Sharjah Free Zone eyes more Sri Lankan investors

Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) is looking to attract more investors from Sri Lanka..
SAIF Zone offers many opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from Sri Lanka, and the increasing pace of trade between the UAE and Sri Lanka is a positive sign of rapid growth at all levels, said Saud Salim Al-Mazrouei, director of SAIF Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA).
Al-Mazrouei was addressing a session titled ‘International Business Forum — Expanding business globally in association with SAIF Zone’ in Colombo.
It was organized by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) and Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL).
"We are interested in Sri Lanka's trade sector and we also want to open doors to SMEs for entrepreneurs from Sri Lanka,” he added.
“A number of Sri Lankan companies are interested in venturing into Sharjah's free zones and I hope that in 2017, they will setup in SAIF Zone,” he added.
Al-Mazrouei said the UAE is a major trading partner of Sri Lanka in the GCC and the two-way trade has reached $1.35 billion in 2015.
Upul Jayasuriya, chairman of BOI, said: “Sri Lankans have emerged as important investors within the UAE and Sri Lanka as an important export destination for UAE manufactured goods. BOI and FCCISL are extending our full support to Sharjah Airport International Free Zone.”
Sarath Kahapalarachchi, president of FCCISL, said: “Concrete steps need to be taken to build a multi-dimensional collaborative framework that leads to sustained economic growth and job creation for both countries, translating into a truly win-win partnership.”
Thomas Joseph, business development manager, SAIF Zone said: “SAIF Zone has state-of-the-art facilities in addition to tax and duty exemptions, multiple license facilities and easy access to billions of consumers.”
SAIF Zone houses over 7,600 establishments from 160 countries.

Source: Arab News