Dubai’s DP World, one of the biggest port operators globally, has signed two development projects with multinational agricultural commodity processors Adroit Canada and Al Amir Foods.
The development projects will see an estimated investment of AED200 million in Jebel Ali’s food and agriculture-focused terminal, as part of the UAE’s wider strategy to address food insecurity.
The 2051 strategy aims to achieve zero hunger worldwide through five goals focusing on “facilitating global food trade, diversifying food import sources, and identifying alternative supply schemes.”
The projects will enhance year-round availability and production of essential grains and pulses, adding that the concessions with these two companies “will ensure a reliable, consistent, and safe agricultural value chain within the region.”
The two facilities will be built on a quayside plot of nearly 100,000 sqm, where the companies have leased an area of 61,000 sqm.
The facilities will operate in a singular eco-system for bulk silo storage and agri-processing and will be fully operational in two years.
DP World will also invest in “technologically advanced grain and pulses automated material handling and ferrying systems as part of the project,” the statement said.
“We look forward to amplifying trade for the UAE and the Middle East by enabling agri-trade and through our new developments in the Jebel Ali Port. Our flagship port has continually reaffirmed its leading position as a strategic trade and logistics hub,” DP World UAE’s chief executive officer and managing director, Abdulla bin Damithan explained.
Damithan said that once the facilities become fully operational, increased trade volumes and investments would be the result for the port, adding that they hope to support the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative and ‘Operation 300bn’ strategy of the nation.
DP World’s terminal at the Jebel Ali port has positioned the emirate as the gateway for global trade in the food and beverage sector.
Backed by double-digit growth in exports, Dubai’s external foodstuff trade jumped 11 percent year on year to reach AED57 billion in 2021 compared to AED51.4 billion in 2020, the statement said.
Adroit Canada’s chief executive officer, Yogesh Raipuria said that the port’s location, combined with the company’s expertise in delivering end-to-end services across the supply chain, “will undoubtedly amplify our business.”
Through the Jebel Ali port’s seamless trade facilities, Al Amir Foods’ managing director, Yasin Abdul Majid Ranani, said the facility would help meet the growing demands of the pulses market.
He added that the port’s “extensive logistics network and DP World’s comprehensive digital platforms to expedite our global agri-food and pulse trade” would contribute to the F&B trade globally.
The statement said that the agri-facilities would contribute to Dubai’s economic growth and enhance Jebel Ali’s position as a regional trade hub.
Once operational, the facilities are said to contribute to Dubai’s strategic plan of boosting foreign trade by AED2 trillion.
The facilities are expected to account for annual trade of over AED 900 million. In addition, they will benefit from “multimodal connectivity, reduced logistics costs, a seamless business environment and access to over 3.5 billion consumers.”
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