The Jebel Ali hub accounts for approximately 60 percent of Dubai’s total trade value in the sector

DP World UAE plays a pivotal role in facilitating the growth of the regional and global petrochemicals sector through its flagship assets in Jebel Ali. At the 13th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Conference, the company showcased its streamlined chemical supply chain solutions and extensive range of logistics offerings that are reinforcing the UAE’s and GGC’s rapidly growing petrochemical sector.

Valued at AED 21.4 billion, DP World UAE’s petrochemical hub accounts for close to 60 percent of Dubai’s total trade value in the sector. Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) alone supports 4,100 port customers and is home to 565 companies from the petrochemical sector. Complementing this is the Jebel Ali Port, a hub for global petrochemical companies catering to growing markets of the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, and the Middle East.

Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, DP World UAE & Jafza said, “The petrochemicals sector is an integral pillar of Operation 300bn, the UAE’s Industrial Strategy that aims to increase the GDP from AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion by 2031.

Since 95 percent of all manufactured goods rely on petrochemicals, the sector is essential to the global economy. So, despite the 2020 crisis and the delayed economic recovery, the sector is poised for significant growth in the decades ahead.

The UAE’s export-orientated industry is already witnessing improvements that will be sustained by new polypropylene capacity, due to a ramp-up in production in 2022.

Events like GPCA give us the opportunity to attract local and international companies, accelerating our growth as the preferred petrochemical hub of the region.

Seamless petrochemical trade 

With its robust container handling infrastructure, the Jebel Ali Port supports 65 percent of GCC’s polymer exports and 33 percent of its petrochemicals exports. The port has 2 million square metres of dedicated liquid chemical handling capacity comprising 11 berths and over 1 million cubic metres of liquid bulk storage space.

DP World UAE’s comprehensive solutions also include tank terminals and warehousing, specialized storage space for packed lubricants, fuels, and industrial chemicals, ISO tanks storage, and dangerous goods warehouses

Creating local and global success stories

Spread over an area of 3.9 million square metres, Jafza supports several key petrochemicals companies, including DOW, BASF, Total, and Gulf Petrochem. The free zone offers a holistic solution – handling imports in bulk and containers and offering 235,000 cubic metres of storage capacity. Its enhanced capabilities have ensured that it is the base for some of the largest chemical distributors in the Middle East and Africa.

The integrated logistics offerings supported by connectivity across international petrochemical trade lanes and the ecosystem at Jebel Ali give the industry the most attractive logistic proposition. Additionally, its strategic location and vast network of global liners have contributed to the success of the UAE and the region.