Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone Authority (RAK FTZ) will be presented a Code of Ethics award by Business Software Alliance (BSA), the world's foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, in recognition of the Free Trade Zone’s commitment to ensure that Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are protected within the free zone area.

“Information Technology has emerged as an essential element in today’s business, and the RAK Free Trade Zone provides its clients with the world’s best IT solutions as an added value offering to create an ideal atmosphere to run all types of business. RAK Free Trade Zone is involved with strategically important, high value operations and we cannot afford to jeopardize our projects due to faulty software or pirated products. All our systems are implemented with safe and legal software, as these products provide us with complete warranty, security of information and protection from corruption, faults and loss of precious data,” said Oussama El Omari, CEO, RAK FTZ.

"The RAK Free Trade Zone has an international reputation as an attractive business destination. In a short span, we have managed to increase the number of companies to nearly 3,000 and we expect to further boost this with a projected 35 percent growth this year. Forging an alliance with BSA to address IPR issues reflects our commitment to establishing a secure and business-friendly atmosphere for all investors.. We are proud to receive BSA’s Code of Ethics Award, which publicly acknowledges our commitment to protecting IPR and eliminating piracy within the RAK Free Trade Zone area,” he added.

Jawad Al Redha, Co-Chairman, BSA said: "We are very happy with the commitment of Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone to safeguard the integrity of the ICT industry by requiring companies to use genuine software in all their operations. We commend them for their strong commitment, by creating a piracy-free business environment that will spur the growth of UAE’s IT sector and attract foreign investors through the Free Zone's excellent reputation in the battle against piracy."



“BSA has been actively involved in encouraging the private and public sector to curb software piracy and to encourage anti piracy efforts in the region. Not only will they receive the many benefits of using original software, but they will also catalyze specific software development which can be used by other Middle Eastern companies on similar projects since pirated software drains revenues and hampers development,” Al Redha added.

The Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone has been designed as a city within a city. Aside from a range of value-added services offered to investors, the RAK Free Trade Zone also aims to become one of the largest free zones in the Gulf Region, which it seeks to achieve by implementing measures that boost efficiency, maintain environmental soundness and combat cyber crime.

Established in 2000 under the guidance and support of H.H. Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, the RAK Free Zone is the only Free Zone to offer Promotion Centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Free Zone also boasts excellent infrastructure development, innovative business methods and advanced technologies.

The Business Software Alliance is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace BSA helps governments and consumers understand how software strengthens the economy, worker productivity and global development and how its further expansion hinges on the successful fight against software piracy and Internet theft. BSA programs foster technology innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote copyright protection, cyber security, trade and e-commerce.