Jebel Ali Free Zone: websites for trade, logistics and industry
JAFZA is built around a port, so its companies tend to sell to other businesses across borders. A website for one of them is a buyer-facing tool, not a shopfront.
The Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is a DP World-operated free zone beside Jebel Ali Port at the western end of Dubai, created in 1985, whose companies work in logistics, trading, manufacturing and related sectors. Their websites should serve overseas and regional buyers with clear product, service and quote information. Tooba Web builds them remotely from Istanbul and has no UAE office.
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Key facts
- Created in 1985 by decree of the Ruler of Dubai beside Jebel Ali Port
- Developed and operated by DP World as its flagship free zone
- Jafza lists over 11,000 businesses from more than 150 countries
- Licence types are trading, service, industrial and logistics
- Jebel Ali is about 35 kilometres south-west of Dubai city
What is the Jebel Ali Free Zone?
The Jebel Ali Free Zone, usually written Jafza, is a free zone created by decree of the Ruler of Dubai in 1985 next to Jebel Ali Port. It is developed and operated by DP World, which calls it its flagship free zone, and it forms part of DP World UAE.
Jebel Ali itself is a port city in the Emirate of Dubai, about 35 kilometres south-west of Dubai city. Wikipedia gives Jafza an area of about 57 square kilometres, 24 kilometres from Al Maktoum International Airport and 40 kilometres from Dubai International Airport. The Red Line of the Dubai Metro starts in the Jebel Ali area.
Which sectors and company types are found in Jafza?
Jafza's own site names logistics, petrochemicals, oil and gas, and food and agriculture as key industries, and also lists retail and e-commerce, automotive and spare parts, electronics and electrical, FMCG, healthcare distribution, manufacturing, and machinery and equipment. It says it hosts over 11,000 businesses from more than 150 countries, including more than 100 Fortune Global 500 companies.
Jafza also lists its company forms and licence types, which shape what a website can truthfully say.
| Company forms | Licence types |
|---|---|
| Free Zone Establishment (FZE) | Trading |
| Free Zone Company (FZCo) | Service |
| Public Listed Company | Industrial |
| Branch of a Company, Offshore Company | Logistics |
The company-number figure varies between sources and changes over time, so use the authority's current numbers if you need them.
Which places and facilities define the zone?
A few named facilities explain why Jafza firms care about supply chains.
- Jebel Ali Port: described by Wikipedia as the region's largest deep-sea port, adjacent to the zone.
- Jafza Logistics Park: phases I and II each offer 46,112 square metres of leasable space.
- Al Maktoum International Airport: in the neighbouring Dubai South district.
- Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Complex: described by Wikipedia as one of the largest combined power and water facilities in the world.
We name these as public references only; none of the organisations is connected with Tooba Web.
How does Jafza licensing work, in general terms?
A company in the Jebel Ali Free Zone is licensed by the zone, not by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, and its licence type (trading, service, industrial or logistics) defines what it may do. Whether and how a Jafza company can serve customers elsewhere in the UAE depends on the licence and applicable rules.
A website should therefore describe the activity exactly as licensed, and should not promise mainland delivery or services that the licence does not cover. Confirm every licence, customs or trading claim with Jafza, DP World or a lawyer before it is published.
What does a Jafza company's website need to handle?
A Jafza company's website should work as a business-to-business sales tool: it states what you supply, in which sectors, at what scale, and how a buyer starts. Visitors are likely to be importers, forwarders and procurement staff, many abroad, who read on desktops as well as phones.
We would give weight to a clear product or service structure, specification tables, certifications you can document, a quote-request form that captures quantities and destinations, and WhatsApp for the first conversation. Arabic and English cover the region, and further languages should follow your buyer markets. Because we do not build online shops, a Jafza trading firm's site presents a catalogue and takes enquiries, rather than payments.
Working with Tooba Web from Istanbul on a Jafza project
Tooba Web delivers Jafza projects remotely from Istanbul. We have no office, staff or Google Business Profile in Jebel Ali or elsewhere in the UAE, and we are not connected with DP World or Jafza.
Istanbul is one hour behind the UAE, which suits export and logistics firms that talk to buyers in several time zones. Scope and invoicing go through WhatsApp (+90 216 393 10 07), paid by bank transfer. Your premises, photographs and licence details come from you. We then handle design, development, hosting and SSL and SEO, and where useful a custom quote or tracking dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Jebel Ali Free Zone established?
Jafza was created in 1985 by decree of the Ruler of Dubai, beside Jebel Ali Port, according to Jafza's own timeline. Wikipedia likewise says it began operations in 1985 with 19 companies. It is operated by DP World, which describes it as its flagship free zone.
Can a Jafza company sell directly in mainland Dubai?
That depends on the licence and the applicable rules, which can change. We do not advise on this, and a website should not claim mainland delivery or sales unless the company is certain it is permitted. Confirm with Jafza, the Department of Economy and Tourism or a lawyer.
Do you have an office in Jebel Ali?
No. Tooba Web is a brand of Tuba Yazılım in Istanbul and works only remotely. We have no office, staff, address or Google Business Profile in Jebel Ali or elsewhere in the UAE, and we have no connection with DP World or Jafza.
Can you build an online shop for my trading company?
No. We do not build online shops or e-commerce checkout. We can build a custom website with a product catalogue and an enquiry or quote form, which suits many business-to-business suppliers, and a custom dashboard where internal quote tracking is needed.
Should a Jafza website be in more languages than English?
Choose languages from your buyers. English and Arabic are a sensible base for the region, and further versions make sense where you actually sell, such as Turkish, Russian or Hindi for specific markets. Each version needs accurate, hand-checked specifications, so add languages gradually.
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