Industrial zones lure plastics manufacturers

ABU DHABI POLYMERS PARK

The first dedicated park for the plastics industry

Abu Dhabi Polymers Park (ADPP) is touted as the region's first industrial park dedicated to the polymers and plastics conversion industry. With regional supply of polymers expected to reach 33 million tonnes by 2013, the park is envisioned to have an annual conversion capacity of up to 1.3 million tonnes annually from a wide range of polymer resins. It was created at a time when the Middle East region is experiencing unprecedented growth in polymer production capacity, and is now being actively developed to meet the needs of plastics processing companies.

The ADPP is a strategic initiative of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation (ADBIC), an industrial development and investment company created to facilitate the expansion of sustainable industry in Abu Dhabi. ADBIC, wholly-owned by the Abu Dhabi Government's General Holding Corporation (GHC) , serves as a catalyst in building basic industry and supporting economic diversity through the development of industrial clusters and focuses on polymer conversion, petrochemicals, base metals and other industrial cluster. The applications are extensive - ranging from consumer goods to construction, transportation and infrastructure. ADBIC uses an integrated approach towards building industrial supply chains and creates opportunities by leveraging global competitive advantages. The Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones, otherwise known as ZonesCorp, has created the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi - a dedicated area for industrial development spanning 77 sq.km. and within the Industrial City lies the ADPP which covers 4 sq. km.

As a dedicated zone for the plastics industry, ADPP is the ideal base for servicing regional and international markets from segments that include compounds and masterbatches, infrastructure and construction, industrial and consumer goods packaging and original equipment manufacturing. With consumer market exceeding 300 million, the MENA region provides strong opportunities for specialised product development. For producers of compounds and masterbatches, the park offers significant advantages in servicing this region, as well as close access to major markets in Europe and the Indian subcontinent. For the infrastructure and construction segment, the GCC region is one of the largest markets and recent developments in the UAE's infrastructure and construction are driving demand for plastic products. ADPP aims to serve as a strategic hub for supplying these lucrative markets with products such as geomembranes, plastic pipes and sheets. In the area of industrial packaging, ADPP serves as an ideal location for the production of different categories of solid and liquid raw materials UAE. The emirate also boasts of having an international airport devoted to freight.

RAK's promotion as an ideal investment location is undertaken by the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) which is mandated to encourage the establishment of sustainable industries and to help the emirate build a diverse economy. RAKIA knows it is facing a tremendous challenge in persuading businesses to set up their operations in an area that from the start was largely desert.
RAKIA's business success formula for investors lies in its being able to perform its all-important role in the provision of one-stop-shop services of the investors. Under RAKIA's management, the past 5 years saw RAK's transformation into one of the most exciting investment, manufacturing, trade, tourism and lifestyle destinations in the Middle East region. "RAK has become a hub for manufacturing and other industries with a large number of local and international companies from a diverse range of industries registering in its free and non-free zones," according to Dr. Khater Massaad, CEO of RAKIA.

RAKIA operates free trade zones for foreign investors who wish to avail fAir Force 1 High