Dubai Free Zone Council, DFZ, yesterday approved its new strategic plan designed to transform the emirate’s free zones into international investment destinations.

The fifth meeting of the DFZ Council, chaired by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, also reviewed 2016 achievements, including a unified free zone database and a decision to help companies transfer between free zones in Dubai, approved the council’s balance sheet and profit and loss statement for 2016, and green-lit the implementation of the Dubai Statistics Centre system.

The newly approved strategic plan calls for the DFZ to continue its support of individual free zone strategies, as well as representing their interests at local, federal and international levels.

During the meeting, several objectives were identified to support the council's new strategic plan that involves devising operational frameworks and implementing best practices to boost DFZ's global competitiveness. The council will also conduct research and report on developments to aid the government expand upon its economic and investment strategies, and market free zone projects and investment opportunities.