Dubai’s seafood factory will boost food security with record output
The Middle East’s largest seafood factory is preparing to strengthen food security, cut down on waste and provide more opportunities for homegrown produce.
Located in Dubai Industrial City, the 13,000 square metre plant will handle a quarter of all seafood consumed in the UAE, sourced in large part from local farms.
From sheri to hammour and king fish to shrimp, the factory, run by food distribution company Asmak, aims to process 18,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen fish in its first year.
At full capacity, the plant can handle up to 60,000 tonnes of fish for wholesale, food service and retail.
The sprawling site was officially opened this week in the presence of Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of State for Food Security.
Mamoon Othman, chief executive of International Holding Company, said workers break, smoke and fillet fresh fish on site.
“We import cold water fish from north Europe, South Asia and the Mediterranean, but we have a big focus on the local catch, too,” he said.
“We decided to open our biggest seafood factory in Dubai because of its centrality.
“The main driver behind it is to ensure food security within the region, with a big focus on availability and utilisation.”
About half of the fish on site is processed and distributed fresh. The majority is brought in from fish farms.
A lot of the produce, including salmon, Nile perch and tilapia, is filleted to reduce household food waste.
“Minimising food waste is a big part of our mission,” Mr Othman said.
“We utilise about 90 to 95 per cent of the whole fish and we sell off fish oil for medicinal purposes and other parts for fertilisers.
“The fish industry is moving towards sustainability, so more than 90 per cent of the fish we handle comes from farms, overseas, so the waste produced from by-catch is minimal.
“About 10 per cent comes straight from the water, which we mainly buy from local fishermen.”
The UAE is one of the world’s biggest markets for fish, with the 33 kilograms consumed per person more than double the average.
As more people move towards a flexitarian diet and reduce their meat consumption, Mr Othman said it made sense for International Holding to opening its largest fishery in Dubai.
He said there was a focus on “superfoods and healthy foods”, so as people convert from carbs and meat to vegetables and fish, supplying fresh and local was a must.
Sustainable food production has been a major focus in recent years as the UAE seeks to reduce imports.
In the next few years, Mr Othman said, the factory aims to buy more fish locally.