Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai; HH Sheikh Saeed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, yesterday officially inaugurated Nestlé Middle East’s new factory in Dubai TechnoPark.

Paul Bulcke, Nestlé Chief Executive Officer; Frits van Dijk, Executive Vice President and Zone Director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East; and Yves Manghardt, Chairman and CEO for Nestlé Middle East, also attended the event.

Mr Bulcke said: “Nestlé has been present in the Middle East for 75 years, bringing meaningful value to society at large by sourcing locally, creating new local employment, offering nutritious products and helping in the further development of the region.

“By opening our new facility in Dubai – our regional headquarters – we will be closer to our consumers in the region and can better adapt our products to their needs and preferences. The Middle East region is a very important part of the Nestlé business and our continued commitment and ongoing investments demonstrate our confidence in the region.”

Spread over an area of 1.02 million square feet, the 515,000 square foot facility – which currently employs 555 people – specialises in the manufacturing, canning and packaging of different Nestlé brands including Nido powder milk, Kit Kat chocolate and Nestlé Pure Life bottled water.

With the Middle East identified as a region with tremendous growth potential for Nestlé, the Company has made sufficient provision to expand the operations to meet growing market demands for the next few years.
Yves Manghardt, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Middle East, pointed out that the new Nestlé confectionery factory, the first built in over a decade, is set to become the third largest Kit Kat plant worldwide.

He said: “With such a facility we will be able to meet the fast rising regional demand and eventually contemplate exporting to other regions. This investment shows the clear commitment of the Nestlé Group to the expansion of our activities here in the region.”

Since early 2009, the new facility has been home to the Nestlé’s Regional Microbiological Laboratory. The state-of-the-art unit – specialising in the analysis of salmonella – is used as a training facility for various government bodies in the United Arab Emirates.

Nestlé Middle East also recently created an advanced Sensory Lab Unit for Renovation-Innovation of Products in Al Quoz, Dubai. Equipped with cutting-edge sensory technology and facilities, it serves as a centre of expertise for sensory profiling analyses on shelf stable dairy products, coffee and confectionery.

Nestlé Middle East has invested more than USD 400 million in the region since it was founded in 1997, which owns and operates 17 factories and 37 offices, and employs more than 7,000 people. These capital investments have contributed heavily to creating local jobs, enhancing technological and manufacturing capabilities, and fostering national economies around the region.

In 2009, the Nestlé business in the region contributed around USD 1.4 billion to the Group’s turnover.

Other brands under the Nestlé umbrella in the Middle East include Nido, Cerelac, Nescafé, Maggi and Nesquik.

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