German multinational company Bosch Group plans to expand its operations at the Dubai Airport Freezone to cope with demand from customers in the Gulf, the Middle East and Africa.

Dr Rudolf Colm, a senior board member, Bosch Group said this at a meeting with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airport Freezone.

Dr Colm was accompanied during his visit by Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, director general of Dubai Airport Freezone and Volker Bischoff, general manager of Robert Bosch ME- FZE, the Middle East subsidiary of Bosch Group.

The German company operating in Dubai Airport Freezone, registered a turnover of Dh200 billion last year, said Dr Colm.

“During the last nine years of operation in Dubai Airport Freezone, we found that the Freezone has been a true partner  who worked hand in hand with us to achieve  our business objectives,” he added.

Sheikh Ahmed said the history of partnership with German companies goes back to 1960s with large trade volumes between the two countries in all trade, services and industrial sectors.

'Bosch has always been a strategic partner with a major contribution to the local economy in the Gulf and entire Middle East region,” he remarked.

“We shall spare no effort to maintain the distinguished trade relationship with Bosch and shall make sure that we facilitate their operation in Dubai Airport Freezone,” he said.

“We have clearly instructed the foreign investments incubation entities such as Dubai Airport Freezone in Dubai to avail every possible resources that enable the multinational firms to perform their commercial activities smoothly.,' Sheikh Ahmed added.

Bosch, he said, had seen an immense business opportunity in the Middle East and Africa with an increasing demand for products with the latest technology including automotive aftermarket parts, power tools, security systems and photovoltaics.

According to Dr Colm, the Middle East and Africa regions are promising with good business potential.

“The Middle East has seen over the past few years double digit growth, while countries in Africa had an average of five percent GDP increase on an annual basis,” he pointed out.

'In support of the UAE’s green policy we consider to add a photovoltaics Sales division to our Dubai operation. In fact photovoltaic is gaining insignificance in the whole Middle East region.'

'By expanding our photovoltaic business in the Mideast we aim to make considerable contribution to saving energy and Carbon footprint,' he added.

Bischoff said the company had grown over the years from a small office in Dubai Airport Freezone with only a couple of staff to a fully fledged unit with 65 employees in 2008.

According to him, Robert Bosch ME is responsible for sales, marketing and technical support of its automotives aftermarket systems and spare parts, power tools, security system and thermo technology.

'We are also engaged in hydraulics and pneumatic business with our Rexroth division. A major project was the construction of the ship lifting facilities in Dubai Drydocks few years ago,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service