Feeding the future: How Jafza is powering the GCC’s food security and agri-trade network

As global food systems come under increasing strain from climate pressures, population growth and supply chain volatility, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has become the backbone of the Gulf’s food resilience strategy. What began as Dubai’s logistics powerhouse has transformed into an integrated ecosystem for food security, connecting producers, processors and distributors under one network that keeps food flowing across the Arabian Peninsula. 

Building resilience from port to plate

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Jafza’s strength lies in its proximity to Jebel Ali Port, the Middle East’s largest seaport and one of the top 10 globally. Together, they form a seamless logistics corridor that handles approximately 75% of the UAE’s food and beverage imports. This integration allows cargo to move directly from reefer vessels to temperature-controlled storage and on to distribution channels within hours. For a region that imports around 85% of its food, such efficiency is essential.

Through its integrated infrastructure, the free zone advances the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051, which seeks to build one of the world’s most resilient food systems. Jafza handles more than 20% of Dubai’s food and beverage trade by value, reinforcing the emirate’s pivotal role in sustaining the nation and the wider GCC.

Jafza’s influence now extends into manufacturing. Spring Valley is building an Dh184 million agro-commodity hub to process 65,000 tonnes of staples a year, while Haldiram’s and Kesar Expert & Packers are developing one of the region’s largest saffron facilities, expanding capacity from 30 to 100 tonnes within five years. These projects position Jafza as a growing hub for refining, packaging, and distributing food closer to regional markets.

Sustaining the cold chain

Perishable goods depend on precise temperature control, and Jafza’s expanding cold chain infrastructure ensures that food arrives fresh and secure. The newly launched RSA Cold Chain facility represents a major expansion of Dubai’s temperature-controlled logistics capacity. Its proximity to Jebel Ali Port enables rapid movement of fruits, vegetables, seafood, dairy and frozen goods, minimising delays and maintaining product integrity.

At the port, DP World is developing the Agri Terminals facility with Adroit Overseas Canada and Al Amir Foods to handle pulses, grains, corn and soybeans. With 200,000 metric tonnes of storage and an annual handling capacity of 750,000 tonnes, the facility will use advanced unloaders and automated conveyors to move cargo efficiently from ship to silo to processor.

Expected to generate more than Dh1.2 billion in trade each year, the project aligns with “Operation 300Bn,” reinforcing Dubai’s position as a regional hub for agri-food trade.

Smart and sustainable logistics

Jafza is driving a new model of digital and sustainable logistics. Through Dubai Trade, DP World’s single-window platform, food operators manage customs, logistics and payments in one connected system, ensuring full visibility from source to shelf.

A rooftop solar array of nearly 160,000 panels generates over 30% of Jafza’s electricity and prevents 48,000 tonnes of emissions each year. Together, these efforts create a resilient framework for food logistics that combines technology, infrastructure, and sustainability to secure reliable access to essential goods.

From gateway to guardian

Jafza’s evolution reflects a broader regional ambition to secure food supply chains through collaboration and connectivity. The upcoming expansion of the Dubai’s fruit and vegetables market will integrate manufacturing, packaging, testing, and distribution within a single hub connected directly to Jebel Ali Port. In parallel, the Al Rawdah Special Economic Zone in Oman will link to Jebel Ali and Omani ports, forming a GCC-wide food network capable of responding swiftly to shifting demand and global disruptions.

40 years after Jafza opened its gates, its role in the region’s supply chain has never been more vital. Food resilience across the Gulf depends on moving the right volumes at the right temperatures, with the right data, and doing so consistently, season after season.

Jafza enables that through the power of a world-class port, an integrated free zone, advanced processing and storage, and a digital ecosystem that keeps everything in sync. It is a practical, scalable system that ensures families, retailers, and institutions across the GCC can rely on the essentials today and well into the future.