SEZ Value Positioning & Differentiation

We help governments, financiers and developers build Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial parks that stand out, not just in infrastructure, but in purpose.

By aligning SEZ frameworks with emerging market and trade trends, ESG benchmarks, and sectoral opportunities, we create zones that are investment-ready, climate-conscious, and economically resilient.

NurZen continues our legacy and success of NxtZones.

NxtZones is a new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) model for the future customized to a changing global economy, industry 4.0 and based on the most innovative and best practices of many SEZs around the world.

The NxtZones model connects ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship in various high value high growth sectors. NxtZones is a global network of Free Zones that creates jobs, attracts FDI (in particular FDI 4.) and promotes economic development, with a clear mandate for world class infrastructure and facilities and sustainability, perfectly aligned to the 17 UN SDGs. NxtZones are carbon neutral, autonomous vehicle enabled and based on circular economy principles

The end-to-end journey for SEZ’s is a complex, lengthy process involving multiple phases, requirements, and stakeholders. Standardising the processes and interactions between various stakeholders is key to success.

We Offer

SEZ feasibility and competitive analysis

Ensure the SEZ strategy is based on strategic planning, which requires realistic assessments and analysis of strengths, weaknesses, market demand, local comparative advantages, local sources of competitiveness, and opportunities that collectively constitute the local value proposition.

Master Planning & Real Estate Planning

A solid master plan is the foundation of any SEZ or industrial park. A good master plan also takes into account the investors’ real estate preferences of companies a free zone would like to attract and the industry in which they operate.

Value chain analysis

Ensuring the zone is suitable for integrated clusters and support local supply chain

SEZ institutional and organisational development

Recommending optimal governance and delivery models, including roles and accountability for various SEZ stakeholders.

Incentive regime design including legislative, customs and tax services

Support on whether SEZ Laws provide clarity for investors and improving and aligning incentive regimes with investors’ needs and requirements.

Business Case and Cost-benefit analysis

Conducting an in-depth cost-benefit analysis is a necessary pre-requisite to evaluate the SEZ’s performance and demonstrate how taxpayers’ money has been used to realize economic development.

Along with investment grade business models provide the commercial rationale for investment.

Potential funding for SEZ development projects

Developing optimal funding strategies by blending public and private finance along with risk mitigation mechanisms.

Implementation & Management Support

Developing SEZ strategies is one step but we go one step further and provide action plans and actionable initiatives that truly support our clients with implementing their SEZ strategies with clear timelines, monitoring and evaluation systems and KPI dashboards.

Capacity building and training for SEZ stakeholders

Support the skills-base of SEZ staff and professionals to be well-equipped to promote the SEZ value proposition, communicate with foreign investors and optimize marketing and promotion efforts. Trainings can be customized to meet capacity needs of your staff.

FDI strategy and investment promotion

Marketing Program Development: Assist with developing image building strategies and the promotion of the local value proposition by ensuring marketing and promotion efforts are targeted, timely, professionalized, up-to-date and responding to current social media requirements. Many SEZs need a tailored marketing strategy and tactical execution elements ranging from logo and brand development and digital marketing to tradeshow support, lead generation, and staff training solutions that can successfully position a SEZ among potential investors abroad.
Investor Attraction & Lead Generation Services: Support the design of investor targeting strategies as well as investor facilitation services, which go beyond the set-up phase and address daily bureaucratic constrains through business development services and innovative regulatory incentives. Our lead generation services are delivered with specialist partner firms. These services aim to successfully attract investors to a SEZ.
Aftercare Strategy Development & Services: Support in setting up aftercare services to maintain investors and facilitate re-investments by existing investors. Developing new services focused on services for existing investors.

The most comprehensive offering of services related to corporate investment and expansion.

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SEZ Credentials

Ongoing

Value proposition and competitive advantage for Jazan and Ras Al-Khair SEZ for the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, KSA

Nurzen are working with IDOM a global engineering firm developing two SEZs in KSA for the Royal Commission after their approval of SEZ status by ECZA. Nurzen are part of the project team with a pool of experts. The focus of work is not only on the operationalization of the SEZs but also largely on knowledge transfer and training. Nurzen are also co-authoring a white paper on best practice SEZs development and operations. Other outputs include feasibility and economic development strategy, customs and logistics and analyses, global benchmarks and Investment promotion strategy.

Ongoing

Assessment and Market Competitiveness of Industrial Estates for Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC)

Nurzen are working with local consultant Djani to advice JIEC on the next generation of industrial estates in Jordan. An in-depth review of current estate performance, issues and challenges are being examined along with international benchmarks and investor surveys. Nurzen are leading on the recommendations to refresh the JIEC value proposition and make the industrial estates more competitive for a new breed of investors.

2025

Smart Zone strategy and implementation plan, Tanger Med Group, Morocco

From SEZ to smart zone strategy development, feasibility and implementation roadmap. Nurzen and Tanger Med developed a (digital) smart zone strategy and implementation roadmap for Tanger Med SEZ industrial park in Tanger, Morocco. The initial project activities focused on smart zone identification worldwide and benchmarking.

2023 - 2025

KSA ECZA and SEZ ecosystem development, SEZ policy manuals and guidebooks development

NurZen in partnership with EY have worked closely with ECZA to develop the policies and guidebooks to set up SEZs across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The policies and guidebooks focused on investor attraction, PR and Media strategies for SEZs, operational manuals, performance indicators for SEZs, SEZ investor application procedures and policies. In addition, a global benchmark was conducted to assess similar SEZ policies and guidebooks in other countries as well as similar SEZ umbrella organizations for their governance structures. In addition, we also supported ECZA in their recruiting efforts.

2024

OECD SEZ study, feasibility, benchmarking and governance framework, Bulgaria

NurZen developed a benchmark of SEZ regimes and SEZs across the Balkans. In addition, the project developed a framework and action plan for the Government of Bulgaria to set up a SEZ governance and institutional and regulatory structure for SEZs. The project also involved a feasibility study and a benchmark of SEZ governance structures and policies across the Balkans as well as an implementation roadmap and action plan.