Aruba is the perfect destination to start expanding your commercial horizons. While Dutch is the official language of Aruba, most of the island’s residents speak a minimum of four languages including English and Spanish, increasing accessibility to markets around the world. Located at the southern edge of the Caribbean, Aruba is a strategic gateway to markets like Latin America, North America and Europe.
The Aruba infrastructure includes state-of-the-art seaport and airport facilities that complement excellent transportation of goods and people. The Government of Aruba has also instituted sustainability energy goals that ensure the island remains cost-competitive for utilities.
FAST FACTS
- $62M Development Project for Design and Operation of Port of Barcadera Multi-Cargo Sea Terminal
- 1.3M Passengers from Queen Beatrix International Airport in 2023
- 103K internet users in Aruba in January 2023
- 97.2% Internet Penetration, one of the highest in the Caribbean region in January 2023
- $140M Gateway 2030 Phase 1A expansion plan to significantly improve passenger experience at Queen Beatrix International Airport by July 2024
WHERE IS ARUBA?
Aruba is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is physically located in the southern Caribbean Sea, about 29 kilometers (18 mi) north of the Venezuelan coast. It spans 32 kilometers (20 mi) long and 10 kilometers (6 mi) across at its widest point. The island is part of the ABC islands often called the Dutch Caribbean.
AIRPORT
International connections for cargo and people
Queen Beatrix International Airport (Aruba Airport) in Oranjestad handles all Aruban air travel, with many companies offering daily cargo flights to the Americas and the United States. The Aruba Airport works in cooperation with Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam and is one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean region, with 26 airlines processing more than 1.3 million passengers in 2023.
SEAPORTS
Safe, efficient, accessible, and inter-modal transportation
Operated by the Aruba Ports Authority (APA), the Port of Oranjestad and the Port of Barcadera provide safe, efficient and accessible transport for both people and cargo. The Port of Barcadera became Aruba’s main container port in 2015, offering a total area of 1.4 million square feet of cargo delivery support for commercial operations. Barcadera Business Park is a strategically located logistics center for hassle-free and cost-efficient containers and break bulk imports with 17 plots available for new businesses in logistics, warehousing, and small-scale industry. Additionally, the Port City Oranjestad is becoming a new and reformed leisure, residential, and working area with mixed-use commercial real estate, residential housing, retail and a waterfront park. APA employs around 90 people, with 24/7 security patrols at the harbor.
UTILITIES
Aruba keeps businesses running smoothly with reliable and sustainable resources
Aruba’s utilities, telecommunications, water, and energy providers are global frontrunners. For decades, Elmar N.V. and WEB Aruba N.V. have been responsible for the island’s power and potable water production and distribution respectively. A new sustainable energy vision was established in December 2020, designed to sustain Aruba’s environmental resources and segue from fossil fuels. Connected through multiple submarine cables and equipped with a state-of-the-art backbone for telecom, Aruba ranks among the highest in reliable and fast telecom facilities in the region.
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