According to Maurizio Brusadelli, EVP and president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa of Mondelēz, the region is a priority for the company.
“This site is our second major investment in the Kingdom over the past 10 years, further strengthening Bahrain’s position as a strategic business hub and contributing to national economic growth,” he said.
The $90m facility – with an annual capacity of 90,000 tons – will constitute one of Mondelēz most technologically advanced manufacturing sites in the world, equipped with the latest process technology and manufacturing controls.
The plant is located on a 250,000m2 (270,000ft²) plot – the equivalent of 30 football fields – at the Bahrain International Investment Park in Hidd and is currently set to produce the company’s Power Brands, including Orea cookies and Barni cakes.
It will later add Ritz Crackers, belVita, Prince and TUC biscuits to its product list.
Construction of the Mondelēz Bahrain Biscuits factory started in February 2016 and was opened earlier this week under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and other dignitaries.
Mondelēz’s commitment to MEA
The $26bn American company has injected more than $250m into the local economy since building its $75m Kraft Cheese and Tang powdered beverage plant in Bahrain in 2008, employing over 200 people directly in the plant and supporting thousands of indirect jobs.
“When the new development project reaches peak production it will employ more than 300 people, hiring across capabilities including manufacturing, sales and marketing, procurement and logistics,” said Bahrain’s Commerce and Tourism Ministry in a statement.
“Mondelēz’s investment in this new plan t is a clear demonstration of the company’s continued confidence in Bahrain as a location for high value added manufacturing. It is also a recognition of the regional growth opportunities that can be seized from Bahrain.”