LONDON: The Dubai government on Wednesday unveiled the blueprint for Dubai Food Park (DFP). The park is the first destination in the Middle East dedicated to serving the food sector and will be developed at a cost of $1.5 billion.
According to UAE state media agency WAM, DFP aims to enhance Dubai's position as a regional hub for food trade, import, export and re-export of foodstuffs.
DFP is being positioned as a one-stop shop for the food sector and will assist with a range of government services such as customs, clearance, licensing, food safety and supervision. It is located in Dubai Wholesale City (DWSC) and will occupy 48 million square feet, within 10 minutes drive from Al Maktoum International Airport and 15 minutes from Jebel Ali.
The DFP announcement comes at a time when the UAE’s food trade sector makes up 11 per cent of its GDP. The country imports about 85 per cent of its foodstuff needs, according to government statistics. The yearly current cost of importing food is about $100bn and is set to rise more than four-fold to over $400bn by 2025 as the population grows, according to the Ministry of Economy.
The park will span over 48 million square feet within DWSC, the largest wholesale hub in the world occupying 550 million square feet that will take shape over a 10-year period at an estimated cost of $8.2 billion.
DFP will fall under the supervision and responsibility of Abdulla Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Wholesale City.
Speaking about the project, Belhoul said, "DFP has been established to meet the increased need for specialised logistical services to reduce supply chain costs.
“The park will be a one-stop destination for government, administrative and logistical services related to food wholesale, import, export and re-export."