RIYADH: A sugar manufacturing facility has been inaugurated at the King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu in keeping with the Kingdom’s drive to enhance national food security and diversify non-oil exports.
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman formally opened the Durrah Sugar Factory, a subsidiary of Durrah Advanced Development Co. The event was also attended by Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, along with several businesspeople and government officials.
The factory covers an area of 150.000 sq. meters and has an annual production capacity of 900,000 tons.
This plant is the result of a strategic partnership between national development companies and global leaders in refined sugar manufacturing, all sharing a vision to establish a top company in the food and beverage industry in the Kingdom.
Abdulmajeed Al-Sultan, chairman of the board, delivered a speech at the inauguration ceremony, emphasizing that the assets of sugar refineries in the Kingdom have surpassed SR1.5 billion ($400 million) and are considered among the most efficient sugar refineries globally.
Al-Sultan expressed his gratitude to the Saudi government for its continued support and highlighted the strategic location of the project within the port’s infrastructure.
According to a statement by the Saudi Ports Authority, commonly known as Mawani, Al-Sultan clarified that the pivotal contributions of the project’s strategic partners and financiers, which include the Industrial Development Fund, local banks, and regional and foreign partners, have significantly helped them achieve their goals.
He also acknowledged the invaluable support from the Ministry of Energy, which was crucial in ensuring that the plant met and exceeded production capacity while adhering to the highest quality standards.
He further noted that his company is determined to expand in the food industry sector by implementing a vegetable oil factory and a rice processing plant, as well as doubling the production capacity of sugar.
DADC is one of the largest producers of refined sugar in the Kingdom. With the expertise of COSUMAR and Wilmar, the global leaders in sugar production and manufacturing, the company has the strategic advantage of being located in a region with a sound and growing demand for white sugar.
In its statement, Mawani affirmed that the inauguration of the Durra Sugar Refinery underscores the port’s advanced infrastructure, adding that it spans an expansive area of 6.8 sq. meters and boasts 34 berths and 10 terminals, with a remarkable capacity exceeding 210 million tons. It was further highlighted that the port can accommodate ships of up to 500,000 tons.
