Media Centre

With internationally renowned manufacturers already up-and-running and others breaking ground in the neighboring Industrial Valley (IV), King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has signed on as “Trade Partner” for the 20th annual Gulfood exhibition set to take place in Dubai on February 8–12, 2015.

The five-day gathering will be attended by high-profile food industry executives representing 4800 top leading food manufactures and logistics from 120 countries and more than 80,000 visitors from all over the world.

KAEC’s highly visible presence at the world’s biggest annual food and hospitality show provides the economic city with the opportunity to reaffirm its position as the region’s new logistics hub for six industrial clusters including the FMCG/Food cluster, which has already attracted 93 major international and local companies to invest in KAEC’s Industrial Valley due to its unrivaled strategic advantages.

“Our proximity to King Abdullah Port and easy access to the whole of the Arabian Peninsula makes KAEC’s Industrial Valley an excellent location for food companies looking to expand across the region,” explained Mr. Fahd Al-Rasheed, Group CEO and Managing Director of KAEC. “As KAEC and the IV continue to grow, we want to make sure that manufacturers are aware of the tremendous advantages we offer to the growth of their business.” Mr. Al-Rasheed went on to point out that KAEC’s participation in this unique event aims at enhancing the international competitiveness of the Saudi market and supporting the long term strategic plans adopted by the government to diversify the national economy and reduce dependency on oil as a source of national income.

Adding his comments, Mr. Rayan Qutub, CEO of the Industrial Valley in KAEC: “In addition to providing easy access to the Saudi market via road and rail, establishing manufacturing operations in the Industrial Valley also opens the door to East African markets. King Abdullah Port is already servicing both arriving and departing cargo vessels, making the Red Sea’s new food logistics and manufacturing hub an unparalleled platform for growth in the region.” He added:”KAEC’s IV also offers a dedicated “clean zone” for food manufacturers and is already home to such household names as MARS, Almarai, Danone, Halawani Bros, Al Kabeer, Abdullah Abbar & Sons, and many other leading businesses.”

Having already enjoyed tremendous success at Dubai’s Gulfood Manufacturing exhibition in November 2014, for Gulfood 2015 KAEC has a highly visible booth located in the exhibition center’s main concourse.
On the second day of the Gulfood event, KAEC is hosting a networking executive briefing session where potential investors can ask questions and receive immediate answers regarding KAEC and the rapidly developing Industrial Valley, as well as all other aspects of Saudi Arabia’s and the region’s new residential and business hub. In addition, on the third day KAEC will be participating in three conferences accompanying the exhibition: the World Food Security Summit, the Halal Investment Conference and the Food Franchising Forum.

The Industrial Valley extends over an area of 55 million square meters, which constitutes nearly one-third of the total area of King Abdullah Economic City as it focuses on 6 industry clusters; Pharmaceuticals, FMCG, Logistics, Plastics and Building Materials and Automotive. The direct link between the Industrial Valley and King Abdullah Port in KAEC makes the IV a global logistical hub and an access point to reach 250 million consumers in the Middle East and North Africa. “The Village” is special fully-equipped facility enabling investors to locate workers and labors in the IV. With a reliable infrastructure and world-class facilities, the second phase of the IV occupies an area of 28 million square meters, and the land plots are available as freehold or by lease.