Samuel Wendel is a journalist covering business and financial news in the Middle East and North Africa. He has extensive experience reporting on key industries and markets, including profiling a variety of influential business leaders and rising entrepreneurs in the region.
Umm Ramool has announced it will build the Middle East's first free zone for e-commerce, named Umm Ramool CommerCity. The $740m project is a joint venture between the Umm Ramool Airport Free Zone Authority and Wasl Asset Management. The zone covers 2.1 million sq ft and will be based near Umm Ramool airport in Dubai. The space will feature office buildings, retail areas and logistics facilities. It is hoped the initiative will attract foreign direct investment from e-commerce companies in areas such as logistics, electronic payments and IT that want to expand into the Middle East and south Asia.