Heineken is one of the worlds largest brewer [Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
Heineken is set to open the first largescale brewery in the Gulf following a deal with Dubai-based Maritime and Mercantile International, a subsidiary of the Emirates Group.
Sirocco, a joint venture between the two companies that has been supplying beer to Dubai for 20 years, will start construction of the brewery in 2025, according to Bloomberg.
The brewery is set to be complete by 2027 and will produce some of Heineken’s 170 owned beer brands including Heineken, Amstel, Birra Moretti and Kingfisher.
The company is set to expand its staff from 60 people to 190 people.
Georgios Polymenakos, the general manager of Sirocco, said in statement that “the move to local production will ensure Sirocco’s ability to meet growing tourism demand and provide a fresher beer experience with the same international standards.”
“For our tourism and hospitality customers, local production will provide greater flexibility to local market demands,” he added.
As well as Dubai, neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi hosts a brewery owned by Side Hustle Brew and Spirits.Â
It comes amid efforts by the UAE, of which Dubai is a constituent emirate, to diversify its economy away from oil, including by expanding international tourism into the country.
Most recently this saw announcements by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority to grant the first gambling license for Las Vegas-based hotel and casino company Wynn Resorts, which is developing a casino in Ras Al Khaimah.
Dubai has seen tourism grow in recent years, with 10.6 million people visiting the country in the first six months of 2024 and 17.3 million people in 2023, according to government data as reported by Bloomberg.
As well as tourism, Dubai is attempting to become a business hub which has resulted in a large expat community in the country.
