Middle East’s 1st Smart Free Zone, Yiwu Market opens its doors on Jun 28

By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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Entrance C at Yiwu Market Image
Entrance C at Yiwu Market, Jafza, UAE | Image Courtesy: Yiwu Market on Facebook

Yiwu Market, the first smart free zone market in the Middle East is all set to open its doors in Dubai on 28 June, catering to the retail and wholesale industries. 

Being part of the first phase of the Dubai Traders Market in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Yiwu Market strives to revolutionize the trading experience for traders and consumers through its unique offerings.

Covering an area of 200,000 sq.m, the market accommodates 1,600 mainland showrooms, 99 percent of which are already occupied. These showrooms are spread across two floors and are categorically divided into different sections, namely;

  • Electronics and Appliances
  • Furniture and Lighting
  • Beauty and Accessories
  • Tools and Hardware (including auto spare parts)
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Bedding
  • Curtains and
  • Clothing

The market has 24 warehouses spread across two floors. The warehouses are located right behind the showrooms, enabling the easy supply of products to the showrooms, thus eliminating the impact of low-stock-delays on outbound trade. Moreover, each warehouse has a dedicated loading dock, providing complete logistical support for the seamless movement of goods.

Abdulla Bin Damithan Image
Abdulla Bin Damithan
CEO and MD
DP World UAE & Jafza

“Our innovative initiatives, and advanced trade and logistics solutions have successfully cemented Jafza as an ideal destination for traders and businesses. Yiwu Market is one such solution we devised for our local traders and consumers. We saw the need for a marketplace where goods can be stored, sold, imported, and exported; all in one place, without additional charges and with the greatest possible ease. We are very optimistic about how it will enhance the trading experience for our traders and shoppers.”

One of the most prominent advantages Yiwu Market offers to its customers is its close proximity to Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport. This enables customers to easily transport goods to and from their warehouses through multiple channels in a cost and time-efficient manner.

Value Additions to Tenants and Shoppers

For the initial 27 months after the opening of the market, tenants will not be required to pay a management fee. This is in addition to the relatively low license cost due to the market’s location within Jafza, and the reduced logistics costs for import and export due to its proximity to sea and air transport channels.

The move will result in lower shelf prices for consumers, making Yiwu Market ideal for both, traders and buyers.

Yiwu Connect

A stand-out feature of the Yiwu Market is a dedicated area named ‘Yiwu Connect’ which facilitates cross-border networking and information exchange between traders in Dubai and factories in China.

In addition to directly connecting local traders with Chinese factories without the need of a middleman, ‘Yiwu Connect’ will also allow these traders to inspect the goods for quality assurance before importing them to the Dubai Yiwu Market. This service, at a time of unprecedented supply chain problems, will give customers a new level of quality assurance.

Related: Zain Group’s digital arm ZainTech & Atos unite to boost MENA’s B2B market

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