UAE gets new chocolate factory

UAE gets new chocolate factory

Global confectioner opens its new facility in the UAE in presence of Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

May 26, 2010 3:15 by Samuel Potter

Mars GCC today opened its new chocolate bars factory in Dubai. With an investment of over US $40 million dollars, the factory will produce Mars and Snickers bars for the GCC markets.

The opening celebration was inaugurated by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Dubai World and attended by Salma Hareb – Chief Executive Officer, Economic Zones World and numerous Government officials and business partners.

“I’d like to congratulate Mars on this momentous milestone, another key step towards leveraging Dubai’s ideal location as a significant market and distribution hub,” said Salma Hareb. “We at Jafza share your commitment to excellence through consistently serving customers better. I am sure that this new venture will meet with the same high measures of success that Mars globally stands for.”

“Mars GCC has been experiencing double digit growth year on year since the beginning of the decade,” said Ahmed Bayoumi, General Manager of Mars GCC. “In 2009 Mars GCC net sales exceeded $450 million. We are pleased that consumer demand in the Middle East has and continues to generate opportunities for stable long term growth. This has led to the investment of more than $100 million in our manufacturing unit since 1998. We are committed to strengthening our position as the leading chocolate manufacturer in the Middle East and our increased presence in GCC will help us achieve this growth by supporting consumer and customer needs in the region.”

The new manufacturing facility has been developed using environmentally friendly building material and initiatives to reduce energy consumption and included an expansion of the waste water treatment plant which will reduce the factory’s impact on the environment, says a release.