Dubai IFZA Free Zone Debuts at the World Free Zones Organization Conference in Hainan: Unveiling a New Growth Landscape for Chinese Enterprises Going Global
At the 11th Annual Meeting of the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO) held in Hainan, the IFZA Free Zone in Dubai participated in this global free zone event for the third time as an official sponsor.
The conference, themed "Free Zones: Gateways to Global Prosperity, Trade, and Sustainable Innovation," brought together more than 1,500 policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators from over 100 countries around the world. They jointly discussed how free zones can become a new engine for promoting sustainable development against the backdrop of the accelerating evolution of the global economic structure.
Jochen Knecht: Free Zones Must Become Innovation-Driven Ecosystems
Jochen Knecht, the CEO of the IFZA Free Zone, delivered a speech at the keynote forum "China's Free Trade Ports: Reform, Growth, and Global Integration," pointing out that the functions of free zones are undergoing a profound transformation.
"Free zones are no longer just about providing tax incentives or logistics convenience. Instead, they should become ecosystems that drive innovation, investment, and long-term economic growth," he emphasized. He further stated that the competitiveness of future free zones will depend on their leadership in policy innovation, digital infrastructure, and sustainable development.
Jochen believes that institutional innovation is the core of attracting investment and building trust. A stable, transparent, and forward-looking policy environment can enable enterprises to maintain confidence in global competition. At the same time, he called on free zones to increase support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups. By simplifying trade processes, providing financing support, and innovation resources, more SMEs can achieve cross-border growth.
"Entrepreneurship shapes the economy, creates jobs, and enhances community well-being," he said. "IFZA hopes to support innovation, promote exchanges, and enable enterprises and society to prosper together by building an inclusive global ecosystem."
Jochen's speech set the tone for the conference: In the era of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and the restructuring of the global supply chain, free zones should redefine the global trade order with an open, cooperative, and innovative spirit.
Patrick Kuehl: Empowering Free Zones with Technology and Connecting the Global Ecosystem with Trust
Patrick Kuehl, the Regional Director of Market Relations at the IFZA Free Zone, spoke multiple times during the conference, focusing on sharing the practical experience of the IFZA Free Zone in digital and intelligent transformation. At the forum "Smart Zones: Achieving Operational Excellence with Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Data," he pointed out that IFZA always adheres to the principles of "scalability, implementability, and integration" in the process of promoting the digitalization of free zones.
"Every time we upgrade technology, we first ask ourselves: Can it truly simplify business processes? Can it seamlessly integrate into our services?" he explained.
The IFZA Free Zone started with robotic process automation (RPA) and gradually introduced artificial intelligence verification systems and facial recognition technology. This not only improved operational efficiency but also established a safer and more trustworthy service experience for customers. Patrick emphasized that the essence of innovation is not only efficiency but also compliance and trust. While promoting digitalization, the IFZA Free Zone also helps enterprises better understand and adapt to international regulations through education and technological solutions.
In another discussion titled "Voices from the Front Line: Stakeholders' Perspectives on Park Services," Patrick further elaborated on IFZA's ecological concept: "We not only issue business licenses but also solve the real pain points of enterprises - from bank account opening to accounting and legal services, we are helping enterprises break through every link in global operations."
The IFZA Free Zone provides comprehensive support for enterprises, including talent, training, and market expansion, through a strategic partnership network, creating a one-stop service system from establishment to expansion.
IFZA and China: From Institutional Connection to Ecosystem Co - construction
At the end of the conference, guests from around the world unanimously agreed that the future of free zones lies in the in - depth integration of policy innovation, digital infrastructure, and international cooperation.
As an important driving force behind this WFZO conference, IFZA demonstrated a new generation of development models for free zones with its systematic thinking on innovation, compliance, and enterprise growth. As Patrick Kuehl summarized, "Our vision is simple - IFZA connects enterprises and also connects people."
As one of the most international free zones in Dubai, the IFZA Free Zone has unique advantages in supporting Chinese enterprises to go global. Its multi - national team is well - versed in the market rules of the Middle East, Europe, and Asia and can provide highly customized solutions for Chinese enterprises in registration, compliance, banking, and business expansion.
Jochen Knecht, the CEO of the IFZA Free Zone, said at the conference, "We are committed to supporting the international development of Chinese enterprises, enabling them to more efficiently integrate into the global supply chain, innovation network, and capital system through the IFZA platform."
For Chinese enterprises hoping to enter the Middle East market, Dubai is an ideal regional hub, and the IFZA Free Zone is the best cooperation platform to access this market. This vision not only responds to the actual needs of Chinese enterprises going global but also reflects the unique position of Dubai as a global cluster of free zones.
The IFZA Free Zone has many unique advantages:
- The registration fees are transparent and relatively low, especially suitable for small, medium, and micro - enterprises in the fields of trade, consulting, and services.
- The registration process is simple, and remote company registration is supported. A company can be registered within 5 - 7 working days.
- The scope of business licenses is broad. In the IFZA Free Zone, each business license can cover three cross - industry business activities without additional fees.
- Professional consulting services are provided, covering essential knowledge such as bank account opening, license types, finance, and law.
- There is no requirement to rent a physical office for up to three visas, and virtual offices can be provided free of charge to startups.
- There are professional Chinese staff to provide comprehensive support for Chinese enterprises.
If you are interested in entering the Dubai market, welcome to scan the QR code below orclick 'here' to fill out the form and contact IFZA's professional partners. Let them guide you through the process of setting up a company in Dubai!
Photo | Unsplash
Upcoming Events
Event | Guide to Popular Industries in Dubai: How to Seize Opportunities and Achieve Long - term Operations?
Investment, trade, and technology are currently the most popular directions for Chinese enterprises going to Dubai. For these industries, how to enter the Middle East market and successfully establish a presence, and how to ensure compliance and long - term operations are the key factors that truly affect the success of going global. 36Kr Going Global will jointly host an online event with the Dubai IFZA Free Trade Zone on November 13th to in - depth explain the popular industries in Dubai and share practical paths and cases for business establishment and promotion. Welcome to scan the QR code below or click "here" to fill out the form and sign up for this event. The event registration will close at 23:59 on November 12, 2025.
English Services
Service | KrASIA Launches New English Media Services for Chinese Enterprises Going Global
In the current complex global economic landscape, English reports are not only an important means of conveying value propositions to overseas customers and consumers but also a cognitive precipitation of enterprises worldwide. The English - language media KrASIA (kr - asia.com) is committed to introducing Chinese business and culture to the world. Approximately 60% of the readers of the English website are business people from core Southeast Asian countries. KrASIA helps Chinese companies enhance their global brands through excellent search engine optimization, professional English content, a reliable social media matrix, and external inclusion platforms such as the global top - tier information data platform Bloomberg Terminal and Dow Jones Factiva. If your company has relevant needs for English communication or hopes to cooperate with KrASIA to provide going - global services, welcome to scan the QR code below or click "here" to fill out the form and obtain the media service rate card of KrASIA and the contact information of the staff.
Community | Welcome to Join the 36Kr Going Global Learning and Exchange Group
Currently, the 36Kr Going Global Learning and Exchange Group has attracted more than 17,000 people going global. They come from domestic and foreign startups, industry giants, investment institutions, etc. In the going - global community, we select and organize daily global cross - border information for members to help them keep abreast of the latest trends; we regularly organize going - global exchange activities to connect the going - global ecosystem and find potential partners. Welcome to add the WeChat of the 36Kr Going Global assistant (ID: wow36krchuhai - xzs2) to apply for joining the group and go global together!
