Image Credit : WAM
Abu Dhabi has launched Metal Park, the world’s first pay-as-you-grow metals ecosystem, marking a major shift in how downstream metals businesses access industrial infrastructure and logistics. The AED430 million development was unveiled by Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group in the presence of Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group.
Senior officials from KEZAD Group, AD Ports Group and government entities attended the launch, including representatives from Emirates Steel.
Spanning 450,000 square metres, Metal Park introduces a new industrial operating model that replaces traditional capital-heavy setups with a fully integrated, scalable ecosystem. The pay-as-you-grow approach allows metals companies to expand in line with demand, avoiding large upfront investment while improving capital efficiency, speed-to-market and operational certainty.
Unlike conventional industrial parks, Metal Park is already live and fully operational across both Free Zone and Mainland jurisdictions. Its Production Hub, Storage Hub and Business Centre are active, with 27 member companies currently processing metal on site. The ecosystem offers shared specialist services, secure high-throughput storage and coordinated commercial support within a single industrial system.
Integrated logistics, enabled through KEZAD Group and AD Ports Group, connect production, storage and outbound movement, reducing friction across the value chain and improving throughput, reliability and delivery timelines.
Captain Al Shamisi said the project marks a new phase for industrial development in Abu Dhabi, adding that the pay-as-you-grow model lowers entry barriers for manufacturers and strengthens the emirate’s appeal as a destination for advanced industrial investment.
Vahid Fouladkar, CEO of Metal Park, said the focus is not on creating another industrial zone but on delivering an operating model that enables metals businesses to scale efficiently through shared infrastructure, integrated logistics and coordinated services.
Metal Park has been designed around safety, efficiency and sustainability, with processes aimed at reducing manual handling, minimising idle time and optimising energy use. Shared assets help cut duplication and waste, aligning operational performance with environmental goals.
Technology underpins the ecosystem, with Metal Park operating as a digitally orchestrated platform that offers real-time visibility, streamlined ordering and coordinated internal logistics.
By supporting advanced manufacturing, strengthening supply-chain resilience and attracting industrial investment, Metal Park is set to play a key role in growing the downstream metals sector and supporting Abu Dhabi’s non-oil economy.
With its model now live, Metal Park positions KEZAD and Abu Dhabi at the forefront of next-generation industrial development, signalling that metals manufacturing no longer needs to be capital-intensive or slow to scale.
