Milking capacity to be augmented by a further USD100 million before year-end 2011

Dubai, UAE, 6 September, 2011: Al Rawabi Dairy Company, one of the leading producers of dairy products and fresh juices in the GCC, has announced an investment of $200 million as part of its ongoing expansion plans.

The dairy company, which currently serves Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, the Northern Emirates, Qatar and Oman, plans to extend its regional footprint to Bahrain and Kuwait, where it will replicate the business model it successfully runs in the UAE. Al Rawabi Dairy is also looking to invest a further USD100 million this year to further augment its milk production and processing capacity.

"We are constantly investing in new technology to maintain the best quality products; this year, we plan to expand our existing facilities with the addition of a world class milking parlor, yard and cooling system. We are also looking to increase the number of our cows to a total of 10,000 from the current count of 7000 by 2012," said Dr. Ahmed Eltigani Abdul Rahim, General Manager, Al Rawabi Dairy Company.  

Over the last two decades, Al Rawabi has grown remarkably to become one of the leading producers of milk products in the region - retaining more than a third of its domestic market. The company's success has been largely driven by its focus on quality, innovation and freshness.

"Our dairy farm and processing plant are located next to each other; so getting the milk from cows to the processing plants takes only minutes which gives us the unique advantage of delivering farm-fresh dairy products to consumers on a daily basis," Eltijani added. 

Al Rawabi was listed among the strongest 40 brands in the Arab world by Forbes magazine. The company has achieved all of the top quality benchmarks including the ISO 22000 HACCP Food Safety Management System.

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About Al-Rawabi Dairy Company (http://www.alrawabidairy.com/eng):
Launched in 1990, Al Rawabi Dairy Co. was the first brand to pack fresh milk in plastic bottles, an instant hit with the consumers which inspired the entire industry to follow suit. It was also the first dairy company to introduce 100% natural juices before others in the region followed. The dairy product range of Al Rawabi extends from fresh milk - full cream, half cream, double cream, low fat milk, skimmed, flavored milk to laban, Yoghurt (Robivia), and a range of functional health drink (B-Activ). Al Rawabi juice drinks and desserts are also very popular with consumers.

Within the first few years of operation, the company grew tremendously to become the foremost producer of milk and milk products in Dubai. The rapid growth of the company has to a large extent been related to its obsession with quality - the animal healthcare, temperature control at the sheds, the milking techniques, the artificial insemination and embryo transfer programmes are amongst the best in the industry. At every stage of the processing of the milk, dairy products and fresh juices, quality standards are stringently adhered to; ensuring that every bottle/pack that leaves the factory meets the exceptional Al Rawabi quality mark. The company's drive to make staff more quality conscious through intensive staff training, implementing new systems and deploying first-rate information technology has paid off with the ISO 22000 Certification and HACCP accreditation.

The increasing demand for fresh juices in the country prompted Al Rawabi to introduce AI Rawabi Orange Juice and later on, mango juice and fruit cocktail, which have since become extremely popular amongst the health conscious consumers.  Through an effective mix of quality products, Al Rawabi has been able to establish itself as the market leader in the UAE and Oman supplying to over 9000 outlets in the region. AI Rawabi products are available in the UAE, Oman and Qatar.

For more information contact:
Toju Ogbe
Program Director
BPG PR
Level 6 MAF Tower Deira City Center
PO Box 3294 Dubai UAE
T +971 4 295 3456 Ext 302
F +971 4 295 1027
M +971 50 104 5113
toju@batespangulf.com
www.batespangulf.com

© Press Release 2011