Americold Opens Flagship Import-Export Hub at the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai in Partnership with DP World
Americold (NYSE:COLD) has unveiled its largest Middle Eastern cold storage facility in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone through its joint venture RSA Cold Chain and partnership with DP World. The state-of-the-art facility features 40,000 pallet positions and serves as a crucial import-export hub connecting global food producers to GCC markets.
The facility boasts multi-temperature capabilities, 27 docks, and rooftop solar panels for energy efficiency. It offers both bonded and non-bonded storage, piece to pallet-level handling, and has achieved ISO 22000 and HACCP certifications. This development follows Americold's strategic investment in RSA Cold Chain in February 2023 and its global partnership with DP World from November 2022.
- Strategic location in Jebel Ali Free Zone provides direct access to major GCC markets
- Facility features 40,000 pallet positions with advanced multi-temperature capabilities
- Partnership with DP World enhances logistics efficiency and market access
- Energy-efficient design with rooftop solar panels reduces operational costs
- ISO 22000 and HACCP certifications ensure high food safety standards
- Significant capital investment required for large-scale facility development
- Complex regulatory environment in UAE may affect operational flexibility
Insights
Americold's new Dubai facility enhances Middle East presence, strengthens global cold chain network, and creates strategic supply chain advantages.
Americold's new 40,000 pallet facility at the Jebel Ali Free Zone represents a significant strategic expansion in the company's global cold chain network. The location is particularly advantageous, situated in DP World's logistics hub with direct port access and dedicated mainland UAE road connections. This positioning creates a critical import-export gateway between global food producers and GCC markets.
The facility's technical specifications are impressive – multi-temperature capabilities, 27 loading docks, smart monitoring systems, and rooftop solar panels for energy efficiency. These features enable Americold to offer sophisticated services beyond basic storage, including piece/case/pallet handling, co-packaging, and customs-compliant break-bulk consolidation. The ISO 22000 and HACCP certifications are particularly important for food safety compliance and attracting multinational food clients.
This development creates valuable operational synergies through the RSA Cold Chain joint venture and DP World partnership. By connecting this Dubai facility with Americold's other import-export hubs in Kansas City and Port Saint John, the company is building an integrated global network that optimizes cross-continental food flows. For Americold's customers – QSRs, grocery retailers, and quick commerce platforms – this creates seamless access to Middle Eastern markets while reducing supply chain fragmentation and logistics costs.
The strategic value of Americold's Dubai facility extends beyond mere physical infrastructure. This investment represents calculated geographic expansion into a high-growth region that serves as a nexus between European, Asian, and African food markets. The Middle East's cold storage infrastructure has historically been fragmented, creating inefficiencies that this facility directly addresses.
Selecting the Jebel Ali Free Zone location provides Americold with significant competitive advantages: tax benefits, customs facilitation, reduced regulatory friction, and proximity to one of the world's busiest ports. This positions the company to capitalize on shifting global food trade patterns, particularly as food security concerns heighten across Gulf states that import 80-90% of food consumed.
The timing aligns with Dubai's D33 economic agenda and the UAE's food security initiatives, potentially opening doors to governmental partnerships and favorable treatment. For investors, this represents Americold's commitment to diversifying beyond its traditional North American and European bases into emerging markets with higher growth potential.
The facility's scale (Americold's largest in the Middle East) creates meaningful operational leverage, allowing fixed costs to be distributed across a larger volume of goods. The multi-functional capabilities enable Americold to capture more value across the supply chain rather than just providing basic storage. By offering integrated services from port to distribution, Americold positions itself as an essential partner rather than a commodity service provider, strengthening both customer retention and pricing power in a strategically vital region.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and ATLANTA, GA., Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americold, a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics, real estate, and value-added services, today announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art cold storage facility in Dubai. Developed through its joint venture RSA Cold Chain and in strategic partnership with DP World, the facility marks Americold’s largest operational site in the Middle East and a major step in optimizing food flows across the region.
Located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the facility offers 40,000 pallet positions, multi-temperature capabilities, and both bonded and non-bonded storage. As a critical import-export hub, it connects global food producers to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets via sea freight, enabled by DP World’s highly efficient logistics infrastructure. With dedicated road access to mainland UAE, 27 docks, smart monitoring systems, and rooftop solar panels for energy efficiency, the site is purpose-built to streamline regional and domestic distribution.
“Americold continues to deliver unique supply chain solutions that are reshaping the global flow of food,” said Rob Chambers, Chief Executive Officer of Americold. “The RSA Cold Chain facility in Dubai is another step in that journey, linking producers and consumers more efficiently through strategic infrastructure with trusted partners. Together with RSA Global and DP World, we’re addressing real inefficiencies in the region’s food supply chain and creating long-term value for our customers.”
The Dubai facility supports quick service restaurants (QSRs), grocery retailers, and quick commerce platforms, offering piece, case, and pallet-level handling, co-packaging, inventory cycling, and customs-compliant break-bulk consolidation. It meets the highest international food safety standards and has earned ISO 22000 and HACCP certifications, ensuring rigorous hazard control and traceability across all operations.
“This facility is designed for tomorrow’s supply chain, digitally enabled, scalable, and resilient,” said Abhishek Shah, Co-Founder & CEO of RSA Cold Chain. “Our alliance with DP World not only unlocks strategic opportunities for our customers but also reinforces Dubai’s status as the region’s anchor hub for safe, efficient, and sustainable cold chain logistics.”
The opening follows Americold’s strategic investment in RSA Cold Chain in February 2023 and builds on its global partnership agreement with DP World, signed in November 2022.
“The addition of RSA Cold Chain’s new facility boosts our ability to handle fast-growing demand for temperature-sensitive goods, while cutting waste and accelerating time to market,” said Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, DP World GCC. “Together with Americold and RSA, we are integrating infrastructure to build an efficient cold chain and advance the UAE’s food-security goals. This is exactly the kind of future-ready infrastructure that Dubai’s D33 vision calls for.”
“The launch of RSA Cold Chain’s advanced regional distribution hub in JAFZA marks a new chapter in Americold’s global expansion,” said Richard Winnall, President, International, Americold. “By integrating infrastructure and expertise across continents, we’re unlocking smarter, faster, and more resilient food flows for our customers.”
Americold’s global cold chain ecosystem now includes import-export hubs in Kansas City, Port Saint John, and Dubai, with future developments planned to further optimize food flows across strategic markets.
About Americold
Americold (NYSE: COLD) is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics and real estate, with a more than 120-year legacy of innovation and reliability. With more than 230 facilities across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America – totaling approximately 1.5 billion refrigerated cubic feet – Americold ensures the safe, efficient movement of refrigerated products worldwide.
Our facilities are an integral part of the global food supply chain, connecting producers, processors, distributors, and retailers with tailored, value-added services supported by responsive and reliable supply chains. Leveraging deep industry expertise, smart technology, and sustainable practices, Americold delivers world-class service that creates lasting value for our customers and the communities we serve. Visit www.americold.com to learn more.
About RSA Cold Chain
RSA Cold Chain is a HACCP and ISO 22000 certified cold storage arm of RSA Global, a digital supply chain and e-commerce logistics specialist providing global e-commerce companies with seamless access to the booming regional markets of the Middle East, North Africa, and India.
RSA Cold Chain is dedicated to providing reliable end-to-end cold & frozen 3PL solutions to meet the growing demand of the food industry in the UAE and the MENA especially as the surge in population and food consumption has been brought to the region.
Since it started its operations in 2017, RSA Cold Chain has received numerous awards and recognition for its sophisticated infrastructure and operational design serving sectors from packaged food, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, and frozen foods. www.rsa.global.
Media Relations:
Elizabeth McMillan, APR
Telephone: 762-821-9631
Email: mediarelations@americold.com
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