Kraft Foods opens largest multinational food and beverage plant in Bahrain

A high profiled audience attended the opening, including Bahrain figureheads and Kraft Foods executives from the US, Europe and Middle East and Africa, in addition to key distributors and suppliers. The auspicious event was officiated by HE Dr Hassan Fakhro, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and graced by HE Dr. Majeed Bin Mohsen Al Alawi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.

As one of the largest foreign food and beverage plants in the Middle East, the factory will be responsible for the production of 60,000 annual tones of Kraft cheese and powdered beverages for the Middle East and Africa region.

"The Bahrain facility is an important milestone in our Eastern Europe Middle East and Africa strategic plans. This region being of significant importance as an emerging market to Kraft Foods, our new state-of-the-art facility will enable us to increase our production and distribution efficiencies to cater for the growing Middle East and Africa market demands", said Maurizio Calenti, Group Vice President Kraft Foods and President of Kraft Foods Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"The state-of-the-art technology deployed throughout the facility enables the production of 60,000 tones of Kraft cheese and Tang products per year to cater specifically for consumer demands in this region. Each minute 100 jars of Tang, 250 jars of Cream Cheese Spread and 550 cans of Cheddar Cans Cheese pass through the production lines. The plant utilizes advanced manufacturing equipment from Germany and USA, which ensures world class quality and efficiency standards", said Andrew Travis, Kraft Foods Bahrain Plant Director.

The investment also presents growth opportunities on Bahrain's economic front. Currently operating on a 250-strong skilled labour force, and with the creation of more jobs in the near future, the new plant is expected to contribute $120m per year into Bahrain's economy through wages, raw and packaging material supply and shipping and distribution operations. At present 13.5% of the labour force are Bahraini nationals. This figure is expected to rise to 20% as the plant completes its hiring process.

Bahrain was selected as the ideal location to construct the Kraft Foods manufacturing plant due to its central location in the region, robust infrastructure and rapidly developing business sector.

"Bahrain is a strategic regional hub for Kraft Foods. Not only is it well- linked to key GCC and Middle East markets, it also has sound communications and transportation infrastructure as well a regulatory structure that encourages foreign investment and economic development," said Patrick Satamian, Area Director & Vice President, Middle East & Africa.