Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
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Distance from Nearest Port
Sea ports play an important role in facilitating external trade and internal market exchanges.
They also provide services to a number of industrial sectors and, therefore, are key when it
comes to the successful development of economic zones within OIC Member Countries. Having
an appropriate carrying capacity and internal infrastructure aligned with the requirements of
industrial sectors served is essential. As shown below, a number of SEZs selected for
comparative benchmarking are port based and have been developed within close proximity to
port facilities.
Additionally, a majority of the ports serving economic zones have a sizeable storage,
warehousing and logistics function – this enables them to act as buffers to regulate the flow of
goods to and from the zones.
Analysis shows that proximity to a port influences the nature of the activities undertaken in the
zone with a number of those very close to a port having bonded warehouses and focusing on
logistics and re-export.
Figure 5 – Distance from Major Ports (km) within Selected OIC Member State SEZs
Source: BuroHappold Analysis 2017
As shown in the average distance of the analysed economic zones from the nearest
serving major port is approximately 51km. It is observed that some of the most successful
examples of SEZs include close proximity to port facilities and ease of access to enable to flow of
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
King Hussein Business Park
MBTK
Ma'an Development Area (MDA)
Olokola Free Trade Zone
Iskandar
Bahrain International Investment Park
Midparc
Mersin Free Zone
Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone
Tanjung Api-Api
Port Klang Free zone
Antalya Free Zone
Average - ~51km
Average - ~51km