National Prawn Co (NPC), described as the world’s largest fully integrated desert coastal aquaculture project, recently commenced the construction of the second phase of the project’s pond, which will significantly increase its annual production to more than 45,000 tonnes of premium-quality shrimp.

“This is predicted to make NPC the single largest supplier of shrimp in the world,” a company statement said. “The multi-million-dollar venture is also envisioned to be a global leader in environmentally friendly aquaculture shrimp production, boasting cutting-edge farming technologies and techniques, as well as stringent quality standards.”  The company’s facilities are situated 200 km south of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
 NPC’s steady growth has also been boosted by its ongoing programme to expand its product offerings particularly in the Middle East, which it values as a critically important market for its expansion programme. Egypt is currently NPC’s largest shrimp customer in the Middle East with sales of approximately 1,000 tonnes per annum. The company is poised to further its position in the region by targeting other high-growth areas such as Dubai where the seafood market is valued at $200 million and continues to grow at an accelerated rate.
“The Middle East market presents a huge economic growth opportunity for seafood companies as consumption and consumer awareness grows. This will result in an increasing demand for high-value, quality seafood products, with the retail and hospitality sectors looking to contribute significantly to the growth trend,” said Mohamed Gamal Zaki, marketing support manager, NPC.