Solico Group, a food manufacturer in the Middle East, has now increased its presence in the region by establishing SoFood, a Dhs130 million ($35.4 million) dedicated production plant in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.
The new location will also serve as the GCC innovation and global manufacturing center of the group, and it is the biggest investment Solico has made in the UAE to date.
The facility solidifies the status of the UAE as a high-value, export-based food production hub, as well as contributes to food manufacturing resilience in the region in the face of increased consumer demand.
The plant is located on a 5,000 square metre area with highly developed European technologies and a preliminary production capacity of up to 40 tonnes per day. Its modular nature enables the quick introduction of new food segments with a minimum operational inconvenience.
Founder and Group Chairman, Solico Group, Gholamali Soleimani, said, “The UAE has created one of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world for food manufacturing and economic diversification. This investment allows us to deepen our regional footprint, transfer our expertise into the UAE, and build manufacturing capability that will support food security for years to come. It is also a reflection of the values my family built this company on more than 50 years ago.”
Being the pioneer in the construction of a milk refinery plant in Central Asia, Solico Group will transfer its high-technology and innovative facilities to the UAE to provide production locally and subsequent growth.
However, the project will be mostly done in the country, which will assist the industrial growth of the country and enhance the manufacturing power locally.
The investment is a strategic move to value-added production infrastructure, replacing trading-based supply chains, and toward long-term food security targets.
The project was designed with scalability in mind and could substantially enhance its overall value to two to three times the initial amount of investment as the project grows.
The initial stage of operations will be on the production of meat and proteins under the flagship of the Solico brand Pemina, which will aid in large-scale distribution both within the GCC and the export market.
There will be other categories that will be introduced in the subsequent phases, such as cheese, dairy, premixes, and hotel-specific, airline, and food service client solutions in the form of sues and co-packed solutions.
These segments have been chosen due to the strong correlation with the food culture at the regional level, localization potential, and export relevance.
On top of the manufacturing, SoFood will also serve as the regional innovation centre of Solico Group, where products are designed with tastes specific to the Middle East, supply chains are shortened to enhance freshness, and employment, skills development, and knowledge transfer are locally supported.
In a response to investment, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, said, “Jafza continues to attract manufacturers that want to build for the region and export to the world. Solico’s decision to make its largest UAE investment here reflects the strength of Dubai’s industrial ecosystem, and we look forward to seeing it strengthen food security, create high-quality jobs, and support the UAE’s ambition to grow a competitive, value-added manufacturing sector.”
The concept of sustainability has been incorporated in all of the design and operations of the facility, such as energy and water efficient systems, waste minimisation processes, and adherence to ISO 22000, HACCP, Halal, and Dubai Municipality Grade A certifications.
The facility is situated in the ecosystem of DP World and thus has a direct connection to the global logistics corridors, which gives Solico Group access to over three billion consumers in the markets around the region, and the strategy in backing the UAE’s Make it in the Emirates industrial strategy.
