SADAFCO Bolsters its capacity in Saudi Arabia with a New Ice Cream Factory

Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO) announced today the official opening of its state-of-the-art ice cream factory under the auspices of HE Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef and other senior dignitaries.

Located in Jeddah's Modon Industrial City No.1, the new ice cream factory, combined with the existing SADAFCO milk factory, covers over 45,000 square meters and boasts the highest output per square meter of any dairy factory in the Middle East. Designed to help meet the Kingdom's current production needs and facilitate further growth, the facility is expected to facilitate future expansion.

The opening of this state of the art facility is in line with the Ministry’s “Made in Saudi” initiative which encourages both local manufacturing and consumers to buy local produce. The new factory’s increased production area to 1,570 square meters offer an ergonomically enhanced work environment particularly suited for female employees. In addition, there is still 1,060 square meters of open space available to meet future demand.

SADAFCO now has a frozen warehouse capacity of 6,000 pallets and has doubled its mixing and pasteurization capacities in anticipation of upcoming opportunities. In addition, the new factory will enhance local production of the Saudia Ice Cream range, including its iconic Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as contribute to the country's vision of "Made in Saudi". It will contribute to efforts to build an industrial base in the Kingdom.

On this grand occasion, Patrick Stillhart, CEO, SADAFCO said, “Firstly, we thank the Minister HE Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef, the teams at the Ministry, the teams at Modon and our local teams for all their efforts and support to bring us here today. We are thrilled to open this facility here in Jeddah. The ice-cream market in Saudi Arabia has been registering positive annual growth since 2015. Despite the challenging conditions brought on by the pandemic in the last two years, demand has remained strong. With this new ice cream factory, we aim to meet this growing demand and increase our customer base targeting the younger, more adventurous population”.

 Commenting on SAFACO’s role in the community, he added: “A larger facility means more jobs and employment opportunities. We are proud to be one of the key contributors to the socio-economic development in the country and to empower women in our society as we look to enhance our female workforce in various levels and across most functions”.

SADAFCO is the leader in the UHT (long life) Milk market in Saudi Arabia, with a product portfolio ranging from Breakfast Cream, Cheese, Butter to Tomato Paste and Ice Cream among others. Through the diversification of its key product offerings and adopting the use of best-in-class operating standards, the company strives to delight its consumers, maintain a happy working culture and increase shareholder value.

He closed by saying “This is a proud moment for all of us here at SADAFCO, to the city of Jeddah and the country.”