The opening celebration was inaugurated by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Dubai World and attended by Mrs. Salma Hareb – Chief Executive Officer, Economic Zones World and numerous Government officials and business partners.

Mrs. Salma Hareb commented, “I’d like to congratulate Mars on this momentous milestone, another key step towards leveraging Dubai’s ideal location as a significant market and distribution hub. We at Jafza, share your commitment to excellence through consistently serving customers better. I am sure that this new venture will meet with the same high measures of success that Mars globally stands for.”

Speaking at the opening, Ahmed Bayoumi, General Manager of Mars GCC, said, “Mars GCC has been experiencing double digit growth year on year since the beginning of the decade. In 2009 Mars GCC net sales exceeded $450m. We are pleased that consumer demand in the Middle East has and continues to generate opportunities for stable long term growth. This has led to the investment of more than $100m in our manufacturing unit since 1998. We are committed to strenghthening our position as the leading chocolate manufacturer in the Middle East and our increased presence in GCC will help us achieve this growth by supporting consumer and customer needs in the region.”

The new Mars GCC factory is in access of 6000 m2 and will manufacture Snickers & Mars chocolate bars on the new production lines. The initial Mars GCC factory which was established in 1998 will continue to produce the complete range of Galaxy chocolates, including Galaxy Jewels specifically developed in the Middle East to meet the tastes of local consumers.

In addition, the Dubai manufacturing facilities will continue distributing products to more than 20 countries in GCC, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, spreading from UK to Taiwan.

Mars GCC significant investment in the new chocolate bars factory reflects the company’s continuous expansion and long-term commitment to the region. The new chocolate filled bars factory not only will increase its chocolate production but it will also contribute to create new jobs and expanding the use of local resources.

The new manufacturing facility has been developed using environmentally friendly building material and initiatives to reduce energy consumption and included an expansion of the waste water treatment plant which will reduce the factory’s impact on the environment.