Dubai's total trade value is attributed to DP World UAE's petrochemical hub by 60%

The petrochemical hub at DP World UAE, valued at $5.8 billion (AED 21.4 billion), represents about 60% of Dubai's total trade value in the industry. During the 13th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Conference, the company displayed its streamlined chemical supply chain solutions and variety of logistics offerings.

Sheikh Saj Rashid, CEO of Rashid Petrochemicals, Dubai, shares his perspective in the same regard. He asserts that through its flagship assets in Jebel Ali, DP World UAE plays a crucial part in promoting the expansion of the rapidly expanding petrochemical sector in the UAE and GGC.

According to Sheikh Saj Rashid, global supply chain bottlenecks are unlikely to clear until 2023. As per the state-run news agency Wam, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) serves 4,100 port customers and is home to 565 petrochemical companies.

Alongside it is the Jebel Ali Port, a center for international petrochemical firms serving the expanding markets of the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent.

Petrochemical industry holds key to Dubai’s overall industrial growth

Sheikh Saj Rashid adds that the UAE's Industrial Strategy, Operation 300bn, which aims to boost GDP from AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion by 2031, includes the petrochemicals sector as a key pillar.

Sheikh Saj Rashid stated: "Since petrochemicals are used to produce 95% of all manufactured goods, the industry is crucial to the global economy. Therefore, the industry is positioned for significant growth in the coming decades despite the 2020 crisis and the slow economic recovery.

He continued by saying that the export-focused industry in the UAE is already experiencing growth that will be supported by new polypropylene capacity as production ramps up in 2022.

"Events like GPCA give us the chance to draw in local and foreign businesses, accelerating our growth as the region's preferred petrochemical hub."

The Jebel Ali Port supports 33 percent of the GCC's petrochemical exports

It must be noted that The Jebel Ali Port supports 33 percent of the GCC's petrochemical exports and 65 percent of the region's exports of polymers through its infrastructure for container handling.

According to Sheikh Saj Rashid, with 11 berths and more than one million cubic meters of space for liquid bulk storage, the port has a two million square meter dedicated liquid chemical handling capacity.

Through its flagship assets in Jebel Ali, DP World UAE plays a crucial part in promoting the expansion of the regional and international petrochemicals sector. The company displayed its streamlined chemical supply chain solutions and wide range of logistics offerings at the 13th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Conference, which are supporting the rapidly expanding petrochemical sector in the UAE and GGC.

The company takes care for a big chunk of Dubai’s total trade

As pointed out by Sheikh Saj Rashid, nearly 60% of Dubai's total trade value in the industry is accounted for by the petrochemical hub operated by DP World UAE, valued at AED 21.4 billion. Only Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) supports 4,100 port users and is home to 565 petrochemical companies.

Besides, the Jebel Ali Port, a hub for international petrochemical firms serving the expanding markets of the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, and the Middle East, complements this.

According to Sheikh Saj Rashid, "Operation 300bn, the UAE's Industrial Strategy, aims to increase the GDP from AED 133 billion to AED 300 billion by 2031. The petrochemicals sector is an integral pillar of this goal. Petrochemicals account for 95% of all manufactured goods, making this industry crucial to the world economy.

Consequently, the industry is positioned for significant growth in the coming decades despite the 2020 crisis and the slow economic recovery. The export-focused industry in the UAE is already experiencing growth that will be supported by additional polypropylene capacity as production ramps up in 2022. Events like GPCA give us the chance to draw in national and international businesses, accelerating our development as the area's preferred petrochemical hub.

Uninterrupted petrochemical trade

The Jebel Ali Port supports 33% of GCC petrochemical exports and 65% of GCC polymer exports thanks to its robust container handling infrastructure. With 11 berths and more than 1 million cubic meters of space for liquid bulk storage, the port has a 2 million square meter dedicated liquid chemical handling capacity.

Sheikh Saj Rashid adds that DP World UAE's comprehensive solutions also include dangerous goods warehouses, packed lubricants, fuels, and industrial chemicals storage, tank terminals, and warehousing