Abu Dhabi Airports Showcases Trade, Logistics and Free Zone Capabilities at Make it in the Emirates 2026

 

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 8th May 2026: Abu Dhabi Airports' commercial free zone arm, Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ), has signed landmark agreements with key players in Abu Dhabi's business ecosystem, Abu Dhabi Food Hub and Wio, the UAE's leading digital bank, during its participation at Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) 2026. The agreements further reinforce the emirate's position as a leading global trade and logistics hub.

 

ADAFZ manages one of the emirate's largest free zone land banks, spanning approximately 90 million sqm of gross land area across three strategic airport locations: Zayed International Airport (AUH), Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI), and Al Ain International Airport (AAN).

 

Home to more than 500 registered companies, ADAFZ offers a fully integrated, multi-sector business and logistics ecosystem with airside and landside access, bonded corridors, and a flexible regulatory framework that supports 100% foreign ownership and zero import or export duties. Its portfolio includes the flagship strategic logistics hub at Al Falah, spanning 8.3 million sqm of prime land in close proximity to AUH, EMEA's fastest-growing mega airport; Logistics Park, a specialised 800,000 sqm zone that is already home to FedEx and DHL; and East Midfield Cargo Terminal (EMCT), a state-of-the-art 90,000 sqm facility that will handle 1.5 million tonnes of cargo annually when fully operational in 2027.

 

As a rapidly growing platform for industrial and manufacturing growth, ADAFZ's presence at MIITE coincided with a period of exceptional momentum in Abu Dhabi's non-oil economy. Latest figures from the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi show that the emirate witnessed a record 36% increase in non-oil trade in 2025. This follows a 6.8% surge in non-oil GDP in the first nine months of 2025 with transport and storage growing 13.8% in the third quarter alone. The first six months of the year also saw a nearly 50% increase in new business setups, highlighting Abu Dhabi's rapidly growing role in global trade and industrial development.

 

Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: 'Abu Dhabi's non-oil economy is growing at a pace that few anticipated, but which comes as no surprise to us. This momentum is the result of deliberate infrastructure, policy, and investment decisions. ADAFZ today sits at the centre of that infrastructure and is being developed to unlock even more of its potential. We offer a strategically integrated ecosystem that connects manufacturers, logistics operators, and global supply chains to one of the world's fastest-growing travel and trade hubs. Make it in the Emirates has been an ideal platform to demonstrate that scale which will connect the next generation of industrial and trade businesses with our proposition in Abu Dhabi.'

Key announcements at MIITE 2026:

ADAFZ's participation at MIITE supports the acceleration of its offerings in front of manufacturers, industrial investors, and supply chain companies in Abu Dhabi and beyond. With world-class facilities to support the growth of e-commerce and logistics, aerospace and defence, pharma and biotechnology, food and agritech, industrial and consumer goods, and emerging technology, ADAFZ's three airport locations offer businesses unmatched choice at each location: AUH provides proximity to the fastest-growing airport in EMEA; AAN offers a key trade hub and rapidly developing cargo zone with direct connectivity to Sohar in Oman in the near future; and AZI sits next to one of the Middle East's most storied airports, serving as a gateway for high-net-worth individuals, leadership, and official delegations.