(22 December 2018)
Abu Dhabi-UAE: 22December, 2018 – ZonesCorp, one of the largest developers of purpose-built economic zones in the UAE, announced a new agreement with Saudi Arabia’sBerain Water to build a 36,000-square-metre water bottling plant in the food industryzoneofAl Ain Industrial City.
The food manufacturing sector in Abu Dhabi has witnessed remarkable growth over the past few years as a result ofthe booming domestic market and growing exports. Boasting strong logistics networks and a strategic location, the emirate has built state-of-the-art capabilities inproducing competitive and value-added products, emerging as one of the most important food manufacturing and processing hubs in the region.
Speaking on the occasion, His Excellency Saeed Eisa Mohammed Al Khyeli, Director General of ZonesCorp, said: “The UAE and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong historic relations, and our latest partnership with the Saudi company Berain Water testifies to the strength of those ties. We are pleasedand proud that BerainWater has chosen ZonesCorpas itspartner, and look forward to a long and successful relationship.”
He added: “At ZonesCorp, we have succeeded in diversifying our portfolio within the economic zones to include the food industry.Our partnership with Berain Water demonstrates the level of support we can provide companies from Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC regioninexpanding their businessesinto the UAE market. Over the last 14 years, ZonesCorp has been instrumental in enablingthe region’s businesses toexpand quickly and efficiently. Moreover, due to the concertedefforts of our staff, these companies have also integrated and well and contributed significantly to the Abu Dhabi community.”
For his part, Eng Mahdi Nasser Al-Qahtani, CEO of Berain Water, said: “We are happy to announce the investment of AED138,000,000 in a water bottling facility in Al Ain Industrial City with the complete support of theAbu Dhabi government and ZonesCorp.Set to commence operations in Q12020, the plant will produce around 70,000 200-600 ml bottles or 27,000 1.5-litre bottlesper hour. The facility will also create424 employment opportunities in manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sales. This may increase to 807 jobs within two years with the addition of new production lines in 2021 as we start exporting to the rest of the GCC region.”
EngAl-Qahtani added that the facility will be able to handle the production of bottled water and other beverages in various types ofpackaging, such as glass and plastic bottles, in addition to manufacturing bottles and plastic caps.
In closing, he said: “ZonesCorp presented itself as an attractive partner in this venture. As the largest operator of purpose-built economic zones in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the organisation is thoroughly familiar with client needs and can collaboratewith us to create an attractive work environment. Its strategic locations and infrastructure enable ZonesCorp to providecomprehensive and integrated services, and offerfull professional support from the first day of operations.”
ZonesCorp has developed dedicated zonesforthe food industry that span sizeable areas in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The two cities currently host several operational facilities, ranging from medium to large factories,that produce bottled drinking water, soft drinks, dates, animal feed, poultry products, dairy products and other food items.