Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi Airports and Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD, have come together to establish a Fresh Corridor 2.0, designed to firmly position the UAE on the global food supply chain map. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), was signed on 23JAN24. The airline, airport and the region’s largest and leading dedicated food wholesale market and logistic hub, will develop a fully compliant and transparent origin-to-destination perishable air corridor known as the ‘Fresh Corridor 2.0’. This will support the diversification of food sources, open up new trade corridors, and expand the choice and variety of products available for regional consumers. Knowledge exchange, handling, storage and logistics expertise, food safety, and hygiene, are all components of the plan, and the three will liaise government stakeholders, relevant facilitators, and key contributors from the food ecosystem to ensure seamless trade, and set new standards in commercial and operational excellence within the global food trade.
Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, underlined: “Etihad Cargo is committed to the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 and is proud to be an active partner in the launch of the region’s largest food wholesale market – Abu Dhabi Food Hub at KEZAD. Etihad Cargo customers will benefit from the expanded infrastructure as a strategic hub in the Middle East to the rest of the world.”
Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Interim CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, stated: “Our collective proposition to facilitate trade in and out of the UAE will further support the commercial development of the emirate as a global food center. […] The launch of the Fresh Corridor 2.0 will encourage 2-way food trade between the UAE and the rest of the world, bringing food products into the UAE but also taking our ‘Made in the UAE’ products to the world in a bold step towards diversification and growth of imports and exports.”
Suresh Vaidhyanathan, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi Food Hub, commented: “This collaboration will indeed enhance our multi-modal capabilities as we seek to position the UAE as a leader in the regional food value chain. We are excited to support the global food players in accessing the regional consumer markets with integrated supply chain solutions and incorporating the most recent technologies and further be a key enabler in food trade diversification and UAE’s Food Security Agenda. Our vision is to create an unparalleled ecosystem of sellers and buyers from around the world.”
