His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed AL Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman Dubai Airports, and Chairman & Chief Executive Emirates Airlines & Group inaugurated Nestlé Middle East’s 18th factory producing Nescafé coffee and Maggi cooking aids for the local and regional market, in Dubai South on the 16th of this month, in the presence of Marco Settembri, Executive Vice President Nestlé SA and Head of Zone Europe, Middle East and North Africa.
“Dubai South offers strategic advantages that make it an ideal and attractive destination for leading multinationals,” said H.H Sheikh Ahmed. “It is an important component in Dubai’s vision to provide a comprehensive platform that caters to the needs of aviation, air transport, commercial, and logistics businesses.”
“Nestlé has been the early mover to Dubai South having realized its potential as the economic platform for the future. They have leveraged our excellent infrastructure and ease of doing business to further grow their business. We’re delighted to see Nestlé growing stronger in the region,” said H.E. Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South.
“The Al-Maha factory underlines our commitment to our customers, our willingness to invest and create jobs, and our ambition to minimize our environmental impact,” said Marco Settembri. “This 530 Million Dirhams investment is Nestlé’s 18th production site in the Middle East and another milestone in our more than 80 years in this region. It shows our confidence in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates as a dynamic, stable and competitive business hub, and our long-term commitment to the people of the Middle East.”
The new factory employs 340 men and women stemming from 20 different nationalities. Sixty percent of the team is under 30 years old. Nestlé already operates two other factories in Dubai Investment Park, one for Nestlé Waters, and another – Nestlé Dubai Manufacturing – covering KITKAT, MACKINTOSH’s Quality Street, and NIDO products.
“Nestlé Al-Maha is yet another way for us to meet our commitment to the Middle East,” said Yves Manghardt, Chairman and CEO Nestlé Middle East FZE. “Manufacturing locally enables us to source locally, invest locally, make tailored products to better meet local needs, and serve communities in the region more rapidly and more effectively.”
The new factory already claims to have achieved outstanding results with regards to safety, with zero accidents during the construction period. It also met the stringent Nestlé quality standards from the very first production run.
Nestlé Al-Maha holds the Halal certification of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA). It runs on 100% LED lighting, is fully insulated to save air-conditioning energy, recycles 100 percent of waste from products and raw materials, reaching zero waste for landfill, implements water saving mechanisms, and has an ambition to operate on solar-generated power.
Starting 80 years back in 1934, with its first import operation in Lebanon, today Nestlé Middle East owns and operates 18 factories and provides direct employment to more than 11,000 people.
The Nestlé portfolio in the region currently spans dairy products and infant nutrition, bottled water, chocolate and confectionery, coffee creamers, breakfast cereals, and culinary products, among others.