Al Ghurair Foods, which recently unveiled the region’s first-of-its-kind factory for freshly-milled oats, has set its sights on international markets across the Mena region.

The state-of-the-art plant has an annual milling capacity of 33,000 tonnes and is positioned next to two important Al Ghurair facilities, a huge flour plant that has a daily capacity of 5,000 tonnes and a large edible oil refinery.

The company said the latest plant was an example of its commitment to providing high-quality products and its contribution to the region’s food security.

 “We continue to witness a steady growth in demand for our products in the Middle East, Subcontinent and African markets,” said Ibrahim Al Ghurair, head of the Oats business unit. “Till date, milled oats were being imported into the Middle-East with a lead time of at least five to six weeks. But now, due to our strategic location and close proximity to the Subcontinent and Africa, this has been drastically reduced to a few days,” Al Ghurair said.

“This new facility not only serves the UAE, which is a key international trading hub and the world’s third largest re-exporter of agricultural products, but also the wider GCC region, the Subcontinent and Africa and we are proud to be a major contributor to local and regional economies around the world.”

Import substitution

The oats milling plant is the first of its kind in the region

Thanks to oats’ multiple uses, the Middle East’s healthcare and food services businesses would no longer need to import milled oats in bulk from Europe, Australia and Canada, Al Ghurair said.

The new facility would generate a significant ripple effect adding value to the operations of numerous wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers at the local and regional levels, he added.

As well as shorter lead times, there would be flexibility of production in line with customers’ needs.

Touching on the health benefits, he highlighted the role of oats in beating obesity, abnormal cholesterol levels, diabetes and other ailments.

“Oats provide nourishment, satiate hunger, boost energy levels and facilitate digestion. Oat meals are significant sources of dietary fibre, which has proven effective in lowering blood cholesterol. In addition, oat meals can spread the rise in blood sugars over a longer time period, thus slowing the increase in blood glucose levels following a meal. That’s among several other benefits provided by oat meals including reducing hypertension, weight and the risk of cancer,” he explained.

The high-tech facility uses environment-friendly building products, ecological construction methods and recycling and water conservation practices.

Al Ghurair Foods entered the food industry in 1976 through the creation of National Flour Mills. Since then, a diversified portfolio of food products has been developed. Al Ghurair Foods’ market presence has grown to over 50 countries with a customer base on four continents. Jenan is the key brand offering products in flour, pasta, edible oils, noodles, poultry, pulses, maize, rice and now oats.