Aswaaq, a Dubai government-owned company, has announced the launch of ‘Thimaar’, a subsidiary under aswaaq’s umbrella, for supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The “aswaaq” project is a new, innovative concept in the world of shopping and retail, based on small, medium and large-sized shopping centres strategically located at the heart of residential areas.
The announcement comes in line with recent statistics showing a 40 per cent increase in the imports of fruits and vegetables in 2007 and 2008, and aims to ensure aswaaq’s strive to provide high quality and healthy products to its various customers, said a senior official.
‘We are pleased to welcome Thimaar onboard as our main fruit and vegetable supplier and we look forward to maintain our growth as a company with them by our side,’ said Abdul Al Basset Al Janahi, chief executive officer and board member of aswaaq.
‘By further raising our standards, Thimaar will play a key role in increasing customer satisfaction levels and ultimately the development of aswaaq as a whole in Dubai,’ he remarked.
Officials at aswaaq have revealed that Thimaar will start supplying fresh produce to its supermarkets in July and will be directly responsible for the consolidation, processing and pre-packaging of fresh produce.
Thimaar will also source superior products through direct import as well as contribute to the local economy by supporting local farmers in the region, they added.
Located in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 2, Thimaar will be sourcing and selecting superior products from the local market, local suppliers, local farms and direct import.
The company will operate under International procedures and processes, where fresh produce will be handled with extreme care and under the strictest hygienic conditions, Al Janahi noted.
‘Thimaar’s highly experienced team will develop concepts, packaging and a variety of products for the retail sector and will be working with the latest technology to ensure quality and maintain freshness of the produce.’
In addition to supplying aswaaq supermarkets with fresh produce Thimaar also plans to distribute fruit and vegetables to various government bodies, hotels and restaurants in the UAE, he disclosed.
‘To ensure the freshness and quality of the fruit and vegetable sector in Dubai, the Thimaar Distribution Centre will use some of the highest technology systems available to guarantee freshness and a higher level of quality,’ he added.
Aswaaq is currently implementing the latest technologies available to ensure the elimination of every type of airborne bacteria for the best quality and freshness for its produce, said Affan Al Khoori, a member for Thimaar.
‘With the recent HACCP certification that we received and the installation of the AiroCide system, we are looking forward to ensuring maximum control of health and food safety standards in aswaaq and its subsidiaries like Thimaar,’ he added.