This undated photo shows RAKEZ Group CEO Ramy Jallad (right) and Maxtron Show Lighting General Manager Karl Renoldi attending a signing ceremony. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

A lighting solutions provider from China is among the many businesses that are expanding in the United Arab Emirates, as economic partnerships between the two countries deepen and diversify beyond trade.

Maxtron Show Lighting, or MSL, which is headquartered in Dalian, China, will set up a “state-of-the-art manufacturing unit” in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), an industrial and business hub that currently hosts over 18,000 companies coming from more than 100 countries and operating in more than 50 industries, according to a press release.

MSL’s new production facility will span over 1,200 square meters and will be dedicated to producing computer-controlled programmable LED light systems and video screens using German technology

Some notable Chinese companies already operating in the special economic zone are e-gaming firm Winbo Phoenix, recycler Mohamed Plastic Waste Recycling, furniture manufacturer Good Luck Foam Factory, chemical producer Zul Energy Middle East and appliances producer Nova Machinery, according to the RAKEZ website.

RAKEZ is home to nearly 200 Chinese companies, including SMEs and industrial entities, engaged in businesses such as manufacturing of equipment, medicine  and packaging materials, as well as activities such as recycling, education, e-commerce, general trading and commercial services.

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MSL’s new production facility will span over 1,200 square meters and will be dedicated to producing computer-controlled programmable LED light systems and video screens using German technology.

Prior to choosing the Ras Al Khaimah emirate as a base, MSL conducted an “exhaustive search across the UAE”. RAKEZ was chosen due to its cost-effectiveness for a manufacturing company, liveability, “the expertise and customized set-up package provided by RAKEZ, and its logistics solutions”, according to the press release from the industrial zone.

Maxtron supplies to the entertainment and hospitality industries across the UAE, Europe and the United States. It currently operates from offices located in the US and Germany, apart from its China headquarters.

“Their decision to move eastern headquarters to the UAE marks a new step towards expansion for the tech manufacturer,” RAKEZ said in its press release.

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RAKEZ’s website states that the special economic zone offers entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs and manufacturers a wide-range of solutions, including free zone and non-free zone licences, customisable facilities, and first-class services provided in a one-stop shop.

Furthermore, RAKEZ has specialised zones that are tailored to specific needs of investors: Al Nakheel and Al Hamra Business Zones, for commercial and service companies; Al Ghail, Al Hamra and Al Hulaila Industrial Zones for manufacturers and industrialists; and an Academic Zone for educational providers.

In May, a delegation from RAKEZ visited China and travelled through Shanghai, Suzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhuhai to woo more investment as the UAE intensifies its economic diversification drive.

In recent years, Middle East countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia whose major trading partner is China have made moves to expand their relations with world’s second-largest economy.

READ MORE: China, UAE agree to enhance cooperation

On May 29, Saudi Arabia announced that its four new special economic zones that were launched in April have attracted $12.6 billion from investors across the maritime, mining, manufacturing, logistics and tech sectors, and that an additional $31 billion in investment projects are in the works.

The news was unveiled at a Saudi Special Economic Zones Investment Forum, which was held in Riyadh and hosted by the kingdom’s Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority in partnership with the Saudi Program for Attracting Regional Headquarters of International Companies.

jan@chinadailyapac.com