Americold to operate $35mn cold storage facility in Dubai

NYSE-listed Americold Realty Trust, through its joint venture RSA Cold Chain in Dubai, announced plans to build and operate a new $35 million, state-of-the-art cold storage facility with 40,000 pallet positions, in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) in the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai.

The investment builds on the collaboration between Americold and DP World, says a release from Americold.

"The new facility will offer multi-temperature capabilities and connect to DP World’s best-in-class logistics solutions. Earlier this year, RSA Cold Chain entered into a long-term land lease agreement with DP World to support this development. Construction will start early 2024 and is expected to be completed by Q1 of 2025."

George Chappelle, CEO, Americold says: "“The addition of critical temperature-controlled infrastructure and value-added services will enable a next generation cold chain offering in the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai. Americold is committed to investing in new and innovative long-term solutions that optimise the cold chain from production to consumption and support our mission of helping our customers feed the world. This partnership with DP World provides unique synergies that create significant value for both local and global customers. We’re excited to bring this vision to life in Dubai with the first of many developments in the region.”

Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, GCC, DP World adds: “As a global leader in end-to-end supply chain solutions, DP World is always looking for ways to innovate and expand its logistics capabilities. We are delighted to partner with Americold and RSA to provide our customers with best-in-class temperature-controlled solutions for perishable goods, strengthening the resilience of the F&B industry in the UAE and the Middle East."

Americold announced a strategic investment in RSA Cold Chain in March 2023, the release added. "The investment provided a scalable, investable operating platform for market entry and expansion in the Middle East and India. Construction is already under way to double the capacity of the current RSA facility in Dubai South. This, combined with the new development at the DP World port, will more than triple current capacity in the Dubai market to more than 70,000 pallet positions."

Collaboration between Americold and DP World began in 2021 and was formalised in November 2022 with the signing of a Global Partnership Agreement. The planned development in Jebel Ali will be the first-of-its-kind to combine Americold’s global temperature-controlled infrastructure with DP World’s port infrastructure and end-to-end logistics solutions, the release added.