One of the latest investment projects to spring from the Dubai Holding stable is Dubai Industrial City.

While the hundreds of real estate projects coming up all over the emirate are hogging the headlines, a master plan is being formulated for this visionary project which could ensure that the Dubai boom continues to spread into different areas of the economy.
Dubai Industrial City will aim to bridge the rather dangerous gap between non-oil imports and exports the country is facing, says chief executive officer Khalid Al Malik.
“It is a strategic step we have taken to reduce trade imbalance and increase the industrial sector’s contribution to the country’s economy,” he says.
Currently most sectors of the economy are heavily dependent on imports. “Take the example of transportation; we are importing everything, including spare parts. We have to reduce this dependence. This city is intended to correct this imbalance.”
The city aims to catalyse the growth of the industrial development in the UAE and to transform the country into an industrial hub attracting entrepreneurs, manufacturers, producers and investors from all around the world. The city will ensure that the ‘Made in the UAE’ label will get a pride of place in international markets.
The city will concentrate on six industries – Machinery and Mechanical Equipment; Transport Equipment and Parts; Base Metals; Chemicals; Food and Beverages and Mineral Products. Separate zones will be created for these industries within the city.
“Our aim is to bring the best to Dubai and create an industrial hub here serving the local/regional markets with a total population of almost 1.8 billion people,” says Al Malik.
“We will have an efficient and professionally structured approach by instituting world-class international standards, setting up a dedicated growth fund, an academic zone and a downtown commercial area,” he says.
The Dubai Industrial City will also have a specialised logistics park to provide state-of-the-art warehousing for its partners. Logistics, express delivery and warehousing, labeling and packaging firms will find a natural partner in Dubai Industrial city as will advance transportation specialists.
The DIC will sprawl across 560 million sq ft of land located near the proposed Jebel Ali Airport City project and the Jebel Ali port and free zone. It will have several access points to both the Shaikh Zayed Highway and Emirates Road.
“Our location also ensures easy access to highways so that goods can travel easily and rapidly by roads within the UAE and beyond,” Al Malik says.
The companies operating from Dubai Industrial City will get many benefits including a single-window service, easy regulations and transparency and long leases for land and buildings.
Dubai Industrial City will be governed under world-class safety, quality and environmental standards. The standards will be set in partnership with leading global agencies that will also implement and monitor the standards. “Our objective is to create a benchmark in this part of the world in terms of environment standards,” says Al Malik.
The city will also introduce the Dubai Quality Mark (DQM) for products manufactured within its confines. The DQM, administrated by an independent body, will be a guarantee to global markets that world-class recognised international standards have been adhered to in the manufacturing of the product.
Dubai Industrial City is in the process of setting up a multi-million dollar fund to provide financial products tailored to the needs of the industrial sector. The fund is being set up in conjunction with leading banks, investment houses and prominent business groups in the region.
An engineering university will be established in partnership with one of the leading globally branded schools. Several technical training centres will also be set up in partnership with prominent business houses to cater to the skills needs of specific sectors.
Dubai Industrial City not only aims to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) but will also offer unique investment opportunities to bring back the estimated $1 trillion in Arab investments that are parked outside the Arab world.
The initial response to the project is overwhelming with hundreds of applications already pouring in, says Al Malik. “The city will have its own standards to filter firms which come to invest,” he says.
The city will launch many marketing campaigns in different countries in the region and the world to give investors a comprehensive idea about the facilities and services it will offer and the huge benefits that industrial companies working in the city can avail themselves of. Asked whether the new city will be competing with other free zones already established in the emirate, Al Malik says: “Dubai Industrial City will not compete with the free zones, but will be complementary to them. Our primary focus is manufacturing with an integrated logistics park and the other free zones provide the logistical infrastructure for the movement of manufactured goods.”
Al Malik hopes that the bulk of the infrastructure for Phase One will be ready by the end of the year. About 60 to 70 per cent of the project will be developed in four years, he says.
“Land will be provided on lease and it will be priced very competitively. We will try to come up with packages for various industries. We are keen that viable projects are established in the city and towards this end we will be flexible,” says Al Malik.
“If a particular project is going to add value to the city, we will be very keen to have it located in the city.”
Al Malik is sure the city will have enough power and water to serve its companies. Gas supply is also expected through the Dolphin project currently being implemented.
“We want heavy industries as well as downstream industries within the city.”
Small-scale industries will also find attractive offerings from the city. “The small and medium sector is the backbone of any economy.  We are working with the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders to promote this sector in Dubai Industrial City,” Al Malik says.