In conversation with Salim Omar Salim, Director of SPC Free Zone
Please elaborate on SPC Free Zone’s service portfolio.
Free zones in the UAE operate in a highly competitive, liberalised and globalised environment, and what differentiates SPC is the cost, quality of service, and operational efficiency. SPC Free Zones’s dual license option gives businesses the flexibility of a free zone with several mainland advantages, and clients can choose from the multi-year license options that extend up to ten years. What’s notable is also our shared services centre, where companies can get customs and immigration clearance, reducing their operational costs to a great extent. And most importantly, we register a company the same day, without requiring the owner’s physical presence.
The future of entrepreneurship leans on innovation, sustainability and knowledge. At SPC Free Zone, we are constantly adapting the best international practices and thinking ahead to provide SMEs and larger organisations the infrastructure, network and a stable regulatory and operating environment to support them in the long term
– Salim Omar Salim, Director of SPC Free Zone
What is SPC Free Zone’s diversification strategy?
SPC Free Zone is known for its success in industries like publishing, education and other allied services, alongside E-commerce, Real Estate, Artisanal Restaurants, Tech Advancement, Legal firms, highly specialised Tax, Finance, HR, IT Consultancies, Manufacturing, and other 1,500 business activities that SPC Free Zone offers.
That is, in fact, the value proposition of SPC Free Zone – it has a huge natural advantage in terms of maritime access, proximity to big regional economies, a pleasant living and working environment, and a stable regulatory and operating environment, including easy access to supply chain and large pool of talent that makes it a no-brainer for foreign investors as well as local entrepreneurs to set up in SPC Free Zone.
A raft of initiatives such as Access Sharjah and incentive packages to boost entrepreneurial morale during Covid gained popularity. Are any similar initiatives in the offing?
We are currently offering a special business license package at Dh5,750, with the same renewal prices. The best part of the package is that you can combine up to five business activities under one license. Next, when you set up a business at SPC Free Zone, we provide the lease agreement, a shared desk, MOA and attestation, all free of charge. We also provide clients with the option of allocating 100 visas under one trade license.
Entrepreneurship has been the cornerstone for the UAE over the past 50 years. How specialised is SPC Free Zone in meeting the needs of future entrepreneurs?
The future of entrepreneurship leans on innovation, sustainability and knowledge. At SPC Free Zone, we are constantly adapting the best international practices and thinking ahead to provide SMEs and larger organisations the infrastructure, network and a stable regulatory and operating environment to support them in the long term. We provide state-of-the-art warehousing and storage facilities with the highest fire safety and security for improved order processing and risk management.
Digital content has taken over mainstream media and is essentially how news and topics of interest are digested by audiences. How clued in is SPC Free Zone here and what is it doing in the digital space?
As I said, we are constantly upgrading our systems and processes by adopting next-generation technologies and customer-centric software where we manage our client’s documents, billing, order history, previous problems and everything else through a single touch point. We believe in offering a seamless structure to clients by helping them manage all business-related enquiries digitally and under one platform.
Sharjah has always been the cultural capital of the UAE, how do you plan to integrate SPC Free Zone in its economic growth under your leadership?
With SPC Free Zone, I aspire to create a global framework for local prosperity. We are working towards expanding our production goals and creating value for the broader economy by building a powerful ecosystem of mutual interests between local suppliers, training providers, businesses and the government. Being able to contribute to a sustainable and prosperous future – one that supports the growth of local economies and communities while simultaneously benefiting from the global market dynamics is our long-term vision.
