Al Rawabi Dairy Company has announced it will invest $300 million as part of its ongoing expansion plans.

The company, which currently serves Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, the Northern Emirates, Qatar and Oman, plans to extend its regional footprint to Bahrain and Kuwait, where it will replicate the business model it successfully runs in the UAE, it said in a statement.

“We are constantly investing in new technology to maintain the best quality products; this year, we plan to expand our existing facilities with the addition of a world-class milking parlour, yard and cooling system. We are also looking to increase the number of our cows to a total of 10,000 from the current count of 7,000 by 2012,” said Al Rawabi general manager Dr Ahmed Eltigani Abdul Rahim. 

“Over the last two decades, Al Rawabi has grown remarkably to become one of the leading producers of milk products in the region, retaining more than a third of its domestic market. The company’s success has been largely driven by its focus on quality, innovation and freshness,” he said.

“Our dairy farm and processing plant are located next to each other; so getting the milk from cows to the processing plants takes only minutes which gives us the unique advantage of delivering farm-fresh dairy products to consumers on a daily basis.”

Dr Abdul Rahim: adding value through investment

A strong brand
Al Rawabi was listed among the strongest 40 brands in the Arab world by Forbes magazine. The company has achieved all of the top-quality benchmarks including the ISO 22000 certification and HACCP accreditation.

Launched in 1990, the company was among the first brands to pack fresh milk in plastic bottles. It was also among the first to introduce 100 per cent natural juices. The dairy product range of Al Rawabi includes fresh milk – full cream, half cream, double cream, low-fat milk, skimmed milk and flavored milk – laban yoghurt, a range of health drinks (B-Activ), juice drinks and desserts.

The company says it has succeeded because of its attention to animal healthcare, temperature control at the sheds, milking techniques, artificial insemination and embryo transfer programmes.

AI Rawabi products are available in the UAE, Oman and Qatar through 9,000 outlets.