New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) India's leading industry lobby Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) Wednesday conferred its best performing special economic zone award to Sharjah's Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA).

Planning Commission member Anwarul Hoda gave away the award to Rashid Alleem, director general HFZA, and department of seaports and customs, of the overnment of Sharjah.

The award was given at the Assocham's international conclave on 'Special Economic Zones: What Will Drive Them', organised here.

'It is a great moment that the people in India have recognised our performance at HFZA. I am happy to see that lots of efforts are on to establish several free economic zones in India as well,' Alleem told IANS after receiving the award.

Assocham's secretary general D.S. Rawat said HFZA was one of the great SEZ success stories not only in the region but in the world as well.

'They have done a wonderful job. From planning to granting licenses, Sharjah's HFZA has set a great example for those aspiring to run a SEZ in a sustainable and effective manner,' Rawat told IANS.

Around 3,000 companies from different countries have their units at the HFZA. Around 70 percent of them have commercial licenses, while rest of them have industrial and service licenses.