Jebel Ali Free Zone
Port-side free zone at Jebel Ali for logistics, industry and trade — the largest customs-bonded zone in the Middle East.
- Authority
- Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority
- Group
- DP World
- Founded
- 1985
- Focus
- Logistics · Industry · Trade
- Reported
- Estimated
- Not published
Benchmark
Companies vs peers
Workforce vs peers
Top signals
- Founded in 1985 with 19 companies; DP World flagship zone adjacent to Jebel Ali Port.JAFZA
- Record USD 190bn trade volume in its 40th-anniversary year, up 15% year on year.DP World press release
- Attracts 23.9% of Dubai's foreign direct investment.JAFZA
- Largest customs-bonded zone in the Middle East.JAFZA
- Jafza and Jebel Ali Port together account for 36% of Dubai's GDP (2023).Dubai Media Office (5 May 2025)
Port-integrated trade
One customs-bonded corridor from Jebel Ali Port quay to Al Maktoum airport: the case is throughput, tenant depth and partner corridors rather than office space.
Sector footprint — registered companies (bar), jobs, facilities
- Electronics & electrical1,300+ cos · 8.2K+ jobs · 1.1M m²
- Retail, FMCG & general trading1,180+ cos · 10.1K+ jobs · 1.9M m²
- Machinery & equipment994+ cos · 18.8K+ jobs · 2.7M m²
- Logistics650+ cos · 16K+ jobs · 3.9M m²
- Automotive & spare parts629+ cos · 7.9K+ jobs · 1.3M m²
- Food, livestock & agriculture560+ cos · 6.8K+ jobs · 1.6M m²
- Petrochemicals532+ cos · 5.6K+ jobs · 3.9M m²
Sector trade values are not published on a current basis (latest Jafza figures are 2020–21); counts are jafza.ae industry-page figures, undated.
Partner corridors
- India
2,300+ Indian companies employing 15,000+; trade volume from India +40% and value +17% in 2024; 283 new Indian registrations in the year.
DP World press release (May 2025) - China
450+ Chinese companies incl. 11 Fortune 500; trade through Jafza more than doubled in volume and value since 2020; 20 weekly port services to 16 Chinese ports.
Logistics Manager (reporting Jafza) - United States
Top-five trading partner by value; 300+ US companies employing 12,000+; value of US goods traded through Jafza up ~57% since 2020.
U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council (Sept 2025)
Companies
2022 → 2026Net new companies
2023 → 2024Trade
2016 → 2024- Founded in 1985 with 19 companies; DP World flagship zone adjacent to Jebel Ali Port.JAFZA
- Record USD 190bn trade volume in its 40th-anniversary year, up 15% year on year.DP World press release
- Attracts 23.9% of Dubai's foreign direct investment.JAFZA
- Largest customs-bonded zone in the Middle East.JAFZA
- Jafza and Jebel Ali Port together account for 36% of Dubai's GDP (2023).Dubai Media Office (5 May 2025)
- 74% of Dubai's FDI in manufacturing, trade and transport in 2023; over AED 110bn of total investment attracted in 20 years.Dubai Media Office (5 May 2025)
- AED 854m of investment commitments across the zone in the first four months of 2026.DP World press release (20 May 2026)
- Developed land bank spans more than 539 million sq ft (2025).Dubai Media Office (5 May 2025)
All sources retrieved 27–28 Aug 2026.
jafza.ae12
- JAFZA — Investor Guide (fees)
- JAFZA — company formation
- JAFZA
- JAFZA news — Global Free Zone of the Year 2024
- JAFZA — Industries
- Jafza industry page· automotive and spare parts
- Jafza industry page· electronics and electrical
- Jafza industry page· fmcg
- Jafza industry page· machinery and equipment
- Jafza industry page· logistics
- Jafza industry page· food and agriculture
- Jafza industry page· petrochemicals
dpworld.com5
- DP World press release (20 May 2026)
- DP World press release· jafza turns 40 with record 190bn in trade
- DP World press release· jafza turns 40 with record 190bn in trade
- DP World press release· dp world records highest cargo volumes at jebel ali port since 2015
- DP World press release (May 2025)