Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group on Thursday announced the launch of Metal Park, described as the world’s first pay-as-you-grow metals ecosystem, with an investment of Dh430 million, at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) .
The launch took place in the presence of Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group. The event was also attended by Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of Economic Cities & Free Zones at AD Ports Group, Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of Emirates Steel, along with senior KEZAD Group and government officials .
According to the announcement, the 450,000 square metre Metal Park introduces a new industrial operating model designed to transform how downstream metals businesses access infrastructure, logistics and specialist services. The model replaces traditional capital-heavy and fragmented industrial setups with a fully integrated, scalable ecosystem, enabling companies to grow in line with demand while avoiding large upfront investment, improving capital efficiency, speed-to-market and operational predictability .
Metal Park operates in both the Free Zone and the Mainland and is already live and fully operational. Its Production Hub, Storage Hub and Business Centre are active, allowing metal to be processed on site by 27 members. The ecosystem provides shared specialist capabilities, secure high-throughput storage and integrated commercial and operational support, forming what KEZAD Group described as a functioning industrial system.
Integrated logistics infrastructure, enabled through KEZAD Group and AD Ports Group, ensures connectivity from production to storage and outbound movement, reducing friction across the value chain and improving throughput, reliability and speed-to-market for manufacturers within the ecosystem.
Commenting on the launch, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: “Metal Park represents a new chapter in industrial development at KEZAD. By enabling a pay-as-you-grow model, we are lowering barriers to entry, improving capital efficiency, and providing manufacturers with an industry-specific environment where infrastructure, logistics, and services work together from day one. This approach strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a competitive destination for advanced industrial investments, in line with the vision of our wise leadership in the UAE”.
Vahid Fouladkar, CEO of Metal Park, said: “This is not about building another industrial zone. It is about creating an operating model where metals businesses can scale intelligently, supported by shared infrastructure, integrated logistics, and coordinated services that remove complexity from daily operations”.
The press release noted that Metal Park has been engineered around operational excellence, with a focus on safety, efficiency, predictability and sustainability. Processes are designed to reduce manual handling, minimise idle time and optimise energy use, while shared assets reduce duplication and waste, aligning operational performance with environmental responsibility. Technology underpins the ecosystem, with Metal Park operating as a digitally orchestrated platform providing real-time visibility, seamless ordering and coordinated internal logistics for its members .
KEZAD Group said the pay-as-you-grow model is intended to support advanced manufacturing, strengthen supply chain resilience and attract industrial investment through a scalable and efficient approach, supporting growth of the downstream metals sector and the broader non-oil economy .
