A thirty-member trade delegation, under the umbrella of Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the South Indian state of Kerala, visited the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) to explore the trade and investment opportunities in HFZA.

The team, headed by Calicut Chamber President Gangadharan Punathil, met Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of HFZA and Sharjah Airport Free Zone (SAIF Zone) and discussed various options available to start new SMEs and industries in the free zone.

Gangadharan, who invited Al Mazrouei to Calicut, noted that the Malabar’s trade relations with the UAE date back to thousands of years, beginning with the barter of pearls for cotton and dry fruits for grains.

Al Mazrouei said that Sharjah’s relations with the Indian market and traders are very cordial and he said that over 40 per cent of investors in HFZ are from Kerala.

"In our free zone, you can enjoy exemptions from import and export duties, income and corporate taxes in addition to the free repatriation of capital," added Al Mazrouei.

"Our manufacturing sector also offers good collaboration opportunities for Indian traders and service providers seeking opportunities in the Middle East market", Al Mazrouei concluded

Source:WAM