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Saif zone is the centerpiece of the Sharjah government's commitment to free trade. Adjacent to Sharjah International Airport and a few minutes from Sharjah city, Dubai and major UAE Ports on the Arabian Gulf, the Saif Zone is only 120 kms from Port Khorfakkan on the Indian Ocean. Investors therefore have access to the East and West coasts.
Saif_Zone is an ideal hub for all type of businesses, which require fast, efficient and a trouble-free working environment. It provides state-of-the-art facilities with air conditioned and furnished executive suites with reception, pre-built warehouses in two sizes with adjacent office space and leased land for unrestricted private development, bunkers, container parking area and temporary storage space.
Facilities for manufacturing, assembling, packaging, import, re-export; trade and value added activities are catered for at the Zone. Fast and simple processing of relevant licenses (trade, industrial and services), sponsorship and visas for staff working for the investor, access to low cost energy and labour, budget accommodation for on site workforce, consultancy services in computer and internet training, legal services, international couriers, traffic and licensing office, customs office, petrol station, bank, restaurants, post office travel agency, clinic, transportation to and from the city, secretarial and security services are just some of the infrastructural facilities that are at hand.
Sharjah International Airport, recipient of the best international air cargo award for 1998 instituted by the European Institute for Transport Management (EITM), is one of the oldest airport in the Middle East, and has created a niche for itself as a cargo-oriented complex with authorities working in alliance with airlines, freight-forwarders and shippers to provide a user-friendly environment for movement of freight traffic. Sharjah Airport dominates the charter operations sector and handles more export volumes than any other airport in the region. High frequency of airlines operates through Sharjah International Airport, including 75 destinations in the CIS region. Lufthansa operates its second largest cargo hub after Frankfurt out of Sharjah with 360 flights and more than 48,000 tonnes of cargo movement per month.
The UAEs six international airports, and fifteen seaports provide a variety of choices to importers and exporters with healthy competition, leading to low port handling costs. With a fast motorway network the distance between any airport and seaport requires only 2 to 3 hours of trucking time.
Another vital sector is that of sea-air traffic through Sharjah that has experienced growth rates of more than 50 % in the last 4 years. The above facts have placed Sharjah International Airport as the number one spot in Asia in the sea-air mode of transport.
Speedy, safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness have been the UAEs sea-air hubs unique selling point. As a result, UAE accounts for the highest volume of sea air cargo handled in Asia with Sharjah International Airport accounting for the highest volume of sea air tonnage movement.
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