Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Mai Dubai, a bottled water company fully owned by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), revealed that the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has not disrupted its operations and that the company continues its supplies through its fully automated factory and achieves its production target of over 1 million units per day.

The Mai Dubai facility is equipped with ample stocks and continues to receive raw material supply as usual, in addition to having back-up supply systems in place. Besides, the operations of the facility are fully automated; starting from the arrival of raw material in the warehouses till the very end, that is the loading of the bottled water onto trucks for dispatch. Even the internal transport is done by monorails, with zero human intervention contributing to a near 100 per cent hands-free operations. Alexander van ‘t Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai, said: “The recent plant expansion in our factory now enables us to easily address the spike in product demand, which we have been witnessing over the past few weeks.

Thanks to the visionary leadership of our shareholders, we are well equipped to produce even 30 per cent more than the quantity needed to address the current market demand.” He added, “Using the expanded production capacity, we have have been able to fill our fully automated warehouse with strategic stock and can guarantee the availability of all our products, from our classic Mai Dubai products to the newly introduced Alkaline – Zero Sodium bottle. While a phase of business disruptions unfolds around the world, we, in fact, have seen a spike in the demand for Mai Dubai products, including for home supply.

The demand has been fulfilled without any interruption, by our tremendous staff and delivery teams, and our production continues to be in full swing. Moreover, from an environmental perspective, our products are produced sustainably, as our entire facility runs on solar energy.”Mai Dubai’s factory and office building run fully on solar energy, abating 10,000MTs of carbon emissions annually. The facility is known for having the second-largest solar roof installation in the world and is the largest solar-powered company in the Middle East. The company strives to provide high quality, innovative, and safe products with efficient services while remaining socially and environmentally responsible.Mai Dubai as a company that was established in December 2012, but construction only started in June 2013 and the facility was completed in a matter of 11 months.

After the successful commissioning of our machines, our sales team went to market in March 2014. We realised early on that the brand represents Dubai, a global brand which stands for high quality, high standards and a grand consumer experience, so there is no compromise when it came to our effort and investment towards building a best-in-class company. In terms of our name, we needed something different so Mai is the spoken way of saying water in Arabic and In English when someone hears Mai Dubai they think “my Dubai” so it becomes very easy to remember either way.As an entity, we are registered as an LLC and we’re fully-owned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority which is another important reason in ensuring the highest standards of quality locally and globally.After over four years since the launch of Mai Dubai, it has become one of the leading bottled drinking water companies in the UAE, and certainly a highly popular brand. Today Mai Dubai is a household name not only in the UAE but in several markets around the world.

The aim of the company is to grow through exceeding customers’ expectations and providing premium products and services, in an innovative, safe, efficient and happy work place, while proactively being responsible towards our society and environment.

The vision of the company is to be a Region-Leading, Sustainable and Innovative Bottled Water Provider.

On the sidelines of Gulfood 2020, bottled water industry leaders joined forces to sign an MoU agreement to form the Gulf Bottled Water Association (GBWA). Headquartered in Dubai, the association aims to bring together a regional working group of all bottled water industry members to address sector challenges and make the industry more competitive.

The agreement names the founding members of the association including, Tariq Ahmed Al Wahedi, CEO of Agthia Group PJSC , Alexander van’t Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai LLC,  Hamza Iqbal, CEO of National Food Products Company (NFPC), and Mohamed Al Owais, Chairman of Emirates Refreshments.

Creating a unified body to communicate with various government sectors, GBWA members will work together to address sustainability and environmental issues that affect the bottled water industry and source new methods to improve the standards of quality and purity of bottled water for the consumer. The association will engage with regulators and this will be done through organized conferences, workshops, research and report building, as well as position papers.

The group will also meet regularly to discuss commercial market risks and build joint awareness campaigns for consumers. The association also aims to bridge the technical cooperation and sharing of information, as well as build operational effectiveness within the industry. Furthermore, GBWA will work to build knowledge and capacity data sharing across water bottle entities in the region.

Tariq Ahmed Al Wahedi, CEO of Agthia Group said “We are excited to bring a voice to the GCC’s bottled water industry through the launch of Gulf Bottled Water Association. This MoU welcomes any entity, partnership, or corporation engaged in the bottling of water or in the distribution of bottled water, or in supplying related products or services within the GCC”

He added “It gives me great pleasure to be among this group of esteemed industry leaders and look forward to the achievements we will embark on together.”

Alexander van ’t Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai LLC said “It’s with great pleasure that we announce the formation of GBWA, an instrumental element in the further evolution of the bottled water industry in our region. Over the past year, key stakeholders have taken the time to prepare for this moment, and we look forward to the successful collaboration with our fellow industry colleagues. Together, through this association, we will overcome some of the industry’s most critical challenges and create a platform for progress.”

Hamza Iqbal, CEO of National Food Products Company (NFPC) said “Bottled water is at the core of the region’s food and beverage industry, and the creation of an association dedicated to its success is crucial. This is evident in the caliber of industry leaders taking part in the formation of GBWA, as well as the future members to come. It is our collective responsibility to see the evolution of the bottled water industry and seek improvement in the current topics that are most pressing across the board.”

Mohamed Al Owais, Chairman of Emirates Refreshments said “We are delighted to be one of the founding members of GBWA, an association that is set to become a platform for knowledge sharing across the bottled water industry. Coming together as one voice is essential as we continue to work on improving the industry and shaping the impact it has on consumers.” Among the key topics the association aims to address includes, environment and sustainability, commitment to reduce plastic waste, scarcity of groundwater, high cost of producing drinking water, water use efficiency, health and safety, regulatory frameworks, water and power subsidies, among others.