One of the region’s larger fresh produce suppliers is moving further along the food chain. NRTC Group has opened a Dh50 million processing facility in Dubai, aimed at supplying cut, washed, packed and prepared food directly to the businesses that serve the UAE’s diners.
The new Taaza site in Jebel Ali Industrial Area 1 covers more than 60,000 square feet. It is designed for quick-service restaurants, hospitality operators, retailers and institutional caterers, all of which increasingly want food that arrives ready to use.
Everything under one roof
The facility brings several steps together. These include fresh produce preparation, washing and sanitising, cutting, juice processing and flexible packaging. Customers can order different cuts, portion sizes, bulk formats and private-label products to suit their own kitchens.
The operation combines semi-automated processing with flexible preparation lines. Separate processing zones, temperature-controlled areas and standardised handling procedures are meant to protect hygiene and quality. For a high-volume kitchen, the practical benefit is less preparation work and more consistent ingredients.
A strategic shift
Mohammed Alrifai, NRTC Group’s CEO, described the opening as a step towards a more integrated food supply chain, linking produce sourcing and distribution with processing and customer-ready products. In his view, advantage in fresh food no longer comes from sourcing alone. Customers want consistency, convenience and products prepared to precise requirements.
He pointed to the Group’s footprint in foodservice, hospitality and retail as a platform for Taaza’s next phase. He also stressed food safety, saying it begins with how a facility is designed and run. Clear separation of work zones, disciplined handling and traceability, he said, help teams deliver the consistency clients expect.
Moving into ready-to-eat
Taaza already sells fresh-cut vegetables and juices. The company says it plans to add more convenience-led categories, including sandwiches, wraps, dips, continental-style dishes and healthy prepared meals.
A proposed kitchen would have a target capacity of about 2,000 meals a day. It is a modest figure by industrial standards, but it signals where the company wants to go. Note that this kitchen is described as proposed, so it is not yet part of the operating facility.
Targeting the restaurant trade
Quick-service restaurants are expected to be a key growth segment. NRTC is aiming for them to account for about 20 per cent of Taaza’s business in the first year, rising to 40 per cent within three years.
That focus fits a wider trend in the Gulf’s food sector. Restaurants and caterers face high labour costs and pressure to keep quality steady across many outlets. Outsourcing basic preparation to a specialist processor can ease both problems.
The supply chain behind it
NRTC says its supply network spans more than 50 countries and moves roughly one million tonnes of fresh produce each year, drawing on more than five decades of experience. By placing processing close to that distribution network, the Group hopes to capture more value, widen its product range and respond to changing demand in UAE foodservice.
What to watch
Several questions will determine how the investment performs. One is how quickly large restaurant chains sign up for supply contracts. Another is whether the ready-to-eat range reaches the market on the planned timetable. A third is whether the proposed kitchen goes ahead as described. NRTC has not published revenue or job-creation targets for the facility.
For now, the opening reflects a broader shift in the UAE’s food economy. Importing and distributing produce is no longer enough for some of its biggest players, and more are choosing to prepare food closer to the plate.
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