Solico Group, one of the Middle East’s most established and trusted food manufacturers, has expanded its regional footprint with the launch of SoFood production facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza).
The launch of the SoFood production facility, a $35.4 million (AED 130 million) purpose-built facility, marks Solico Group’s largest commitment to the UAE to date and strengthens the nation’s position as a center for high-value, export-ready food production.
The new SoFood production facility, equipped with advanced European technologies and an initial capacity of up to 40 tons per day, enhances the UAE’s food manufacturing resilience at a time of rising consumer demand. Built on a 5,000 square meters site, it features a modular design that enables rapid entry into new food categories with minimal operational disruption.
Gholamali Soleimani Founder and Group Chairman Solico Group
“The UAE has created one of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world for food manufacturing and economic diversification. This investment allows us to deepen our regional footprint, transfer our expertise into the UAE, and build manufacturing capability that will support food security for years to come. It is also a reflection of the values my family built this company on more than 50 years ago.”
As the first builder of a milk refinery facility in Central Asia, Solico Group will bring its advanced manufacturing and innovation capabilities to the United Arab Emirates, enabling local delivery and future expansion of the project. The SoFood production facility will be executed largely within the UAE, supporting the country’s industrial development and strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity.
Image Via: Jafza | Cropped by GBN
The investment marks a strategic step in enhancing the UAE’s food security by shifting supply chains from trading-led models to value-added production infrastructure. Designed with scale in mind, the project has the potential to increase its total investment value to two to three times the initial level as operations expand.
The first phase will focus on meat and protein production under Solico’s flagship brand, Pemina, enabling scaled distribution across the GCC and export markets. In subsequent phases, SoFood production facility will introduce additional categories, including cheese, dairy, premixes, sauces and co-packed solutions for hotels, airlines, and food service clients. These categories were selected for their strategic alignment with regional food culture, their localization potential and strong export relevance.
SoFood production facility will also operate as Solico Group’s regional innovation center, tailoring products to Middle Eastern tastes, shortening supply chains to enhance freshness and supporting local employment, skills development and knowledge transfer.
