Mondelez inaugurates $90m 'factory of the future' in Bahrain
The biscuit manufacturing plant produces the company's power brands, including Oreo cookies and Barni soft cakes, for local consumers and serves as a hub for exports to the Gulf region, the Levant and Africa, reducing delivery costs and improving product freshness.
The 250,000 square meter manufacturing facility is about the size of 30 soccer fields with production capacity of nearly 45,000 tonnes per year. This new plant is located alongside Mondelez International’s existing manufacturing site, which has been producing Kraft cheese and Tang powdered beverages since 2008.
A strategic business hub
The inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, H.E. Zayed R. Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism; Daniel Myers, executive vice president, Integrated Supply Chain, Mondelez International; Maurizio Brusadelli, EVP & president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Mondelez International; and distinguished VIP guests and members of the news media.
“The Middle East and Africa are priority markets for us, and we’re confident in our selection of Bahrain as the preferred location for our plant, due to its business-friendly environment, skilled local workforce and excellent transport links, all of which will be instrumental to the success of our growth plans,” said Brusadelli. “We thank the Government of Bahrain for their continued support. This site is our second major investment in the Kingdom over the past 10 years, further strengthening Bahrain’s position as a strategic business hub and contributing to national economic growth.”
Myers added: "This investment in Bahrain is a great example of how we’re building a world-class supply chain, with 'factories of the future' in strategic locations around the world designed to simplify operations, increase flexibility, improve productivity and meet the growth demands of our power brands.
“We’re keenly focused on winning with our consumers and customers, as we simplify and modernize our operations and production capacity. We’re making our company more nimble and efficient, creating the fuel we need to invest in our brands and our people – our most important assets – and deliver sustainable, profitable growth for our shareholders.”
The new plant takes advantage of the region’s highly skilled and educated local workforce. The site creates about 150 direct jobs and helps sustain over 12,000 more indirect jobs in the local economy through its two plants.
