Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ), the business hub and a vehicle for the emirate's industrial growth and development, said it was running in high gear this year with February alone seeing its involvement in three key events.

Having just attended the recently held 2010 Cairo ICT and Gulf Food 2010, the free zone team is now taking part in the Expo Pakistan in Karachi as well, said a top official.

Participation in these high-profile exhibitions goes hand-in-hand with the free zone’s 2010 objective to reach out to a wider market and help revitalise the UAE economy with new businesses, said Oussama El Omari, RAK FTZ chief executive officer.

"The primary focus of RAK FTZ’s marketing efforts, however, is small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and special offers, available only during the exhibitions, are specifically tailored for them," he noted.

"For only Dh28,000, clients can avail themselves of the standard office at the free zone’s Business Centre 5, or for only Dh50,000, an Executive Office in Business Centre 4, which comes with value added services, a general trading licence, and a 25 sqm office," he pointed out.

“SMEs are vital elements of a growing economy, and the UAE Government is building support networks to help them flourish. However, as it is now, there is still not much support for SMEs, whether we are talking about licensing, visas or infrastructure,” El Omari said.

"In RAK FTZ, we have business solutions that fit SMEs, and this is the reason why they comprise 95 per cent of our clientele. Our special offers, which are only available and heavily promoted during these exhibitions, are ideal for SMEs – the costs are economical and very competitive, considering the facilities and services that will be made available to them," he added.

These events, El Omari said, also presented RAK FTZ representatives with the opportunity to build their extensive networks and promote the free zone’s new products and value added services to business people from a wide variety of industries.

"Even from the start, they prove to be the most efficient and effective ways to enter the UAE or Middle East market, he added.

RAK FTZ has long identified both Egypt and Pakistan as two of its top five markets, and has been progressively promoting its products and services in both Cairo and Karachi, during the last few years.

In 2009, a total of 135 new companies from Egypt registered with the free zone, a good six per cent of the total new registrations worldwide, sealing its place as the top Middle Eastern country to enter the UAE market through RAK FTZ.

In sponsoring Expo Pakistan, RAK FTZ hopes to strengthen its relationship with the country as it helps it expand its business operations internationally in fields like textiles, pharmaceuticals, canned food, leather goods and more.

“We are fortunate that two of our closest neighbors, Egypt and Pakistan, both key markets, are very receptive to new ideas and business opportunities,” El Omari shares. “Through the years we have built mutually-beneficial relationships with both of these countries, assisting each other in building our local economies and import/export markets.”

A team, led by Marwa Ibrahim represented RAK FTZ at the recent Cairo ICT Exhibition. RAK FTZ has been participatuing in this conference and other events in Egypt for the last seven years.

"To build on these efforts and further support the free zone’s increasing Egyptian clientele; RAK FTZ plans to set up a base in Cairo to directly liaise with prospective clients," he stated.

RAK FTZ also exhibited at the recent Gulfood expo in Dubai. A large team of RAK FTZ sales and marketing staff was on hand to inform participants from the food and beverage industries about the many opportunities available at the emirate's free zone.

Closing out the month on a high note, a high-level RAK FTZ team took part in 'Expo Pakistan' held in Karachi from February 26 to 28.-TradeArabia News Service