Jebel Ali Port & Freezone

Jebel Ali is a coastal district lying to the South of Dubai. If you look on a map for Palm Jebel Ali, it’s right there.

Palm Jebel Ali is not yet populated, but the same cannot be said of Jebel Ali Port which is the largest marine terminal in the Middle East, and the world’s ninth largest container port. It has the world’s largest man-made harbour and can accommodate ships of any size in existence and on the order book.

A significant benefit for Jebel Ali Port is its location within Jebel Ali Free Zone. Established in 1985, the free zone currently houses more than 7,000 companies active in manufacturing, trade, logistics and a range of industrial and service-orientated sectors.

Jebel Ali Port & Free Zone, known as Jafza, has grown from a small operation of just 19 companies to a thriving business community today that provides jobs for 135,000 people and attracts more than 20% of the UAE’s foreign direct investment. More than 50% of Dubai’s total exports pass through this port with a trade value of $69 billion.

Jebel Ali is a heavily industrialised district that has paid little attention to housing since its inception in the 1980s. Jebel Ali Village was built in the 1970s to provide accommodation to expatriates and has now been refurbished to provide low rent housing. Not everyone is happy with the quality of the work, but people seem to like living here.

The 2008 property crash put a stop to several planned residential developments, and it is only now in 2015 that some of those plans are being redrafted and put out to tender. Nakheel, the palm islands developer, aims to build 80 apartment buildings on the site of the Dubai Waterfront project, a stretch of coastline facing Palm Jebel Ali. Yet another ‘world's largest’, it could be at least 2017 before the first ‘For Sale’ boards go up in this seaside development.

Meanwhile on the land side of the Waterfront Canal the same developer has completed 66 villas and townhouses for lease at its Veneto community a ‘distinctive’ residential district comprising 1,400 villas and townhouses, and 1200 low-rise apartments.

Downtown Jebel Ali is another yet-to-be-built development. Infrastructure work is about to start on this 200-hectare mixed-use community that will stretch for 11km along Sheikh Zayed Road. There are more than 300 third party plots available to investors for building a mixture of apartments, hotels, offices and retail developments.

In summary, as a place to live, Jebel Ali is still tomorrow’s world.