ABU DHABI, 8th December, 2021 (WAM) — Silal, Abu Dhabi’s fresh produce and agritech company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agthia Group PJSC (Agthia) to construct 10 grain silos by the end of 2022.
These will be located at Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, with a total capacity of 200K MT, and store multiple varieties of critical grains, such as wheat, barley, and corn.
Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, CEO of Silal, and Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Agthia Group, signed the MoU at a ceremony on the sidelines of SIAL Middle East, in which Silal is the key sponsor. The signing ceremony was attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi. Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi, and Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, as well as senior officials from both organisations.
The silos, which are among the largest in the UAE with significant volume and capacity, will be considered a landmark project to support and enhance the country’s strategic food reserves programme.
Commenting on the MoU, Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, CEO of Silal, said, "The establishment of the silos is crucial for the UAE to ensure sufficient infrastructure is available to support the nation’s goal of achieving food sustainability through the availability of key food items at all times. We are delighted to collaborate with Agthia to increase strategic food reserves within the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE."
"The silos will play a vital role in food accessibility, and we look forward to working with our progressive partners to enable sustainable and forward-thinking practices. This MoU adheres to Silal’s ethos and is in line with achieving the UAE’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Agthia Group, said, "Agthia remains strategically aligned with the UAE’s vision of the country’s economic, social and environmental success. Furthermore, we have been a driving force in the ESG sustainability efforts across our business operations, as per global best practices related to the food and beverage industry. This partnership represents another step in that direction."
Under the MoU, Silal will lead the project execution while being supported with consulting counsel by Agthia, which will lend support for the overall building of the silos. Furthermore, Agthia will manage the silos’ operation upon the project completion and provide technical consultancy services to support the project through the construction phase.
Established to diversify the sources of food produce, Silal has a firm commitment towards the vision of the UAE to increase the capacity for strategic food reserves (such as in grain, rice, legumes, edible oils, sugar, and frozen foods).