Abu Dhabi Ports, the master developer industrial zones and agribusiness firm Al Dahra Agriculture, have marked the ground breaking of their rice milling plant at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) aiming to launch operations by the second quarter of 2016.

The building structure of the overall Al Dahra Kohinoor facility is well underway and has entered the next phase of construction – that related to the structures for rice grain storage or silos.

The ground breaking ceremony took place on their 100,106-sq-m project site in attendance of senior officials from both companies as well as representatives from the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Abu Dhabi Food Security.

This Dh140 million ($38 million) facility, currently the first of its kind and set to be the largest rice mill factory in the Gulf region, will contribute to the realisation of UAE long-term food security vision.

Al Dahra Kohinoor, a joint venture of Al Dahra Holding of Abu Dhabi and Kohinoor Foods of India, will produce up to 80,000 metric tonnes of rice per annum. The facility will be handling the full production cycle from milling, storing, packing and distributing the rice within the UAE and exporting to foreign markets via Khalifa Port.

“Currently, we rely on imports for as much as 85 per cent of the country’s food consumption. Abu Dhabi Ports is also trying to contribute to the UAE leadership’s long-term objective of achieving the maximum self-reliance in food production,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports.

“Our role at Abu Dhabi Ports is to support the food industry and businesses such as Al Dahra Kohinoor in their efforts to source food-produce locally. Our integrated infrastructure and connectivity offerings of Khalifa Port and Kizad provide both the availability to support food projects and the accessibility to have their products reach consumers both locally and abroad,” he continued.

Khadim Abdulla Al Darei, vice chairman and managing director of Al Dahra Holding said: “Al Dahra Kohinoor facility will ensure the sustainable and undisrupted supply of essential food commodities into the Emirate and we are eager to launch operations by the second quarter of 2016.”

“This facility in Kizad will act as a logistics hub for rice distribution across the GCC allowing us to expand our efforts in offering quality and variety of rice at sustainable and affordable prices to consumers,” he added.

Al Dahra Kohinoor facility will not only have the abilities to produce and store 50,000 metric tonnes of strategic rice reserve; fulfilling the company’s commitments to the UAE Food Security Centre, but also it will contribute to the enhancement of rice milling expertise and capabilities in Abu Dhabi, by creating 90 jobs in the first phase. – TradeArabia News Service