DP World, UAE Region's flagship free zone, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UAE-based STAR-K Kosher Certification to educate its partners in the food and agricultural commodities sector about kosher certification, aiding them to get certified as kosher. The MoU was signed by Ahmad Al Haddad, chief operating officer, Parks and Zones, DP World, UAE Region and Rabbi Ahron Haskel, president, STAR-K Kosher Certification in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, in the presence of Rabbi Yanki Hoffman, vice president, STAR-K Kosher Certification in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. DP World, UAE Region's strategically located logistics hub comprising the Jebel Ali Port and Jafza caters to all segments of the food and agriculture industry including food processing, grain/cereal processing, meat processing, edible oil processing, tea/coffee processing and sugar refining. With its premium facilities, Jafza is a preferred destination for import and export of products like sugar, meat, cocoa, dairy products, coffee, tea, fruits, spices and other goods. Jafza has a dedicated food and agriculture cluster of 1.57 million square metres with over 550 companies from more than 70 countries, employing over 6,000 people. 38 percent of these companies are from the Middle East, 23 percent from Asia, 19 percent from Europe, 10 percent from Africa, 8 percent from North America, 1 percent from South America and 1 percent from Oceania. Al Haddad said, "The UAE is a melting pot of cultures. The country is home to people from various countries and is accepting of traditions from varied cultures. With the recent developments between the UAE and Israel, we expect the demand for kosher food to be on the rise. We are delighted to team up with STAR-K Kosher Certification. "Through this partnership, we hope to utilise their expertise from time to time by hosting digital and physical seminars for our clients. With this endeavour, we hope to enlighten our partners in the free zone about the benefits of getting a kosher certification." Rabbi Ahron said, "STAR-K Kosher Certification has provided kosher supervision for over fifty years. Over the years, we have gained the reputation of providing prompt service with the help of our team of experts including technical staff, a network of rabbinic Kashrus administrators, food scientists and field supervisors. "It is important, especially now, in light of the Israel-UAE peace agreement, to make entities in the food industry aware of the added value of kosher-certified products not only for the Jewish community here, but also for anyone looking for healthy and halal-compliant options." With smart services like Dubai Trade's "E-Delivery Order" that allows supply chain stakeholders to handle their complex import processes to ZADI, an innovative unified food import platform aimed at facilitating the import and re-export of food shipments throughout Dubai ports, Jafza has made it easier for investors and business owners in times of the pandemic by minimising the need for manual transactions and personal visits. — SG
