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SUMEA detailed the opening of its new integrated facility in a press release distributed via Zawya. The nearly 12,000-square-metre site, secured with a 20-year commitment in DP World’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, will function as the group’s regional headquarters while consolidating sourcing, procurement, warehousing and global distribution under one roof. It will allow customers and business partners to source, consolidate and re-export products to destinations spanning Africa, the Middle East and Asia from a single Dubai location. The development integrates categories ranging from consumer electronics and building materials to retail goods and industrial equipment into one ecosystem.
In the announcement, Dhirraj Tilani, managing director of SUMEAWORLD, said, “SUMEAWORLD is the natural next step in our journey. Dubai has given us the platform to connect sourcing, supply and distribution on a global scale, and SUMEAWORLD brings all of that together in one place. It is a faster, smarter and more connected way for our partners to move their products to the markets that need them.” Tilani’s remarks pointed to the hub’s ability to streamline operations for the company’s network of more than 300 suppliers that include global brands and leading OEM manufacturers. The statement further positioned the facility as a response to growing demand from the group’s wider operations.
Jebel Ali Free Zone senior vice president for sales Ebtesam Alkaabi described the long-term commitment as the type that drives the zone’s expansion. Alkaabi stated that for businesses handling multi-market sourcing and distribution, a partner operating at this scale from within the free zone bolsters the overall ecosystem available to them. The comments reinforced Jafza’s established function as a base for resilient operations linking Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
According to DP World, the free zone drew more than AED 854 million in investments across the first four months of 2026. DP World figures show Jafza achieved record trade volumes of $190 billion over a recent 12-month period, a 15 percent year-on-year rise that marked its highest contribution to Dubai’s economy. The zone hosts more than 11,000 businesses and sustains around 130,000 jobs while attracting nearly three-quarters of the emirate’s foreign direct investment in manufacturing, trade and transport sectors.
SUMEA originated in Congo in 2004 as a consumer-goods business before developing into an international sourcing, procurement and supply chain group. The company maintains its headquarters in Dubai alongside offices in Singapore and China to remain proximate to key manufacturing centres and to tailor solutions that address varying regulatory, commercial and delivery standards. It additionally functions as the main procurement and supply platform for the broader group’s activities in the Republic of Congo, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, covering areas such as retail, construction, travel services, IT and project supplies.
The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority reported that trade through the emirate’s economic zones attained a record 491 billion dirhams, or about $133.7 billion, in 2025. Authority data indicated cargo volumes climbed 50 percent that year, highlighting sustained expansion in re-exports particularly toward markets in Asia and Africa. SUMEA’s facility placement in Jafza aligns with the infrastructure that connects businesses to more than 3.5 billion consumers through combined sea, air and land routes.
The new hub builds on SUMEA’s existing presence at the intersection of major shipping corridors, manufacturing hubs and emerging markets. By centralising operations in the free zone, the company gains a scalable platform designed to meet rising requirements from its African operations while supporting further international expansion. Jafza’s infrastructure and ecosystem provide the operational foundation for such growth across the diversified product lines now housed in the 12,000-square-metre site.
