Kraft Foods, Olayan expand biscuit facility in Saudi Arabia

Kraft Foods, in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Olayan, has completed the SAR60m ($15.99m) expansion of its biscuit manufacturing facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The project has been taken up to meet the increasing demand for Kraft’s Nabisco branded products such as Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers and Belvita biscuits in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

The expanded facility spans over 8,500m² and nearly doubles the plant’s existing production capacity.

It features environmentally-friendly refrigerant gas air-conditioning units as well as infrastructural improvements that maximise the floor space utlisation and offer improved ergonomics in equipment usage.

Kraft Foods Middle East and Africa president Lawrence MacDougall said the latest investment reflects the popularity of Nabisco brands.

"Saudi Arabia is one of our strategic markets in the Middle East and Africa region," MacDougall added.

The Damman plant, which is known as Nabisco Arabia, is a joint venture between Kraft Foods and Olayan. Olayan Financing Company consumer products division president Jean Marc Delpon De Vaux said the success of the joint business relationship led Olayan to invest in doubling the capacity of the plant.

In the GCC region, Kraft Foods produces and markets products such as Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, Flake chocolate bars, Trident gum, Ritz crackers, Barni snacks, and Oreo cookies.

Olayan is a major international investor and leading diversified business in the Middle East, and it operates or participates in more than 40 companies, often in partnership with leading multinationals.

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Image: The expanded Dammam facility in Saudi Arabia will help Kraft Foods meet the growing demand for its Nabisco products, such as Oreo cookies, in the region. Photo: Evan-Amos.