Abu Dhabi Airports Showcases Trade, Logistics and Free Zone Capabilities at Make it in the Emirates 2026

• MoUs with Abu Dhabi Food Hub and Wio Bank conclude ADAFZ’s MIITE participation
• ADAFZ landbank offers approximately 90 million sqm of rapid-throughput real estate across three key airport locations
• Industrials, manufacturing and logistics positioned to leverage major global trade corridors

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 8 May 2026: Abu Dhabi Airports’ commercial free zone arm, Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ), has signed landmark agreements with key players in Abu Dhabi’s business ecosystem – Abu Dhabi Food Hub and Wio, the UAE’s leading digital bank – during its participation at Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) 2026. The agreements further reinforce the emirate’s position as a leading global trade and logistics hub.

ADAFZ manages one of the emirate’s largest free zone land banks, spanning approximately 90 million square metres of gross land area across three strategic airport locations: Zayed International Airport (AUH), Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI), and Al Ain International Airport (AAN).

Home to more than 500 registered companies, ADAFZ offers a fully integrated, multi-sector business and logistics ecosystem with airside and landside access, bonded corridors, and a flexible regulatory framework supporting 100% foreign ownership and zero import or export duties.

Its portfolio includes the flagship strategic logistics hub at Al Falah, spanning 8.3 million sqm near AUH; Logistics Park, a specialised 800,000 sqm zone already home to FedEx and DHL; and the East Midfield Cargo Terminal (EMCT), a state-of-the-art 90,000 sqm facility expected to handle 1.5 million tonnes of cargo annually when fully operational in 2027.

As a rapidly growing platform for industrial and manufacturing growth, ADAFZ’s presence at MIITE coincided with a period of exceptional momentum in Abu Dhabi’s non-oil economy. Latest figures from the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi show that the emirate witnessed a record 36% increase in non-oil trade in 2025. This follows a 6.8% surge in non-oil GDP in the first nine months of 2025 with transport and storage growing 13.8% in the third quarter alone. The first six months of the year also saw a nearly 50% increase in new business setups, highlighting Abu Dhabi’s rapidly growing role in global trade and industrial development.

Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “Abu Dhabi's non-oil economy is growing at a pace driven by deliberate infrastructure, policy and investment decisions. ADAFZ sits at the centre of that infrastructure, offering a strategically integrated ecosystem that connects manufacturers, logistics operators and global supply chains to one of the world’s fastest-growing travel and trade hubs. Make it in the Emirates provided an ideal platform to demonstrate that scale and connect the next generation of industrial and trade businesses with Abu Dhabi.”

Key announcements at MIITE 2026:

• MoU with Wio Bank: Cooperation to streamline bank account opening for free zone companies through joint onboarding, co-marketing benefits, and positioning Wio as a preferred banking partner for ADAFZ clients.
• MoU with Abu Dhabi Food Hub: Collaboration to develop a central consolidation capability bringing together logistics, infrastructure and trade ecosystems to streamline food supply chains across the region and beyond.

ADAFZ’s participation at MIITE supports the acceleration of its offerings in front of manufacturers, industrial investors, and supply chain companies in Abu Dhabi and beyond. With world-class facilities to support the growth of e-commerce and logistics, aerospace and defence, pharma and biotechnology, food and agritech, industrial and consumer goods, and emerging technology, ADAFZ’s three airport locations offer businesses unmatched choice at each location: AUH provides proximity to the fastest-growing airport in EMEA; AAN offers a key trade hub and rapidly developing cargo zone with direct connectivity to Sohar in Oman in the near future; and AZI sits next to one of the Middle East’s most storied airports, serving as a gateway for high-net-worth individuals, leadership, and official delegations.