ICD has launched Dubai Global Connect, a 1 million square meter B2B wholesale market in Dubai
The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) in partnership with Dubai South has launched Dubai Global Connect (DGC), a 1 million square meter B2B wholesale market in Dubai which will bring together buyers and sellers to safely and easily trade great goods from all over the world, all year round in one central location. The initial focus will be on three sectors which have been identified as being large enough in size, growing, and relevant to the region: Furniture & Living, Food, and Fashion.
DGC is already under construction, with a purpose-built visitor centre opening in Q4 of 2020. The market is expected to be delivered in phases, with the first phase comprising of 400,000 square meters of dedicated trade facilities including on-site storage, boutique offices, an innovation hub, and a Smart Service Centre to house third party service providers.
Located at the crossroads of Dubai's logistics corridor, at Dubai South next to Al Maktoum International Airport with a direct connection to the Jebel Ali Port, DGC's physical infrastructure will be supported by best-in-class services and optimal business solutions at the Logistics District, including a digital wholesale trading platform which will connect wholesale sellers and buyers online and facilitate hassle-free trade through DGC.
Douraid Zaghouani, COO of ICD and Chairman of Dubai Global Connect, commented, "DGC has been a long time in the making but is even more relevant and needed in today's changed global trade environment. Establishing a controlled, permanent marketplace environment is perfectly timed as event producers and their attendees cope with reduced travel budgets and the need for smaller, more controlled gatherings. DGC enables traders to meet halfway by offering producers and manufacturers a window to the world in a central, easy to reach location, and by providing buyers with a safe buying environment and place of reference that is open all year round."
US-based Market Center Management Company (MCMC) will develop and manage DGC's state-of-the-art permanent showroom environment which will be open year-round to qualified retail buyers and designers, manufacturers, and industry professionals, and can be fitted out by sellers according to their own style and budget. The showrooms will be closed to the public.
MCMC has a legacy of sole, private ownership of the Dallas Market Center (DMC), operating in the US for 65+ years, as well as multinational experience involving both ownership and management of wholesale marketplaces including Brussels International Trade Mart and Shanghai Mart as well as consultation experience on additional projects in Colombia, Vietnam, and Portugal.
