Al Dahra Holding and Abu Dhabi Ports have launched the Gulf region’s largest and only rice factory of its kind at Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad) in the UAE capital.

Owned by Al Dahra Kohinoor, a subsidiary of Al Dahra Holding, the factory spans a total area of 100,106 sq m at Kizad and will be handling the full production cycle of rice that includes milling, storage, packaging as well as distribution within the UAE and exporting to foreign markets via the adjacent Khalifa Port.

The Dh140-million ($38 million) facility will produce up to 120,000 metric tonnes of rice per annum with 40 silos; each boasting a 750-ton capacity. It also features storage facilities with a capacity of 8,000 tonnes, a processing unit, in addition to administrative offices and support facilities. Moreover, the company aims to create a strategic rice reserve in Abu Dhabi of about 30,000 metric tonnes.

Khadim Abdulla Al Darei, vice chairman and managing director of Al Dahra Holding, said: “Being the largest in the region and the only factory of its kind that utilises full automation of rice production, Al Dahra Kohinoor will benefit greatly from its strategic location at Kizad and proximity to Khalifa Port which will help it sustain the supply of high quality products to customers in affordable prices. Al Dahra Kohinoor strategically supports the vision of our wise leadership to achieve food security in Abu Dhabi, which reflects our commitment to boosting the industrial sector in order to diversify the economy in line with Abu Dhabi’s strategic plan for economic development.”

The factory will benefit from a vertically integrated supply chain that guarantees the sourcing of the finest quality Basmati and non-Basmati rice from India and Pakistan.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, who attended the launch, commented: “Launching Al Dahra Kohinoor’s factory at Kizad is a monumental achievement that significantly contributes to the long-term vision of the Abu Dhabi Government to achieve food supply security and sustainability. Kizad plays a vital role in the realisation of this vision and promoting local food produce as it offers a purpose-built infrastructure that strategically connects businesses with regional and international consumers through Khalifa Port and other major transportation networks in Abu Dhabi.”

“Within the food production industry, Kizad has achieved remarkable progress by attracting some of the biggest names in the industry along Al Dahra Holding. I would like to congratulate Al Dahra Holding on their new milestone and look forward to working together to encourage more local production of food,” he added.

Al Dahra Holding is a prominent leader in agribusiness; specialising in the cultivation, production and trading of animal feed and essential human food commodities such as rice, flour, fruits and vegetables. The group owns and operates a large asset base including a land bank of 200 thousand acres, eight forage pressing and production plants, four rice milling plants and two flour milling plants.

With an annual production capacity of 2 million metric tonnes, Al Dahra Feed Division caters for the needs of the dairy industry and cattle growers. The group owns and operates a large portfolio of forage cultivation lands, processing and baling facilities in the US, Spain, South Africa, Egypt and Pakistan. It further operates a major forage sourcing, trading and distribution hub out of Italy. Through diversified geographic presence, Al Dahra continues to execute on its all-year supply strategy, offering the highest quality feed to strategic markets such as Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Al Dahra has made considerable investments in the production, packaging and marketing of grains. With a stake in Kohinoor Foods, a leading rice producer in India and a fully owned subsidiary in Pakistan, Al Dahra is a key player in the rice supply and trading business with four rice mills and about 400,000 tonnes annual production capacity. In addition, Al Dahra is a shareholder in Loulis Mills, an expert in wheat milling and flour production based in Greece, producing more than 200,000 tonnes of flour annually. As part of its fruits and vegetables offering, Al Dahra cultivates wheat, potatoes, corn and various citrus fruits in Egypt in addition to dates in Namibia and the UAE and olives in Morocco. It has also entered into partnership with Rudnap group for apples cultivation in Serbia and with Albert Bartlett group based in the UK for the cultivation of potatoes.