In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to consolidate Dubai's status as the capital of digital commerce, the Dubai CommerCity free zone
07 Sep, 2022
In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to consolidate Dubai’s status as the capital of digital commerce, the Dubai CommerCity free zone today unveiled a new corporate identity aligned with its new strategic direction, which pivots on transforming its operations and services to digital commerce.
A first-of-its-kind free zone specialising in digital commerce, Dubai CommerCity is part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ). The move underscores the free zone’s commitment to contributing to the digital economy by accelerating the growth of companies in the field and increasing the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in different industries. The free zone’s new identity supports the objectives of the digital economy and future technology-related strategies in the emirate.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of DIEZ, said: “The strategic transformation we are witnessing today in Dubai CommerCity’s shift towards digital commerce comes in line with the strategic economic directives and plans of Dubai and the UAE. It will result in a new phase of leadership, sustainability and growth based on knowledge, innovation and future technological applications. It will enhance the competitiveness of the UAE and consolidate its leading position as a global centre for the most prosperous digital economy.”
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed added: “Our swift response and ability to adopt proactive solutions in the industry demonstrates Dubai CommerCity’s exceptional capabilities in terms of its integration with local and global digital economy systems, human resources, and advanced technologies. With these key assets, the free zone provides exceptional solutions that contribute to attracting fast-growing business sectors to Dubai.
“The emirate plays a leading role in shaping and building the future. It has established its position as an innovation hub and a driver for business development, expansion and integration in the global supply chain using future technology. This supports achieving the objectives of the Digital Economy Strategy through enhancing the digital economy’s contribution to the UAE’s GDP for at least the next ten years.”
Dubai CommerCity’s new technology-first strategy aims to foster a distinctive shift in the business model of the free zone’s companies by serving as a platform for their growth and operations. This will contribute to driving returns, operational excellence, economic development, sustainable growth, and enhancing the experience of investors, companies, and professionals by forging strong ties between leading digital brands. It will also accelerate the growth of the digital commerce industry by developing a proper governance framework.
Dubai CommerCity acknowledged its partners ¬– Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), Dubai Digital Authority, and Emirates NBD – who supported its strategic transformation by developing the free zone’s digital infrastructure and system for digital commerce. These partnerships seek to enhance the free zone’s integrated infrastructure and digital framework to align with the world’s best.
His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ, said: “Today, with Dubai CommerCity’s strategic transformation, DIEZ reaffirms its readiness to bring the operations and performance of its licensed companies, partners, and stakeholders to new levels of growth and sustainability. The free zone will, directly and indirectly, impact the companies’ financial results, operations, and revenues by providing an ecosystem that promotes innovation, adaptability, and flexibility to enhance business development.”
Al Zarooni added: “Since its launch, Dubai CommerCity has successfully defined the concept of e-commerce. Just one year after the free zone’s establishment, we have formed a new and clear vision to take it to the next level by abandoning traditional operations to meet the aspirations of our partners and support their expansion plans. Given its range of offerings, digital commerce has emerged as a concept to meet the requirements of companies to achieve sustainability in growth and business and ensure their ability to compete in the global markets while being based in Dubai. This comes in line with the vision and strategic objectives of DIEZ.”
His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the Dubai Digital Authority, hailed this step: “The launch of the new identity and its adoption of the concept of digital commerce represents an important step in keeping pace with the digital age. We live in an era when digital data has become an integral part of business. Digital commerce and digital government are two sides of the same coin. Together, they contribute to a comprehensive and integrated digital life and offer a path towards the city’s desired future in line with the vision of our wise leadership, making Dubai a global model for smart cities that ensures the welfare of society and business sustainability as well as the happiness of its citizens and residents.”
His Excellency Eng. Majed Al Mesmar, TDRA Director General, said: “TDRA is delighted to support Dubai CommerCity in adopting its new digital commerce identity. We are pleased with such steps that shape the digital future of the UAE by focusing on digital commerce. The success of the country’s digital transformation hinges on the spirit of integration, cooperation, and collaboration among all stakeholders in this field. We congratulate Dubai CommerCity on this achievement and ensure TDRA’s support to it and any national initiative in the field of digital transformation.”
Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD, said: “As a UAE banking champion, we are delighted to support a strategic initiative that will directly impact our nation’s future economy. A seamless banking experience is critical to ease of doing business. As a digital-first, innovation-driven bank, we remain committed to delivering superior banking solutions that contribute to the UAE’s world-class business environment and infrastructure. In our role as strategic partners, we look forward to supporting Dubai CommerCity’s customers in their ambition to advance and prosper while enhancing the UAE’s position as a leading destination for digital commerce.”
With its new strategic direction, Dubai CommerCity seeks to strengthen its efforts to increase Dubai’s contribution to the country’s digital economy, which amounts to 4.3% of the UAE’s GDP. The free zone also aims to enhance the contribution of Dubai, and the UAE, to the global digital economy, which is expected to reach US$800 billion by 2030.
To achieve its objectives, Dubai CommerCity is incorporating digital solutions such as blockchain and smart electronic services to ensure the growth of Dubai’s digital community and create an infrastructure that supports digital transformation. Through its new strategy, Dubai CommerCity will contribute to transforming the digital economy, improving the quality of the business environment and digital infrastructure, and embracing digital innovation by supporting different initiatives which contribute to creating added value for customers in the digital field.
First-of-its-kind digital infrastructure
As part of its new strategic direction, Dubai CommerCity will develop a new infrastructure for digital transformation in partnership with TDRA. The strategy will be the first of its kind in the emirate. As part of the partnership, TDRA will provide the free zone with various initiatives, platforms, and digital tools to enhance its operations. Dubai CommerCity has also collaborated with Dubai Digital Authority to develop a comprehensive infrastructure of information technology, data, digital transformation, and cybersecurity within the free zone, making it one of the most advanced, modern, and efficient services.
In addition, Dubai CommerCity’s strategic partnership with Emirates NBD aims to provide the free zone’s customers with an integrated portfolio of banking services based on the latest advanced digital platforms and applications, to enhance their operations and support them in growing and expanding their presence in the region.
World-class entity
Dubai CommerCity is part of DIEZ, established in 2021 to oversee and support the operations of several free zones, including Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ), Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity. Its primary aim is to achieve integration between all economic zones, enhance their role in supporting the economy, build an ecosystem that serves all strategic sectors, and enhance competitiveness in the emirate.
Dubai CommerCity has been built over an area of 2.1 million square feet at a cost of AED3.2 billion to provide support to new and existing digital commerce companies in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Dubai CommerCity includes state-of-the-art offices and warehousing and last-mile delivery services. With its world-class infrastructure, the free zone provides flexible office sizes and scalable fulfilment centres, which offer various dedicated solutions for digital commerce businesses.
UAE
