FOOD SECURITY

UAE’s Agthia opens $24.5 million meat plant in Saudi Arabia

ADQ-owned company seeks to help feed Saudi Arabia's growing population and provide greater food security across the region

Goats and sheep at livestock market in Saudi Arabia (Getty Images)

Abu Dhabi food and beverage group Agthia has opened a meat processing facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city, as the kingdom looks to feed its growing population and the broader region pushes for greater food security.

The $24.5 million factory, located in Jeddah’s Industrial City 1, spans 9,000 square meters and is expected to produce over 9,000 tons of processed proteins – enough to export to more than 25 countries.

Agthia, which is owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ, is in the midst of a five-year growth strategy in its push to become one of the region’s top food and beverage companies