the governmental mission of Sistema Italia in the United Arab Emirates kicks off from Dubai. The first appointment is dedicated to the presentation of the Italian Special Economic Zones and, in particular, of the three SEZs of the Mezzogiorno. The event, sponsored by the Italian Embassy, is scheduled for Tuesday 16 April at the Dubai International Financial Centre.
At the center of the meeting, open to an audience of SMEs and about 200 investors, will be the opportunities for foreign investments in the fields of infrastructure, logistics, energy, ICT, circular economy, manufacturing industry and services that the ZES offer to businesses thanks to the facilitated tax regime and the administrative simplifications envisaged.
Intesa Sanpaolo also takes part in the mission, which has been supporting the ZES since 2017 with a ceiling of 1,5 billion euro for productive investments and the infrastructural works necessary for the expansion of the ports. So far, the group has examined medium and long-term investment projects in the three SEZs of Southern Italy for over 130 million euros and has disbursed 15 million, alongside an offer of non-financial services in various fields: training, innovation and evaluation of opportunities for structured and extraordinary finance transactions.
According to the center's estimates Studies and Research for Southern Italy (Srm), connected to the Intesa Sanpaolo group, the ZES, which start in Italy after 4.500 are already operational in the world, ten years after their establishment generate an increase in exports of 40%, which in the case of the South would be worth 18 billion euros. Public investments have a multiplier effect of 3:1 and each euro of tax credit generates two euros of private capital, to the benefit of the entire port system and the interchanges that branch off from the Mediterranean.
In 2018, trade between Italy and the United Arab Emirates amounted to 6 billion euros, of which over 3,6 billion (60%) through maritime transport. Machines and mechanical elements make up about 30% of the goods transported, followed by oil and gas (23%) and, to follow, metals, chemicals, automotive and aeronautical products.
"Our goal is to illustrate the potential of Italian ports by encouraging investments by national and foreign operators and supporting our businesses with a ceiling of 1,5 billion euros to make Italy the maximum crossroads of the Mediterranean - comments Francesco Guido, regional director Campania, Basilicata, Calabria and Puglia of Intesa Sanpaolo – In particular, thanks to the collaboration of the hub branch here in Dubai, the activity of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group is essential for exchanges with the entire Gulf region, the Middle East and Africa . Our commitment derives from the firm belief that the ZES can represent an unmissable turning point for the southern economy, directing it towards internationalization and therefore towards dimensional enlargement and the sustainable generation of jobs. But the contribution offered by the Regions will be fundamental”.
