Under the patronage of Mohammed bin Rashid.. Dubai to host the annual international conference of the World Free Zones Organization next September

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Emirate of Dubai will host the 10th annual international conference of the World Free Zones Organization (World FZO) from September 23 to 25. The conference will be held in Madinat Jumeirah under the theme “Economic Zones and Changing Global Economic Structures – Exploring New Horizons for Investment”. The conference will discuss the most important and prominent topics that top the sector’s priorities at the global level, with the participation of representatives from more than 100 countries, amidst the attendance of more than 2,000 global and regional business leaders and officials of free zones around the world.

The event coincides with the tenth anniversary of the organization’s founding, while the Emirate of Dubai is hosting it for the second consecutive year and for the fifth time since the launch of its first session, in light of the success witnessed by the last session, which was among the largest sessions organized by the organization since its founding in 2014.

The 10th session brings together representatives of economic zones from all over the world under one roof, as part of the organization’s efforts to enhance its commitment to continue promoting the vital role of economic zones at the global level, through which more than a third of global trade passes, in addition to highlighting the effective impact of these economic zones in supporting and developing national economies and trade exchanges between countries, through their significant contribution to increasing opportunities and volume of trade transactions, advancing the comprehensive transformation process towards the digital economy, attracting direct and indirect foreign investments, and supporting other economic sectors.

This year’s session is expected to witness the participation of a group of the most important experts, specialists and decision-makers in the sectors of free zones, logistics services and multilateral organizations, in addition to a large number of investors, entrepreneurs and academics, as well as representatives of various governmental and semi-governmental parties and major companies concerned with these sectors and related fields.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organization, said: “Dubai’s hosting of the 10th annual international conference of the World Free Zones Organization reflects the emirate’s keenness to contribute effectively to the development of the global system of economic zones as the nerve center of international trade in our current era. This is in line with Dubai’s drive to double its foreign trade to AED 25 trillion, and its efforts to add trade corridors with 400 new cities around the world by 2033, in accordance with the Dubai Economic Agenda.”And its ambitious goals

His Excellency added: “Dubai looks forward to organising a successful session that is in line with the UAE’s efforts to enhance its advanced position as a global influence centre and a global economic player among major economic groups in accordance with the UAE Centennial 2071, and in line with the status of this event and its growing strategic and vital importance in enhancing efforts aimed at achieving sustainable economic development, building and consolidating trade exchange relations and a network of partnerships between economic zones in the organisation’s countries, in addition to expanding its activities to include modern economic sectors that keep pace with the era of artificial intelligence, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and advanced technology, and support the establishment of national economies based on knowledge and innovation, leading to an effective contribution to achieving comprehensive growth and prosperity at the global economic level.”

Al Zarouni considered that holding the event in the Emirate of Dubai constitutes a renewed opportunity to present in-depth visions and anticipate the future of the economic zones sector worldwide, through continuing constructive and fruitful discussions between all concerned parties on ways to facilitate business, link different markets together, and provide customers with effective cost-saving operations, as part of the serious efforts made by the organization to advance the sector to higher levels, keeping pace with the rapid developments witnessed by the world around us, and encouraging the adoption of the highest standards and the latest legislation and policies, and the application of the best global practices, and benefiting from emerging trends and innovations in the economic zones sector to attract companies and investors and provide them with competitive advantages, and exchange information and knowledge related to this sector, and cooperate to develop its concepts, advantages and role in the field of economic and social development, which increases the responsibility of the organization and its efforts to develop the economic zones system and its role in enhancing the sustainability, flexibility and prosperity of the global trade movement.

The World Free Zones Organization has more than 1,600 members from 141 countries, and is widely represented through 12 regional offices around the world and 42 national contact points.

The organization is witnessing increasing reliance by economic zones on its contribution, services and the network of qualitative strategic partnerships that connect its members, especially with the significant expansion of free zones in terms of number, size and importance, and the advancement of their position within the value chain and economic activities, and the expansion of their fields to include new sectors of artificial intelligence, financial technology, healthcare and digital trade, which enhances job opportunities and the contribution of free zones to the global economy in various forms.

During the first decade of its establishment, the organization focused on consolidating its strategic role in strengthening and expanding its membership base, in addition to providing comprehensive and integrated quality services to members. It also sought to encourage constructive dialogue and enhance opportunities for cooperation with all parties to support the organization’s ambitions, in order to achieve its goals aimed at achieving growth and prosperity at the global economic level based on the economic zones model.