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worldwide to promote our free zone. We have covered
countries in North and South America, Europe, Australia,
Africa, and Asia. And we’ve been very successful in
communicating with the biggest communities. And that is
basically the reason of our success,” he explained.
Dr. Rashid also cited that his concurrent position as DG of
Sharjah Ports Authority helps the credibility of the free zone as
the industrial hub of choice. “I handle Customs, Ports and the
free zone. Since I manage all three, this gives the customer the
level of confidence. This gives the customer the full solution; a
customized solution on import, export and re-export. Hence, the
customer doesn’t need to run up and down to get the answer for
a small question, which enhances the business cycle.”
Challenges
Despite the emphasis on road congestion being a hindrance on
Sharjah’s economic development, Dr. Rashid believes
otherwise.
“I don’t think the traffic in Sharjah prevents businesses to come
in. Money has no ethics, unfortunately – that’s my philosophy.
Money needs a place where it feels good – where it feels secure.
Even if (your business is somewhere) in the jungle of Africa,
and the returns are higher, believe me, you would see business
people there. Business people are smart people. You see them
everywhere in the world, wherever the money is. So road
congestion – yes, it is there. But the government is working day
and night, building different channels, widening roads, and
road bridges,” Dr. Rashid explained.
What the DG emphasized on, however, is the importance of
planning in a developing economy. “What people don’t realise
is, the growth rate is not matching planning rate. The growth
rate is so high that the planning is not catching up.”
Plans
The gross leasable area in HFZ Phase 1 is 11 million square
meters, where 90 per cent has been occupied; while phase 2 is
another 11 million, where 70 per cent has been leased already.
“Phase 2 is currently undergoing a massive development of the
land – building offices, warehouses, etc. We are happy that the
growth rate for the free zone has been almost 40-50 per cent for
the last 3 years,” Dr. Rashid said.
He related that the main focus of the business at the moment is
on the maritime side. “Worldwide, the Gulf region has become
one of the lands for hosting the maritime industry. The
Hamriyah Free Zone is building the facilities related to this,” he
explained.
“My vision for the future is to enhance the international
relations with Germany and other Asian countries for instance,
to help them build their own industrial free zones; because their
success is our success,” Dr. Rashid concluded.
An eminent figure in the region, incumbent Director General
of HFZ Dr. Rashid Al Leem was the natural choice for the
position.
At 19, Dr. Rashid became the Gas Plant Manager at Amoco
Sharjah Oil Company, and, while employed, obtained a
scholarship grant from the Government to study Petroleum
Engineering. In 1995, he received a certificate in completing a
decade of safe work in the operations from the same company.
At 24, Dr. Rashid received his Diploma in Petroleum Refinery
from an International Correspondence School in Pennsylvania,
USA. He then acquired further studies by finishing his
Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Business
Management from Atlantic International University in 2001;
his Masters degree in Business Administration the following
year; then his Doctorate at the same university in 2003.
Also an Honorary Member in Humanitarian Services from
Islamic Supreme Council of Ethiopia, Dr. Rashid never forgot
to give back to his community. From 1997 to 2000, he was DG
of the Sharjah Charity International on voluntary basis. He is,
until now, involved in several missions for humanitarian
causes worldwide.
It is no wonder that Dr. Rashid, at 41, is locally and
internationally recognized, particularly when he became an
official member of the American-based ‘who’s who of
professionals’ in 2002; and, also in the same year, was referred
to in Dr. Kifa Ayyash’s Golden Experiences as among the ‘Top
100 Influential leaders of the Arabic World.’
In 2001, Dr. Rashid founded the Alleem Learning Center, an
organization dedicated to helping people maximise their
communication skills and leadership potential.
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