Dubai Trade launches new platform to support food security

Dubai Trade has announced the launch of Zadi, a unified food import platform aimed at facilitating the import and re-export of food shipments throughout Dubai ports.
The platform is part of Dubai Trade's plan to be the leading integrated platform in all import and re-export services. It also aligns with the UAE plan for the post-Covid-19 era that will ensure the country's robust recovery and development.
The platform is positioned to help over 18,000 companies in Dubai execute 360,000 transactions annually via its streamlined process. Zadi not only contributes to the sustainability of the strategic food reserve, but also reinforces Dubai's effective response capacity to meet current and future societal needs.
Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and managing director of DP World, UAE region, said: "The launch of Zadi by Dubai Trade comes as part of our commitment to fulfilling the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the UAE one of the leading countries worldwide in the post-pandemic economic recovery."
Al Muallem added: "The core function of the platform is protecting the food supply chain from monopoly and disruption, as this may lead to spoilage of food crops, which will be difficult to compensate once the farming season is over. We efficiently connect food traders with food sources, enabling them to easily access food supplies. The presence of DP World in more than 50 countries makes this possible."
"Food traders can also transfer their shipments, choosing from a wide array of DP World's shipping line partners. Zadi's integration with Dubai Customs and Dubai Municipality helps to seamlessly facilitate the import and re-export process. This end-to-end integration allows us to offer our online services and logistics capabilities to the world, helping secure vital food supplies, both locally and regionally," he said.
Typically, Dubai Customs conduct security and customs inspections at Jebel Ali Port and Dubai Municipality teams check food safety and quality. The new system enables customers to submit their requests for both food or customs inspection via one unified platform which reduces their operational costs in addition to saving time and effort.
Dawood Al Hajri, director general of Dubai Municipality, said that Zadi unifies service delivery channels by ensuring that there is no duplication of any processes. "In the long-term, the platform facilitates the release of imported food and unifies service delivery channels to meet the customers' expectations. Zadi also gives decision-makers proper insight by providing integrated and comprehensive data which enables them to track local and external food supplies to secure our strategic food reserve."
Through Zadi, traders can access food products either to sell in the local market or for re-export. They can easily request food evaluation form for the first phase instead of accessing several websites. The unified platform enables them to submit their requests for both food and customs inspection. This helps companies reduce their operational costs, increase their profitability and eliminate manual transaction costs.
Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, director general of Dubai Customs, said: "Since the world after Covid-19 is unlikely to return to the world that was, we are confident about Zadi's capabilities of being a game changer in food trading business. Through the new platform, we will accelerate customs inspections and clearance of food shipments. The platform also allows us to plan and manage our operations around DP World operations and ship arrival schedules."
rohma@khaleejtimes.com