Dubai, Mar 21, 2006 (WAM) - Mecca Cola, one of the Arab world's bestknown home-grown brands announced today that it will set up its firststate-of-the-art "Mecca Cola Industrial Park" at Dubai Industrial City(DI) in September 2007.
An agreement to this effect was signed in Dubai by Tawfik Mathlouthi,Chairman and Chief Executive of the Mecca Cola Group, and Khaled Al Malik,Senior Vice President of Industry and Knowledge of Tatweer.
The Mecca Cola Group will develop the park inside the 300,000 squarefeet Dubai Industrial City's Food & Beverage Zone, according toa press release.
"Dubai and Dubai Industrial City offer an exceptionally business-friendlyenvironment for our new venture. While Dubai city offers unmatchableworld-class communications, lifestyle and business networking facilitiesDubai Industrial City provides pro-active business support and infrastructure,"said Tawfik Mathlouthi, Chairman and CEO of the Mecca Cola Group.
The Mecca Cola Industrial Park will feature production units such asa PET bottling plant, a can-filling plant, a packaging plant for the Group'sother fast moving consumer goods as well as a flavor manufacturing plant.
Meanwhile, the Group is diversifying its business by launching two newbrands - "Mecca Cafe", a chain of coffee shops and 'Mecca Power".
Welcoming the Mecca Cola Group to Dubai Industrial City, Al Malik saidthat the powerful "Mecca" brand will add value to Dubai's global offering.
"The Mecca Cola brand is increasingly gaining popularity throughout theIslamic world and has a reputation worldwide. We are pleased to host theGroup's first large scale manufacturing and production facility in DI,"Al Malik said.
The establishment of the Mecca Cola Industrial Park comes in the backgroundof rapid growth in the food and beverage industry both locally and regionally.
"High oil prices, surplus budgetary incomes, the ongoing economic boomand expanding opportunities are boosting consumer purchasing power. Allthis is having an extremely favorable impact on the food and beveragesector, making it one of the fastest growing and most profitable," AlMalik said.
The Mecca Cola Group is assured of high growth as the GCC and MENA regionconstitutes products market in the world with 35 million and 100 millionconsumers respectively.
"With Dubai being linked to all markets in the region by road, sea andair, accessing this vast market becomes easier for Mecca Cola," Al Malikpointed out.
The Mecca Cola Group is the latest major industrial venture to join DubaiIndustrial City. Previously announced ventures include the Al Attar Aluminumand Glass Factory, Al Wasit Machinery's construction equipment assemblyplant.
DI is actively involved in raising quality standards in the industrialsector. Recently, it established 'Maqayees', Dubai Centre for IndustrialStandards, which will set the operational performance standards for industriesand related institutions operating from the city.
