ABU DHABI: July 20, 2018. Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) and the Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Cooperation and Investment Company (JOCIC) have signed an MoU to develop logistics and procurement services for customers of the China-UAE Industrial Park in Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi.

EAG says it will provide companies investing in the industrial park with preferred airfreight rates on routes and services between China and other destinations on Etihad Airways’ network, while JOCIC and park tenants will designate Etihad as their preferred airline.

In addition the airline will be given special rates on products produced and manufactured by Chinese companies at the park.

Established in July 2017 with a 50-year agreement between Abu Dhabi Ports and JOCIC, the China-UAE Industrial Park has agreements with 16 Chinese companies valued at US$1 billion covering new energy sources, aluminum processing, machinery manufacturing, trade and logistics, metallurgy, building materials, chemicals, packaging, and food and beverages.

"The partnership will demonstrate the long-standing commitment of Etihad, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, to acting as a bridge for economic and cultural exchanges between the UAE and China, as well as to strengthen the position of Abu Dhabi as an aviation hub to connect China with the economies along the Belt and Road Initiative by leveraging our strong global network," said Etihad Group CEO Tony Douglas.

"It also exemplifies our pivotal role in the Abu Dhabi government’s plan to strengthen the infrastructure and transport sectors in Abu Dhabi, in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030," he added.

Etihad currently operates daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and Hong Kong and says it has carried 400,000 tons of cargo between China and the UAE in the past decade.