shared assets reduce duplication and waste, aligning operational performance with environmental responsibility.

Technology underpins the entire ecosystem, with Metal Park operating as a digitally orchestrated platform that provides real-time visibility, seamless ordering, and coordinated internal logistics for its members.

By enabling advanced manufacturing, strengthening supply chain resilience, and attracting industrial investment through a scalable and efficient model, Metal Park directly supports the continued growth of the downstream metals sector and the broader non-oil economy.

With its pay-as-you-grow model now live, Metal Park sends a clear signal to global metals businesses that industrial growth no longer needs to be capital-intensive, fragmented, or slow, and that the future of metals manufacturing is being built in KEZAD Abu Dhabi.