Mondelēz opens $90m Oreo factory in Bahrain

US snack firm Mondelēz International has opened a new $90m factory in Bahrain.

The 250,000-square-metre biscuit manufacturing plant will produce Oreo cookies, Barni soft cakes and other items for the Gulf region, Levant and Africa.

It has a capacity for nearly 45,000 tonnes of products pet year.

Mondelēz International said the investment would reduce product delivery costs and improve product freshness.

“The Middle East and Africa are priority markets for us, and we’re confident in our selection of Bahrain as the preferred location for our plant, due to its business-friendly environment, skilled local workforce and excellent transport links.” said the company’s executive vice president and president of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa Maurizio Brusadelli.

“This investment in Bahrain is a great example of how we’re building a world-class supply chain, with factories of the future in strategic locations around the world designed to simplify operations, increase flexibility, improve productivity and meet the growth demands of our power brands.”

The new plant is located next to the firm’s existing facility, which has been producing Kraft cheese and Tang beverages since 2008.

Together they will provide 150 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs, it said.

Other consumer goods companies including Unilever and Nestle have recently opened new facilities in Dubai

Read: Unilever opens Dhs1bn factory in Dubai Industrial Park

Last May, Nestle inaugurated a Dhs530m ($144.2m) facility at Dubai South to produce coffee and Maggi products.

Read: Nestle officially opens Dhs530m Nescafe, Maggi factory in Dubai South