The Emirate of Ajman is centrally located in the western coast of the UAE a short distance from Dubai representing the northern flank of the Dubai- Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. With promising economic prospects, excellent business environment and a number of comparative advantages the Emirate offers good opportunities to national, Arab and international investors.

Among the favorable factors of the business environment is the strategic and central location of the Emirate, competitively lower prices of real estate including commercial and residential buildings, availability of skilled and semiskilled labour at lower wages, easy access to local and international market centres and liberal business regulations.

Under the enlightened rule and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman the Emirate has made major strides on the way to development in a relatively short period of time. Ajman has been transformed into a state with modern facilities and amenities. Yet, the traditional way of life has been preserved forming with modern living environment a pleasant blend of the old and the new and the simple and sophisticated. With a population of over 120,000 (5%of the UAE population as per the 1995 census), availability of manpower and conductive environment the Emirate has achieved high rates of growth in major economic sectors such as construction and industry. For example, Ajman ranks the third among the Emirates in terms of number of industrial plants (about 280 plants).

Other sectors have great potential. Of these are agricultural and tourism. Efforts are underway to develop integrated programmes in these two sectors making use of favourable market conditions and Ajman's comparative advantages. For example, the beautiful beaches of Ajman and the cleaner and less commercialized seashores offer excellent possibilities for sea resort hotels away from shiplanes and pollution. Meanwhile, the inland territories of Masfout and Manama have good prospects for agricultural development and growth potential particularly with the use of modern agricultural methods.

In line with the directives of H.H. the Ruler of Ajman development efforts in the Emirate have already made many successes, taking a comprehensive view of development to ensure consistency among sectoral plans. In addition, consideration is given to complementarity and co-ordination not only with national development plans but also with those of neighbouring Emirates to avoid duplication and costly rivalry. To enable the concerned departments to carry out their responsibilities including the implementation of the appropriate development strategy, local departments have always received the support of the Government of H.H. the Ruler of Ajman. These departments have been staffed by the necessary specialized personnel, technical staff and supported by financial allocations.

EVIDENCE OF COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT: Infrastructure Aspects of development in Ajman can be found everywhere and in almost all sectors. The Emirate has built many urban and rural construction projects. Housing and commercial buildings are rising throughout the city of Ajman. To blend with the culture and traditions of the society many of the buildings incorporate Islamic architectural features in their design. The old city has expanded dramatically. A master plan which was prepared in the mid 1980's is being updated to cope with the rapid expansion. Future construction will increasingly emphasize an integrated development approach.

Economy: The economy of the Emirate has been self-supporting. In the absence of oil development, economic progress has been driven by three sectors: commerce, construction and industry. According to a Federal industrial registry more than 10 percent of the number of industrial plants in the country are located in Ajman. A variety of products are manufactured by Ajman factories. These products include foodstuff, beverages, tobacco, readymade garments, leather and shoes. They also include wood, furniture, wooden decoration, paper and paper products and carton boxes. Furthermore, Ajman-based industries include chemicals, plastics, non-metal mineral products (e.g. cement, bricks, marble, tiles, mosaic etc.) basic metal industries such as iron, steel, steel bars, pipes, precision dies, aluminium rolling, sheltering and extrusion as well as iron trunks and tanks.

The machinery and equipment industries, metal kitchens, oilfield platforms and drilling derricks. Other industries include aerials, steel sponges, ship and speedboat building, as well as watches, jewels, organic fertilizers etc. Industrialization is moving pace thanks to the many incentives offered by the government of Ajman. Local as well as foreign investors and industrialists are provided with all necessary facilities and services at competitive prices. Taking advantage of these incentives, more and more industries are being more established in the Emirate. To meet the increasing demand the municipality has allocated additional areas for industrial units. In addition, a free industrial zone has been in operation for several years in Ajman. For the convenience of export-oriented industries the authorities allowed the setting up of a number of factories within the compound of the Ajman seaport.

Among the major industrial and service establishments which have chosen to base their business in Ajman are a cement plant, a compost plant, several garment factories, food industries, a tobacco factory, a fiberglass boat manufacturing plant, a dry-dock and ship repair yard. Many other smaller industrial plants are also enjoying the favourable business environment in Ajman. Industrial Area The Ajman Government has allocated a large area for industries and provided it with all essential services including internal roads, water and power supplies, telecommunication facilities and other requirements. The suitable location of the new industrial area in Ajman is vital for attracting potential investors and meeting the environment protection in the area.

Ajman University for Science & Technology: Like in other Emirates, the UAE Ministry of Education has many schools for primary, preparatory and secondary stages in order to meet the educational needs of the Emirate's growing population. But the Emirate takes pride in the foundation of the Ajman University for Science and Technology. The University is set up to become a recognized international centre for higher education and academic achievements. Equipped with the latest educational facilities and manned by highly qualified teaching staff, the University's educational curricula and practical training programmes are designed to cater to the needs of economic development taking place in the Gulf region.

Fishing and Agricultural: Since long people of Ajman have been known for their knowledge of the sea. Fishing, shipbuilding, net making and crafting fishing instruments have been popular professional in the Emirate. A Co- operative society for fishermen has been established in the Emirate, in line with the policy of the Government of H.H. the Ruler of Ajman in preserving traditional popular professions. The agriculture sector has attracted investment to the development of new vegetable farms with modern irrigation methods and plastic using underground water. Fruits including dates and vegetables produced from the farms meet a significant proportion of the Emirate's local consumption.

Ajman Port: Ajman port provides superb facilities and incentives to investors & businessmen. It also renders its services to the Free Zone which is located within the port area - Ajman Port and receive all types of vessels and tanks and is capable of handling cargo of all kinds, from any part of the world. The port was set up in 1979 to activize imports and exports. Ajman Port lies at longitude 25 degrees 25 North. The 5500 metres long port has 8 berths recently constructed to handle containers cargo as well as general merchandise. The incoming cargo can be stored in large warehouses built for this purpose covering an area of about 43,200 sq. m. There are also special facilities to handle cargo of chemicals, waste paper and fodder. An area of 127,300-sq. m. is used for open storage.

The Port Authority has also set up two dry docks on an area 220-sq. m. to provide maintenance and repair services to the vessels visiting the port. One berth is allocated for serving wooden boats and launches. The state-of-the-art facilities of the Port include a floating crane which can lift a cargo weighing up to 5,000 tons from ships anchored up to 70 metres offshore.

Ajman Free Zone: In virtue of its location at the foot of the Arabian Gulf, the Ajman Free Zone is widely regarded as the ideal depot for the supply of regional markets with goods and products manufactured there. The cheap energy and the absence of bureaucratic complications, coupled with the availability of numerous facilities, have attracted many investors to base their industries in Ajman. The Free Zone lies on a vast plot of land, which may further be extended for execution of new projects.

The Ajman Industrial and Trade Free Zone have been organized in such a manner that different types of industries and business activities can be easily shipped from Ajman port to their destinations.