Shteinitz and Dagan visiting Shachak
Shteinitz and Dagan visiting ShachakRoei Hadi

In the Shahak industrial zone in northern Samaria 100 dunam have already been sold before the end of development, reveals Oz Damari, manager of the zone.

Rony Khoury, director of the Barkan industrial zone where 160 factories are located, says that there is a waiting list of 60 factories currently seeking to enter the industrial zone.

Due to increasing demand it was recently decided to establish another industrial zone in Samaria named "Nachal Rabba - Sha'ar Shomron", to be located near the communities Sha'arei Tikva and Oranit, just a 15 minutes drive from the center of the country, closer than the Barkan industrial area.

The new industrial zone will be spread over 3,200 dunam (790 acres) and is expected to accommodate advanced manufacturing and hi-tech. The industrial zone will be owned by the Samaria Regional Council, the Local Council of Oranit, and the Local Council of Elkana.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council who promoted approval of the project's establishment explains: "To my joy, it is absolutely clear that companies in the country are not affected by the boycott or the UN resolution. The attractiveness of industrial zones in Judea and Samaria is such that companies are unwilling to give the place up, we are unable to keep up with the demand and are constantly working to increase the industrial areas to meet the demand."

He said, "It appears that foreign companies do not attach importance to the EU decision on the one hand, and on the other hand companies in our country are not willing to give up their cutting edge and are turning to new markets, such as Africa, India, China and others." Dagan thanked Brig. Gen. Achvat ben Chur, head of the Civil Administration, who campaigned for the project with "professionalism and determination," he said.