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Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi

Executive Director, DuBiotech

Saaed Bin Ghubash

Director, Enpark

What kind of growth has DuBiotech experienced since its inception? MARWAN ABDULAZIZ JANAHI Initially, we attracted all the big players in the industry, such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. […]

What kind of growth has DuBiotech experienced since its inception?

MARWAN ABDULAZIZ JANAHI Initially, we attracted all the big players in the industry, such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Then, with that number of companies (which was around 30 or 40 companies in the initial years), we were also able to attract smaller companies that did very specialized work or had very specific services and products. Although we initially focused on big companies, we shifted down to working with SMEs as well, and that is where we came into projects like the business center, which is flexible and easy for companies to start in. In 2009, we built our laboratory, which was the only commercial laboratory space available in the entire GCC region, and that allowed many companies to do essential and very specialized work like testing, R&D, and development projects. That same year we also launched our warehouses, which consists of a complex of 25 units that are today 100% occupied. The reason we have had a good intake in the last two years is because we had new facilities that we launched in the market. For example, in 2012 we attracted 40 companies, which was a great jump from 2011, when we had attracted 20 companies. Today, we have 126 companies in total.

How does Enpark operate and how do you interact with DuBiotech?

SAAED BIN GHUBASH At Enpark, we are a free zone for the energy and environmental sectors. Like DuBiotech, we are part of the bigger family of TECOM Investments for different free zones, each one concentrating on their own industry. Within our sectors, we have a couple of pillars that we concentrate on attracting companies from. This includes renewable energy, waste management, green buildings, and conventional energy as well. These are the main pillars and we have an extensive list of activities that we can license these businesses for when they come to set up with us. We not only do licensing, but also provide them with whatever real estate product they require. We have laboratory spaces, warehouses, businesses centers, and offices, and we can also give land for investment in manufacturing, if that is the business plan that these companies have for the region.

Do you promote exchanges between the big companies that are already here and the SMEs that are settling down?

MAJ Currently, we are engaged with many companies that want to do manufacturing. One of the reasons for this is that 80% of the products and drugs we use in the UAE are imported. This poses risks such as price fluctuation and the availability of medicine, so we have encouraged a lot of manufacturing in these past couple of years. With this, I think that in the next five years we are probably looking to do R&D as well. That is the idea: from sales and marketing, to storage, testing, manufacturing, and then later to R&D. In terms of connecting companies, this is something that we engage in on a daily basis. Many companies look at us as the platform and the gatekeeper of the industry. Because we are connected to more than 100 companies, it is easy for us to mix and match.

How can companies benefit from being in Enpark? How can they use Enpark to expand across the MENA region from Dubai?

SBG Many companies in other sectors are using Dubai as a commercial hub for numerous Dubai-specific reasons: connectivity, lifestyle, and location. That is something that benefits those companies setting up their regional operations in Enpark. We also give them free zone benefits; they can have 100% ownership, a tax-free environment, and a multiple real estate portfolio to choose from. Also, you have the flexibility of choosing where you would like to set up based on the budget that you have in Enpark. We have more premium locations in Site A, which is Internet City, Knowledge Village, and Media City; and we have more competitively priced locations as well.

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