Dubai has power in turning challenges into opportunities, says DP World Chairman

DUBAI, 11th May, 2017 (WAM) -- The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has turned innovative ideas into leading achievements that catapulted Dubai into greater heights, said Sulltan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. Speaking during a speech at Ideas Arabia 12th International 2017 on Wednesday, bin Sulayem noted that Dubai’s success is based on "our confidence and belief in ourselves and our potential." Bin Sulayem added that Dubai has carried out a number of ambitious projects, such as the development of Jebel Ali, JAFZA, and Palm Islands. Sectors such as trade, tourism and electronic transformation have advanced noticeably. "We started work on Jebel Ali Free Zone in 1985 without any fear or skepticism. We had feasibility studies in place and were confident of our capability of attracting international firms. The first day JAFZA was established we received 300 applications from different companies that wanted to open offices and projects in Jebel Ali. We managed to achieve year on year growth in non-oil external trade to reach a volume of more than 90 million tons" he noted. Bin Sulayem also talked about the emirate’s experience in developing Palm Islands, which Dubai needed to increase the length of its beaches following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. "We started our journey with developing ports in the seventies, with a future vision of turning Dubai into a trade and investment hub in the region. In the eighties we built the free zones, including Jebel Ali Free Zone, and in the nineties we gave more attention and focus to tourism. As of the year 2000, we started developing IT and online trade systems," he added. "Dubai’s power in turning challenges into opportunities is evident in the way it dealt with a number of crises in the past. The emirates’ experience is a living example of how wise the leadership is in turning regional and international crises into real opportunities," the DP World Group Chairman said. http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302613220