Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) welcomed a delegation from the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) as part of the networks’ mission. The delegation comprised of representatives from thirty-two European companies on a multi-sector mission with a focus on EXPO 2020 Dubai.

Jamal Bin Marghoob, Senior Director of Sales at DAFZA along with other senior officials from the free zone, welcomed the delegation for a stakeholder event. During the event, the attending members of the delegation received briefings that included market information and counsel. Dubai Chamber of Commerce has also organized meetings with the industry stakeholders for networking opportunities from across Europe and the Middle East regions.

The event highlighted the key sectors including circular economy, ICT, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, smart cities as well as other digital-based sectors. With information technology (IT) companies representing 29 per cent of all organizations in the free zone, focusing on digital sectors falls in line with DAFZA’s strategy of transforming its services to be able to cater to the evolving digital economy.

Commenting on the visit, Jamal Bin Marghoob said: “DAFZA recognizes Europe as an essential market for the free zone and will continue to provide an environment that attracts foreign investors, long-term investments, business activity and development. We see big opportunities for cooperation in the IT sector between Europe and the UAE and we will continue to focus on this for years to come.”

The emirate of Dubai has emerged as a leading business destination for European companies looking to base themselves in the Middle East. European companies accounted for 22 per cent of Dubai’s non-oil trade in 2018 with a value of Dh32 billion. This data shows the significant impact of attracting foreign direct investments from international companies including those from Europe, in support of the government’s plans and economic diversification strategy.

EEN is the world’s largest business support network, providing SMEs with free practical advice, assistance and information on European issues. The enterprise’s areas of focus include EU legislation and policy, public sector opportunities in Europe, as well as access to business cooperation partners. More than 60 countries have access to the network, which has 600-member organizations worldwide.