Abu Dhabi Airports Unveils Major Expansion Plans for ADAFZ with Light Industrial Units

During the BIG5 event on Wednesday, Abu Dhabi Airports disclosed ambitious expansion plans for ADAFZ, its free zone subsidiary. The forthcoming development initiative revolves around the creation of Light Industrial Units (LIUs), currently in the early stages of master planning.

These LIUs are slated to occupy an expansive 200,000 square feet in the Southside Logistics area, strategically positioned near the Cargo terminal. With escalating demand, the introduction of LIUs aims to meet the evolving needs of small to medium-sized businesses. These units provide a cost-effective entry point and are designed to be scalable, ensuring adaptability to the growing requirements of tenants and customers.

The LIUs are envisioned to serve a diverse array of industries, encompassing light manufacturing and assembly, freight forwarding, logistics, technology, consumer goods, retail, and various airport support services.

Expressing enthusiasm about the expansion, Maureen Bannerman, Chief Commercial Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, remarked, “This marks an exciting phase for ADAFZ as it enhances its retail, real estate, and logistics offerings.” She underscored ADAFZ’s current management of over 100 industrial units and 1,000 real estate units across three Free Zones and Airports. The addition of these new facilities underscores ADAFZ’s commitment to providing a broad and customer-centric range of infrastructure solutions, supported by its dedicated in-house business teams.

Pending approval of its master plan, ADAFZ aims to commence the construction of the LIUs in 2024, with an anticipated construction duration of 12-18 months.