What is the SEZ “Alabuga” – Kommersant

On April 2, two drones attacked a hostel in the Alabuga special economic zone; there were casualties. When did the most successful Russian SEZ appear and what is remarkable about it – in the Kommersant information.

The federal special economic zone of industrial production type “Alabuga” (Tatar version of the name Elabuga) was founded in 2005, 8 km from Elabuga in Tatarstan on the site of the never built Kama Tractor Technical Plant. Priority production areas are the production of cars and auto components, petrochemicals, instrument making, and consumer goods.

Initially, 2 thousand hectares were allocated for the territory of the SEZ, in 2014 it was decided to double it, and the issue of constructing a third line of the SEZ is currently being considered. Since 2018, the zone has been fully owned by the government of Tatarstan.

To date, 57 residents work in the SEZ, the total investment amounted to 166 billion rubles, and the residents’ revenue for 2023 amounted to over 151 billion rubles. 11 thousand people work in the SEZ.

Among the resident companies of the Alabuga SEZ at various times there were the largest international brands: Ford, Armstrong, 3M, Saint-Gobain, Air Liquide, Rockwool, Preiss-Daimler Group, etc. In December 2023, the EU included the Alabuga SEZ in the sanctions list, and in February 2024, the European Union imposed sanctions against residents of the Alabuga SEZ. In 2023, the Alabuga SEZ announced its intention to create an economic zone in Bukhara.

In January 2023, the Albatross company opened the production of drones in Alabuga. For the implementation of the project, a premises with an area of ​​2.2 thousand square meters was allocated. m. Plans were reported to establish production of drones with a capacity of 1 thousand units per year. Investments of the Moscow company Albatross into production were estimated at 990 million rubles.

In February 2024, the US Treasury imposed sanctions against Alabuga. He claimed that in the territory of the SEZ the production of attack drones of the Geran-2 type, which the Russian military uses in Ukraine, has been deployed and is increasing.

The Alabuga SEZ has been repeatedly recognized as the most successful Russian SEZ – it accounts for 50% of the revenue and about 40% of the investments of all Russian SEZs. “Alabuga” has been included in the international rating of special economic zones Global Free Zones of the Year for several years in a row; the SEZ has been repeatedly recognized as the best in Europe according to The Financial Times.