Dubai, UAE - 30, August 2022: His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organisation (World FZO), a global not-for-profit organization, held a meeting with Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in Geneva, as part of its global expansion and leadership growth strategies.

The meeting was attended by H.E Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organization; Samir Hamrouni, CEO, and James Zhan, Director Division of Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD.

During the meeting, the two parties identified areas for collaboration to enhance their economic strengths, and create opportunities for growth and prosperity as part of their joint commitment to strengthening the platforms they provide. 
The World FZO and the UNCTAD agreed to join hands to implement joint research projects that will quantify the economic impact of free zones on local economy, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and international trade. In addition, the two parties agreed to collaborate to develop joint training programs focused on investment opportunities, trade facilitation, supply chains, leadership development and more by capitalizing on its pool of experts, certified trainers and coaches in different domains.

The World Free Zones Organisation will also offer the UNCTAD access to one of its flagship tools, named the “Izdihar Index”, which translates to “Prosperity Index”, to identify areas of weakness within operational structures and to measure peak performance. The tool provides free zones with a roadmap to achieve maturity through the implementation of good practices that are continuously measured, reviewed and improved.  
H.E Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the World Free Zones Organization, said: “The World Free Zones Organisation is eager to develop strategic partnerships with international organisations as part of our ongoing commitment to stimulating global trade and ensuring the growth of free zones around the world. Our alliance with the UNCTAD will see the development of joint training programs and research projects to benefit both parties, as well as access to our “Izdihar Index” to benchmark business excellence and economic contribution to promote prosperity for the world at large.” 
“We look forward to working closely with the UNCTAD and we are confident that this strategic relationship will result in a multitude of beneficial results for our stakeholders and partners.” He added.  

Commenting on the success of the meeting, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said: “Over the last decade, we have witnessed the impressive growth of the World Free Zone Organization and its contributions toward the sustainable growth and promising future of free zones. Our alliance with the World Free Zone Organization will enable us to combine our efforts and resources to support and advance the critical role of free zones in local economic recovery and restructuring the global value chain, particularly in Africa.”         

              
She added, “We wish to express our gratitude to the World Free Zone Organisation for hosting the first annual Global Alliance of Special Economic zones conference. This annual conference is an important opportunity to address the most prominent and emerging issues related to special economic zones, as well as uniting key players in the sector to develop and create opportunities for regional and global partnerships.”
The World Free Zones Organization is the only globally recognized free-zone organization in the world, dedicated to its members’ growth and prosperity. World FZO empowers its members to achieve their strategic objectives, make important connections, and put the industry’s most powerful insights, resources and tools at their fingertips.