4 February 2015

Dubai World Central welcomes UAE-Japan partnerships via Japan Trade Centre

Source: Dubai World Central. Khalid Abdulla, Vice President, Licensing, Registration & Permits Approval, Dubai World Central, Usama Saleh, Vice President, Land Planning and Development, Dubai World Central, with Shogo Ishida, Director, JTC DWC LLC, during the inauguration of the Japan Trade Centre at Dubai World Central in January 2015.

Japan Trade Centre (JTC), a private-sector business-to-business platform dedicated to promoting Japan’s small and medium enterprises across international markets, is now operational at the Business Park in Dubai World Central (DWC). 

JTC DWC will serve a growing body of Japanese SMEs in the UAE, spanning various industries such as machinery, construction materials, electronics, food and beverage, textiles and jewellery. JTC is linked to a pool of over 2,000 Japanese business partners – including manufacturers and traders of approximately 30,000 diverse products – who are poised to promote their business in Dubai.

Welcoming JTC, Rashed Bu Qara’a, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “As a gateway to the world, DWC is proud to open doors to the Japan Trade Centre. Located at the crossroads of three continents, we offer our business partners world-class infrastructure and a diverse, expanding economy.”

Shogo Ishida, Director of JTC DWC, said: “The UAE is Japan’s strategic trading partner and a natural springboard for its SMEs to enter the regional markets. The UAE has cultivated a fertile business ecosystem, which is why we chose to base the company in Dubai World Central. With our new offices, we are well positioned to support Japanese SMEs, many of which are actively looking to tap the Middle East as part of their growth trajectory.”

The establishment of JTC DWC is anticipated to further boost trade flows between the UAE and Japan, which totaled US$25.92 billion in the first half of 2014. In the same period, the UAE exports to Japan were worth US$21.34 billion while its imports amounted to US$4.59 billion, making the country Japan’s largest trading partner in the Arabian Gulf.

Japan’s 4.2 million SMEs are the nation’s wealth generators, representing 99.7% of its companies, 70% of the work force, and more than 50% of its manufacturing industry*.

*Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, September 2013.