Dubai: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, on Tuesday received Walter Deplazes, the Consul General of Switzerland, and Yves Manghardt, chairman and CEO of Nestle Middle East.
The visit comes after Nestle’s CEO signed a partnership agreement with Dubai World Central (DWC) for a 175,000 square meter plot. An initial investment of over Dh500m has been earmarked by Nestle for the manufacturing facility for nutrition, culinary and coffee products.
Shaikh Ahmad said: “DWC offers strategic advantages that make it an ideal and attractive destination for leading multinationals. It is an important component in Dubai’s vision to provide a comprehensive platform that caters to the needs of aviation, air transport, commercial and logistics businesses. This partnership with Nestle reaffirms DWC’s role as a catalyst for growth and a new gateway for long-term economic and social development in Dubai and across the region.”
Manghardt said: “Nestle is committed to strengthening our presence in the Middle East markets. We will continue to invest in projects that enable us to better serve consumers in the region, while leveraging the strategic advantages of DWC and the UAE in general as a distribution and manufacturing base.”
Ability to adapt products
Hans Juergen Jung, technical director at Nestle, said: “Producing locally allows us to bring products faster and, therefore, fresher to consumers. This is a clear advantage we already experience with our many manufacturing plants in the Middle East. The construction of a new facility at Dubai World Central strengthens our local manufacturing capabilities, giving us more flexibility in adopting our products to local consumer preferences and using local and regional raw materials. This second production facility in Dubai will also open opportunities to gain synergies in our warehousing and logistics to serve the whole Middle East region.”
Nestle further revealed that the new facilities are expected to generate up to 800 additional jobs, thus complementing DWC’s commitment to reflecting the government strategy of Dubai and UAE in terms of economic and social development.
Executive chairman of the Dubai City of Aviation Establishment Khalifa Al Zafein said: “Being the Middle East’s first aerotropolis, Dubai World Central stands out as an important gateway to key markets in the Middle East and beyond. The partnership with Nestle further strengthens the reputation of DWC as a destination of choice among investors and businesses seeking to capitalise on its purpose-built aviation and logistics infrastructure. DWC will continue to explore more innovative ways to cultivate an environment that supports the growth plans of leading multinationals such as Nestle.”
Superior logistics infrastructure
Chief operating officer of Dubai City of Aviation Establishment Rashid Bu Qara’a said: “We are confident that Nestle will benefit from the multimodal transport and superior logistics infrastructure that Dubai World Central offers. The integrated logistics facilities and other complementary amenities have been designed to further enhance the efficiency and productivity of companies that deal with fast-moving consumer goods. We are confident that this partnership will open more exciting opportunities for growth and success for the Nestle brand in the local and regional markets.”
DWC has already attracted a number of global companies, including Aramex, Ehrhardt + Partner Solutions, Kuehne + Nagel, Schaefer Systems International, Panalpina, Hellmann Caliper, INL and RSA Logistics.
