Centrally located, strategically positioned, globally accessible, the UAE serves as a leading regional commercial hub with state-of-the art infrastructure and a world class business environment. With visionary leadership, deep rooted heritage, liberal culture, superior quality lifestyle, the UAE has in a short span emerged as an iconic, highly successful, properous new global capital of the world.

Market Economy

Today, Dubai has grown to become a popular tourist destination and a diversified strategical business hub. With a tax-free market economy the UAE has positioned itself as a major logistics hub connecting Asia with the Middle East and Africa. The non-oil income from trade now forms a majority part of the GDP of Dubai and continues to grow at an exponential pace.

The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city. Dubai Internet City, now combined with Dubai Media City as part of TECOM is one such enclave whose members include IT firms such as EMC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, and IBM, and media organisations such as MBC, CNN, Reuters, ARY and AP.

Market Accessibility

As the leading regional trading hub, Dubai offers access to a market of outstanding potential for overseas companies in a wide range of sectors. Among its key characteristics are:

• A large market: more than $17 billion in domestic imports annually; gateway to a $150 billion p.a. 2 billion population regional import market
• A growing market: Dubai's imports have more than doubled since 1989; regional economic growth and liberalisation is set to boost demand
• A prosperous market: strategic location at the heart of one of the world's richest regions
• A diversified market: wide import requirements; opportunities for suppliers of most products
• An accessible market: served by more than 170 shipping lines and 120 airlines
• An open market: no exchange controls, quotas or trade barriers