Gulf Construction Online - Dubai to set up $1.5bn hi-tech food park

UAE Focus

Dubai to set up $1.5bn hi-tech food park

01 August 2017

Dubai is set to build a giant food park on a 48-million-sq-ft area near the Expo 2020 site at an estimated cost of Dh5.5 billion ($1.5 billion). The first-of-its-kind project is aimed at boosting the emirate’s status as a regional hub for the food sector.

A modern and integrated facility that provides all food-related services under one umbrella, Dubai Food Park is the latest addition to Dubai Wholesale City, a global integrated wholesale trading hub and member of Tecom Group.

The project is in close proximity to Dubai South, only 10 minutes away from Al Maktoum International Airport and Expo 2020 Dubai site and a 15 minutes-drive from Jebel Ali Free Zone. The strategic location of the project adds to the attractiveness of the investment opportunities it offers, said Abdulla Al Habbai, the chairman of Dubai Holding at a key brifing on the project.

The park will benefit from Dubai’s world-class infrastructure for land, marine and air transport; and is set to play a vital role in supporting food security in the country, said Al Habbai. It seeks to offer all categories of food-related services, including modern infrastructure and ancillary services.

The park is also set to provide a range of comprehensive governmental services including customs, clearance, licensing, food safety and supervision all under one roof. Al Habbai pointed out that the food park was being established in Dubai to meet the growing demand of the food sector in the UAE and the region, triggered by population growth and the development of the tourism sector.

“There is an increased need for specialised logistical services that ease supply chain costs, as well as for more dedicated spaces to accommodate the fast growing operations of food companies in Dubai,” he observed.

Dubai Food Park includes a central wholesale market that serves the retail, hospitality and food service sector, a logistics area, an area for complementary services such as packing, repacking, and processing, and a dedicated area for handling packaged goods.

It will also host employees’ accommodation, in addition to hotels, financial services, a centre for integrated government services and recycling organic waste. With these features and facilities, the park will be a world-class eco-friendly business community.

Abdulla Belhoul, the CEO of Dubai Wholesale City, said: “Through this project, we seek to provide an advanced infrastructure that meets the current and future needs of this robust sector. The park is designed to meet the highest global standards to ensure efficiency of operations and ease of procedures.”