Sharjah launches international food industries hub

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Hamriyah Free Zone Authority has launched ‘Sharjah Food Park’, a regional hub for the Middle East and North Africa’s multi-billion dollar food industry, dedicated to food import, export, storage, manufacture and packaging. The new world class zone will be the region’s largest dedicated facility for food industries, covering a total area of 11 million square metres (118 million square feet), and offering warehousing, office space and labour accommodation.

Established in 1995, Hamriyah Free Zone is Sharjah’s largest free zone and the second largest industrial hub in the UAE. The free zone houses over 6,500 enterprises from 157 countries, attracting foreign investment from more than 500 industry verticals in the key sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, maritime, steel, construction and food products. The free zone allows 100 percent foreign ownership, exemption from commercial levies, repatriation of capital and profit, no corporation or income tax and no import or export tax.

Hamriyah Free Zone is strategically located adjacent to Hamriyah deep water port, near the centre of Sharjah city, and close to Port Khalid. The free zone has excellent road, sea and air connections, just 30 minutes drive from Sharjah International Airport, 40 minutes from Dubai International Airport and two hours drive to Sharjah’s east-coast port of Khor Fakkan. Freight services transport food products from Sharjah to Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, across the Middle East and further afield.

The Hamriyah Free Zone Authority is also now able to process licensing formalities for new tenants in less than two-hours. Licenses can be issued for commercial, industrial or service purposes following a simple three-step application process. Commercial licenses can be issued for general trading or for specific trading in up to five activities, while industrial licenses can cover processing, assembly, packaging and manufacturing activities. Service licenses can be issued for a number of activities and consultancy services.

The new Sharjah Food Park business centre will include a 100 executive office suites of between 15 square metres and 42 square metres in size. Five different office lease packages will be available starting from AED 11,000 (US$ 2,998) through to AED 35,000 (US$ 9,537). Offices are equipped with the latest communication and internet facilities.

Source: HFZA, WAM