A high-profile delegation from Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) participated in the China Business Summit held in Beijing from September 9-10, 2005 organised in association with the World Economic Forum, where they showcased to Chinese investors the state-of-the-art facilities and services Jafza offers tenant companies.
China Business Summit is the premier annual business conference in China, bringing together multinational companies, private business entrepreneurs and leading Chinese state-owned enterprises. The summit enables participants to gain a deeper insight into market opportunities and develop contacts within China by interacting closely with entrepreneurs and key government officials and representatives.
The two-member Jafza delegation at the summit comprised Ibrahim Mohammed Al Janahi, Vice President – Commercial Sales, Jafza, and Abdullah Al Banna, Senior Marketing Manager of Jafza.
"The summit allowed us to showcase Jafza's world-class infrastructure facilities as well as the incentives it offers, to discerning Chinese investors and entrepreneurs," Al Janahi said. "We have been making concerted efforts to establish strong business alliances with leading companies from various countries, and our participation in China Business Summit comes within this broader strategy."
"China is the fastest growing economy in the world, and Chinese manufacturing and industrial companies have emerged globally competitive. Many of these companies are looking to expand their operations to overseas destinations. The summit presented an excellent platform for us to raise awareness about the exciting investment opportunities that Jafza offers, and persuade Chinese companies to set up facilities in Jafza," Al Janahi added.
In the days leading up to the China Business Summit, the Jafza delegation had visited three major Chinese cities – Shanghai, Ningbo and Beijing, the summit venue – where they held discussions with several leading companies, with many of them indicating an active interest in setting up operations in Jafza. These business visits were arranged by Sinobal, Jafza's representative organization in China, which has offices all over the country.
In Shanghai, the commercial capital of China, the delegation held meetings with a leading Chinese carmaker which also manufactures spare parts for world-leading automobile brands such as General Motors, Volkwagen and Toyota. In addition, they deliberated with a leading Shanghai-based food stuff manufacturer as well as a prominent company in the leather industry.
The Jafza delegation also visited the Ningbo Port, one of the most prominent ports in China, to explore avenues for business cooperation, and closely interacted with key officials of the Department of Foreign Trade, Ningbo. On the delegation's arrival in Beijing for the summit, a host of meetings were held with several major city-based enterprises. Besides, the delegation also held discussions with leading Chinese companies on the sidelines of the summit.
Abdullah Al Banna said, "The China Business Summit enabled us to closely interact with Chinese enterprises from diverse business sectors, and many of them have expressed keen interest to start operations in Jafza. More than 50 Chinese companies have already set up facilities in Jafza. Given the favourable response we received from Chinese investors during the summit, we expect this tally to burgeon significantly."
