Food and beverage giant Mondelez International officially opened its new biscuit factory in Bahrain, today, (April 17) as part of the company’s ongoing expansion in the kingdom.

Dubbed as the `Factory of the Future’, the $90-million facility is a state-of-the-art biscuit manufacturing plant that produces leading brands, including Oreo cookies and Barni soft cakes, for local consumers and will serve as a hub for exports to the Gulf region, the Levant and Africa, reducing delivery costs and improving product freshness.

Located at the Bahrain International Investment Park, Hidd, the 250,000-sq-m manufacturing plant has a production capacity of nearly 45,000 tonnes per year, which can be doubled over time.

It is located alongside Mondelez International’s existing manufacturing site, which has been producing Kraft cheese and Tang powdered beverages since 2008.

The inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Zayed R Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism; Daniel Myers, executive vice president, Integrated Supply Chain, Mondelēz International; Maurizio Brusadelli, EVP and president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Mondelēz International; and Simon Galpin, managing director, Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB).

Speaking at the launch, Myers said: "This investment in Bahrain is a great example of how we are building a world-class supply chain, with Factories of the Future in strategic locations around the world designed to simplify operations, increase flexibility, improve productivity and meet the growth demands of our Power Brands."

"We are keenly focused on winning with our consumers and customers, as we simplify and modernise our operations and production capacity. We’re making our company more nimble and efficient, creating the fuel we need to invest in our brands and our people – our most important assets – and deliver sustainable, profitable growth for our shareholders,” he added.

Mondelez’s new investment marks the company’s second expansion over the last decade after investing more than $75 million in developing a Kraft Cheese and Tang powdered beverage plant in 2008.

Since 2008 Mondelez has injected more than $250 million into the local economy, employing over 150 people directly and help sustain over 12,000 more indirect jobs in the local economy through its two plants, including 350 suppliers, Myers added.

Brusadelli said: "The Middle East and Africa are priority markets for us, and we’re confident in our selection of Bahrain as the preferred location for our plant, due to its business-friendly environment, skilled local workforce and excellent transport links, all of which will be instrumental to the success of our growth plans."

“We thank the Government of Bahrain for their continued support. This site is our second major investment in the kingdom over the past 10 years, further strengthening Bahrain’s position as a strategic business hub and contributing to national economic growth,” he added.

Commending Mondelez for the new project, Galpin said: "Manufacturing is a growing component of Bahrain’s gross domestic product and having a world class facility like this is a great demonstration of Bahrain's strength as a manufacturing hub not just for the domestic market but for the entire region.”

Food and beverage giant said the production from the new plant will be catering to the GCC, the Levant and Africa region, its prime markets. Starting with 13 countries, the Bahrain plant will be producing for 20 countries by the end of this year, it added.-TradeArabia News Service