Heineken joint venture set to build Dubai's first commercial brewery
28/11/2024 11:51
DUBAI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A Heineken HEIN.AS joint
venture plans to build the Gulf's first major commercial brewery
in Dubai, the metropolitan city where glitzy bars and
restaurants attract millions of tourists each year.
Sirocco, a joint venture between Heineken and Dubai
state-linked Maritime Mercantile International, said it will
build a brewery that will produce popular beer brands in Dubai,
which has long allowed alcohol consumption.
Construction will begin before the end of 2025 with the
brewery expected to open by the end of 2027, it said, adding
that all necessary licenses and permits had been obtained.
Dubai is the most populous of the seven emirates that make
up the United Arab Emirates. Its hotels, beaches and attractions
like the world's tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, attracted some
17 million people last year, many from Europe, Russia and India.
In recent years, restrictions around purchasing alcohol in
store in Dubai have loosened.
Abu Dhabi, the capital and largest emirate, has also eased
regulations with at least one bar offering locally brewed beer.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Susan Fenton)
((Alexander.Cornwell@thomsonreuters.com;))