My green journey in Hamriyah

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📗 Book Title: My Green Journey in Hamriyah

Author: Dr. Rashid Alleem
Published by: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), 2014
Focus: Sustainable development, leadership, and industrial transformation in the UAE

🌱 Core Message

The book is a personal and professional memoir of Dr. Rashid Alleem’s 13-year journey in transforming Hamriyah Free Zone (HFZ) in Sharjah from a struggling industrial zone into a globally admired hub for sustainable development and economic growth.

🧱 Key Themes and Structure

1. Visionary Leadership

  • Inspired by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi.

  • Dr. Alleem was appointed Director General in 2000 when HFZ had only 76 companies.

  • By 2013, the zone grew to host nearly 6,000 companies from 143 nationalities.

2. The 4th Wave – Sustainability

  • Proposes the “Sustainability Wave” as the 4th economic revolution after agriculture, industry, and IT.

  • Sustainability includes economic, environmental, social, cultural, and religious pillars.

3. Transformation Strategy

  • From Warehouses to Industries: Built infrastructure, streamlined licensing, and promoted industrialization.

  • High Reliability Organization (HRO): Focused on quality, safety, and operational resilience.

4. Sustainability in Practice

  • Initiated green practices like waste recycling, green newsletters, renewable energy use.

  • Created Hamriyah Green Team and Hamriyah She-Q Club to lead CSR and excellence.

5. Empowering People

  • Promoted women entrepreneurs, youth education, and employee welfare.

  • Built 20,000-capacity worker housing, launched training programs, and hosted business networking events.

6. Glocalization and Outreach

  • Adopted international benchmarking while honoring local culture.

  • Conducted global investor promotions and participated in UN and Rio+20 summits.

7. Knowledge Sharing

  • Founded the Alleem Knowledge Center, Executive Education Programs, and Business Congresses.

8. Challenges and Innovation

  • Overcame limitations like water/electricity shortages, immigration delays, and investor skepticism.

  • Promoted service bundling and “one-stop-shop” model for investor convenience.

🏆 Key Achievements

  • Developed Hamriyah Port with dual sea access.

  • Constructed new industrial zones like Steel City, Timberland, Perfume World, etc.

  • Hamriyah Free Zone recognized among “Top 4” globally for environmental excellence.

  • Hosted thousands of investors and leaders from across the world.

📣 Final Takeaway

My Green Journey in Hamriyah is not just a business success story—it’s a blueprint for values-driven, people-centric sustainable development. It’s an inspiring guide for policymakers, business leaders, and changemakers committed to balancing growth with responsibility.

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