Abu Dhabi-UAE: Aug 9, 2016

Abu Dhabi Ports announced the arrival of the first container of Morgan Advanced Materials (Morgan), a world leader in advanced materials, at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).

Abu Dhabi Ports ensured timely handling of the first shipment, which contained critical equipment for Morgan's dedicated 37,000 sq meter advanced materials facility in Kizad's Free Zone, to support the company's production activities. As the first container to a Free Zone company to be processed through Abu Dhabi Customs, several clearance procedures were put into practice for the first time.

Commenting on the arrival of the shipment, Mr. Mana Mohamed Saeed Al Mulla, Kizad Chief Executive Officer, said: "The arrival of this shipment was an opportunity for us to showcase our success in managing the supply chain leading into our industrial free zone, which relies heavily on state-of-the-art IT systems and operational procedures."

"We are pleased to announce that our commitment to being well-prepared has paid off, and that this shipment was processed with exceptional efficiency," Al Mulla added.

The milestone underscores the streamlined, interconnected nature of the supply chain leading to and from Kizad's Free Zone.

Ian Robb, President of Morgan Advanced Materials' Thermal Products Division, said: "Kizad is truly world-class, with well-considered plot layouts, roads and facilities. Most important, though, is the exceptional service we received from both Kizad and the authorities involved in processing this shipment."

Morgan has a presence in the region since 2001, and in 2014 it selected Kizad for its first dedicated facility in the Middle East in part due to its proximity to Khalifa Port, which provides direct shipping links to more than 50 destination ports globally.

Robb added, "The support we received has further reinforced our confidence in selecting Kizad for our new advanced materials facility."

Abu Dhabi Ports has committed itself to ensuring Kizad's adherence to strict international standards in operations, safety and efficiency. In March of this year, the free zone was awarded ISO 9001:2015 quality certification by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA).

Morgan's decision to create a dedicated facility with Kizad's Free Zone follows significant growth in demand for its products, especially in the areas of thermal insulation, energy saving, acoustic barriers and fire protection, many of which are produced to very high tolerances and are designed for use in extreme environments.

Through an initial 30-year Musataha agreement, Morgan has committed to an initial investment of AED 50 million (around £8.25 million) in their facility at Kizad's Free Zone.

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About Abu Dhabi Ports
Established in 2006, Abu Dhabi Ports celebrates ten years of innovation, growth and partnership embarking on another decade of facilitating economic diversification through enabling maritime and trade development. This is done by delivering high quality maritime services, supporting partners' infrastructure projects and setting up new companies and joint ventures in the ports and logistics sectors.

The flagship state-of-the-art Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) play a pivotal role in the diversification of the economy.  Khalifa Port was inaugurated on 12/12/12 by the UAE President H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The port's semi-automated container terminal handles all of Abu Dhabi's container traffic, after its transfer from Zayed Port, the historic port in the city centre.

Khalifa Port's current capacity is 2.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units/containers) and 12 million tonnes of general cargo. Further phases of development will occur as market demand requires. When all phases are complete, Khalifa Port will be able to handle 15 million TEUs and 35 million tonnes of general cargo per year.

Abu Dhabi Ports manages ten commercial, logistics, community and leisure ports, and Khalifa Industrial Zone that is serving a range of logistics and manufacturing investors. Abu Dhabi Ports is boosting Abu Dhabi's economic growth and diversification, in line with the Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision. 

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© Press Release 2016