UAE – Al Ghurair Foods is currently developing a new poultry farm at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad), marking the first of three large-scale food processing projects aimed at enhancing the UAE’s food production capabilities and security.
The 680,000-square-metre facility, which spans over 7.2 square kilometres, is expected to become operational in 2025, creating employment opportunities for more than 200 individuals.
This initiative is part of a 50-year lease agreement between Al Ghurair Foods and Kezad Group, signed in April last year, with Al Ghurair committing over Dh1 billion (US$272M) in investment.
The poultry farm will focus on broilers, chickens raised specifically for meat production, and will be followed by a starch processing plant—the first of its kind in the region—and another project in the Abu Dhabi Food Hub at Kezad.
John Iossifidis, CEO of Al Ghurair, states that the new farm will allow the company to meet the growing demand for high-quality poultry products in the UAE.
The nation aims to boost the contribution of food and agriculture to its economy by US$10B and create 20,000 jobs over the next five years, according to Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy.
Sustainable farming methods are also being introduced, such as vertical farming by Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company Masdar and Dubai’s Emirates Airline, as well as a portable farm from Abu Dhabi University.
The food industry in Abu Dhabi is a significant contributor to the emirate’s economy, accounting for about 36% of the UAE’s food processing sector, according to the Industrial Development Bureau.
Despite chicken being a staple in the UAE, domestic production is not meeting rising demand.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service forecasts a 3% increase in chicken meat imports in 2024, with production expected to rise by 7% this year due to improved margins, and consumption increasing by 3%.
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