Dubai Industrial City attracts more than AED 350 million F&B investments in 2024
Dubai Industrial City attracted more than AED 350 million in investments from the food and beverage (F&B) sector in 2024, the region's leading industrial and logistics ecosystem announced on the side-lines of Gulfood, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre on 17-21 February.
Reflecting the regional sector's growth, Dubai Industrial City, one of TECOM Group PJSC's 10 business districts, attracted more than 25 F&B customers leasing 1.7 million sq.ft. of high-quality industrial spaces in 2024, reaffirming business confidence in Dubai's position as a hub for innovation and market expansion.
'Localised manufacturing is essential to drive socioeconomic prosperity through the F&B sector,' said Saud Abu Alshawareb, Executive Vice President of Industrial at TECOM Group, on behalf of Dubai Industrial City. 'We must nurture holistic value chains to underpin the sustainable growth and long-term security of our food stock, in line with the long-term goals of the UAE's National Food Security Strategy 2051. Dubai Industrial City's sector-specific infrastructure and nurturing environment are geared to facilitate this growth, contributing to the overarching goals of Operation 300bn and Make it in the Emirates.
'We are fostering innovation and supporting F&B business growth from our city to the world, in our alignment with the Dubai Economic Agenda 'D33', and will continue to enable their long-term contributions for future generations.'
Landmark investments
Notable F&B investments at Dubai Industrial City last year included Silver Line Gate Group's (SLG Group) integrated hub, to produce more than 100,000 tonnes of dairy products, including milk product and butter, each year. SLG Group has commenced construction on the manufacturing, warehouse, and corporate office facility that will open this year.
Pure Ice Cream, the manufacturer of brands such as Kwality Ice Creams and Hershey's Ice Cream, also signed a musataha agreement in 2024 to launch a production facility at Dubai Industrial City. The facility will be among the UAE's largest ice cream factories upon launch in 2026, increasing Pure Ice Cream's annual capacity by 300%.
Dubai Industrial City is located close to Al Maktoum International Airport, Jebel Ali Port, an Etihad Rail freight terminal, and key regional roadways. Its strategic proximity to essential transport networks, alongside an intelligent masterplan featuring six sector-specific zones, nurture the circular economy by eliminating waste and encouraging resource-sharing.
The district's newly attracted F&B investments reflect the appeal of Dubai Industrial City's sector-specific infrastructure, including land and storage and logistics spaces, to accelerate industry growth. Dubai Industrial City also signed a strategic partnership with the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) during the launch of its Make Brilliance global awareness campaign in 2023 to promote advanced manufacturing and sustainable practices in the F&B and agriculture sectors.
More than 1,100 local, regional, and international manufacturing champions, including Asmak, Patchi, Al Barakah Dates, and Sokovo are among the customers based at Dubai Industrial City, alongside more than 350 operational factories. Together, this community of manufacturing giants produces over 70 megawatts in clean energy each year, with the district's environmental contributions further benefiting from Dubai Industrial City's memorandum of understanding with global technology company Siemens. Signed during Dubai Industrial City's 20th anniversary celebrations in 2024, the agreement seeks to nurture industrial efficiencies to enable long-term sustainable development.
Dubai Industrial City is part of TECOM Group's portfolio of business districts that include Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Design District (d3), and Dubai Science Park.
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