Sheikh Mohammed visits Al Barakah, world’s largest dates factory

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today visited Al Barakah Dates Factory, the world’s largest privately owned dates factory, spanning more than 800,000 square feet. 

Located in Dubai Industrial City, the facility has an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes and its products are exported to 97 countries. 

Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE will continues to invest in innovation, modern production systems and competitive supply chains to position its food sector among the most advanced globally. 

He stressed that the dates industry is a model for transforming the country’s agricultural heritage into a modern, value-added sector that supports economic growth and strengthens food security. 

“We continue to invest in vital sectors that directly impact people’s lives, foremost among them food,” he said. “We are working to develop our national industries to be more globally competitive by adopting advanced technologies, improving production efficiency and opening new markets for our products.”

He added that dates are an integral part of the UAE’s identity and heritage, and that their development reflects a vision to turn local resources into sustainable economic opportunities. 

Sheikh Mohammed also highlighted the country’s humanitarian initiatives linked to food production, including efforts to address malnutrition and improve quality of life in communities worldwide. 

During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by the factory’s founder, businessman Salim Mohammed, and its director Yousef Salim Mohammed, on production lines and processing stages, from sorting and packaging to the manufacturing of derivative products such as date syrup, paste and powder.

He also reviewed the factory’s export markets, with the United States emerging as the leading destination for processed date products used in the food industry, followed by the United Kingdom and European Union countries. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, India and Indonesia are among the top markets for packaged dates.

The visit was attended by Malek Al Malek, Chairman of TECOM Group, which oversees Dubai Industrial City, one of the emirate’s key industrial hubs. Established in 2004, the zone now hosts more than 350 factories and employs over 17,000 people, playing a central role in supporting manufacturing and supply chains.

Strategically located near Jebel Ali Port, Al Maktoum International Airport and the Etihad Rail freight network, Dubai Industrial City provides direct access to regional and global markets, helping manufacturers scale operations and streamline distribution.

Al Barakah Dates Factory, founded in the 1990s after its founder began trading food products in Dubai in 1983, has grown into a leading example of private sector success in food manufacturing, combining traditional produce with modern processing technologies to reach international markets.