adc participates in the region's first industrial exhibition of the 21st century
ADC’s participation in the Gulf International Industry Fair 2008 aims at promoting ASEZ’s booming industrial sector and investment opportunities
The Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), the central development body for the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ), and its partners in the industrial sector participated in the Gulf International Industry Fair 2008, the region's first industrial exhibition of the 21st century that took place at the Bahrain International Exhibition Center in Al Manama from January 15–17. ADC’s participation aimed at promoting ASEZ’s booming industrial sector and investment opportunities as well as the various industries currently available in the zone.
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) took part in the exhibition alongside ADC in addition to a number of ADC’s partners such as the Aqaba National Real Estate Projects Co. (ANREPCO), the Aqaba Logistics Village (ALV), the Aqaba International Industrial Estate (AIIE) and the Red Sea Metal Industries (RSMI).
Eng. Imad N. Fakhoury, Chairman and CEO of ADC said, “ADC’s participation in the Gulf International Industry Fair aims at introducing the unique investment opportunities available in Aqaba, specifically the coastal city’s industrial sector for both Arab and international investors, and we are honored that numerous participants expressed their interest in investing in the ASEZ. We are excited about building future relationships with Bahrain’s industrial sector while maintaining our mutual vision of encouraging and developing each of our industrial sectors.”
He added, “Aqaba’s industrial sector is a very important factor of the development process that ADC is working to achieve, and therefore the ASEZ master plan has allocated specific sites especially for the establishment of industrial projects.” He went on to say, “These projects are invaluable investment opportunities that should attract many investors. That said, ADC is keen on participating in leading regional and international fairs and exhibitions, especially those that play a significant role in shaping Aqaba’s industrial sector.”
Aqaba’s heavy industrial sector is located in the Southern Industrial Zone, while light to medium industries are located at two main sites - near the Zone’s container terminal, and in the northern part of the city at the Aqaba International Industrial Estate (AIIE) with direct access to the air cargo terminal at King Hussein International Airport (KHIA).
AIIE is a 275-hectares plot of land established 700 meters east of KHIA. The AIIE aims to attract an array of investments in industries such as construction materials, food processing, apparel and other sewn goods, consumer plastics, logistics and warehousing, appliance assembly and manufacturing, electronics assembly and sub-assembly, as well as metal fabrication.
In the Southern Industrial Zone the projects that will be erected range in size between 5,000 to 50,000 hectares, and include corridors for conveyors, pipelines, roads, a railway extension, world-class infrastructure and utilities, water desalination plants, water treatment and power plants in addition to the chemical cluster that proposes multiple investment opportunities.
Among the industrial sector’s main investments are the North and the Back Road Logistics Parks— Warehouse Villages — a joint venture between ADC and the National Real Estate Co. (NREC) in Kuwait. On the eastern back road, a designated 1500 dunum will include over 70,000 m² of modern hangers for manufacturing and storage of light and medium industries and over 350,000 m² of land will be readily available for further future investment projects.
The Aqaba Logistics Village is one of the main service centers for logistics services. The Village provides clearance services, container maintenance, temporary and long-term storing and warehousing, as well as serviced facilities for truck drivers such as canteens, and rest rooms among others.
The Red Sea Metal Industries, part of Al Salti Group, is an investment that has existed since 1931 and encompasses 40,000 m² of land. The Group’s scope of work mainly involves trading in iron and is considered one of the biggest iron, aluminum and wood manufacturing companies in the ASEZ. The company currently caters to the ASEZ, yet it is expanding to meet the demands of neighboring markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
Furthermore, ADC is encouraging local, regional and international companies to submit technical and commercial proposals to build and operate a long-term sugar refinery as well as build, operate and transfer an associated marine facility as a receiving station for raw sugar.
The Gulf International Industry Fair 2008 provided exhibitors with formidable marketing opportunities covering key industrial sectors including aluminum, metal production & works, energy and power generation, manufacturing and production, and metrology and logistics.
