[ad_1]
Every bread maker in Abu Dhabi factory bears the country’s stamp
Abdul Raheem Qasem Al Marzouqi with factory employees.Photo: Provided
A UAE-based manufacturing company puts everyday bread on tables in 15 countries around the world by producing high-end bread machines, including the US, Japan, India, Yemen, Sudan and across the GCC.
Eastgate Bread Equipment Factory in Abu Dhabi is the first local manufacturer to serve bakeries in the UAE and the only Arab manufacturer of bread machines in the GCC region.
“Our bread machines and other baking equipment made in the UAE are the backbone of bakeries in the UAE, GCC and beyond. We are pioneers in this field,” East Gate CEO Khadija Abdulla told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.
“We are proud that every machine we manufacture here bears the ‘Made in the UAE’ and ‘Made in Abu Dhabi’ stamps. As a locally born company, we dangle in all the markets we serve UAE flag,” she said.
Abdul Raheem Qasem Al Marzouqi.Photo: Provided
From delivery man to export tycoon
East Gate was founded in 1992 by Abdul Raheem Qasem Al Marzouqi, an Emirati businessman who has been fascinated by bakeries since childhood. The company was originally named the Qasem Al Marzouqi factory before changing its name to East Gate in 2006.
Born into a poor family in Abu Dhabi, 76-year-old bedridden Al Marzouqi had to work as a delivery boy at a local bakery. “That was long before the UAE was established. Life was simple. There was no electricity, drinking water or any other amenities. It was a struggle for survival and my husband went through those tough times,” said Khadija, who now runs the company Say.
Khadija Abdulla and Abdul Raheem Qasem Al Marzouqi.Photo: Provided
“He learned the basics of the bakery business and opened Al Najjah Bakery on Corniche in 1974 by making his own dough. Soon he became the first to open automatic bread in Abu Dhabi by importing bread machines from Germany shop,” Khadija said.
According to her, Al Marzouqi opened more than a dozen bakeries in Abu Dhabi over the next three decades, including Sultan Bakery, Qasem AlMarzooqi Bakery, Al Tawfeeq Bakery, Alkhayam Bakery, Mussafah Automatic Bakery and Al Basha Bakery and more. “He would turn a bakery into a successful business model and sell it before opening a new one,” she said.
Kadia Abdullah
Although he had no formal education, Khadija said Al Marzouqi was essentially an engineer and started designing his own bread machine. “He learned these techniques and established the Qasem Al Marzouqi factory, the first-ever manufacturing unit in Abu Dhabi to manufacture baking equipment.
“All the bakeries in the country were exporting machines at the time. He found a niche and started supplying cutting edge, high-quality machines from his factory. This created a huge buzz in the market. Today, we export to More than 15 countries,” Khadija said.
Today, the medium-sized factory in Abu Dhabi’s Mussafah Industrial Zone manufactures a wide range of baking equipment, including Arabic bread ovens, Lebanese bread automatics, tablet presses, dough flatteners, bread cutters, stainless steel trolleys and aluminium trays .
The manufacturing department consists of 26 employees, including technicians and design specialists. Khadija said they source raw materials from the UAE and abroad, and once manufactured, the machines are quality checked and sealed with “Made in the UAE” and “Made in Abu Dhabi” stamps before being shipped to different locations. “We also manufacture and export spare parts and install them both inside and outside the UAE,” she added.
Complex machinery for making simple bread
For millions of people, bread may be the most modest and affordable food. But the machines needed to produce everyday bread are heavy and complex. “It’s not as simple as you might think. It requires seven machines to start with mixing, cutting the dough, proofing, then sheeting, the dough proofing again before going into the oven, and then cooling. Fully automatic production line for Arabic Peta bread every hour 3,000 to 4,000 loaves can be produced,” Khadija explained.
She said the quality of baked products and cakes often depends on the quality of the machines used. “In the mass production of food products, the condition and taste of breads, pastries and cakes depend on the machines we use – from preparation to shaping and slicing to baking and preservation. Using a dough press, for example, will ensure a pie crust , pita and pizza crust consistency. It reduces prep time and also prevents lumps or air bubbles in the dough.”
Also read:
Another popular machine, the Dough Diver cuts the dough evenly and is equipped with a screw shaft to push the dough ball, a flour hopper and a multi-speed motor to control the production speed. The primary leavening agent, consisting of seven layers, leaves the bread perfectly fermented.
A dough flattener is another large machine that rolls dough balls into equal round and flat slices. The tunnel oven cooks the perfect bread, while the cooling conveyor transports the bread for packaging.
“Ultimately, if you don’t compromise on quality, you can be a market leader. As far as we are concerned, there is no doubt that we represent the UAE as a country that excels in everything it does, so we will Sacrificing quality. We follow the same mantra,” Khadija said.
[ad_2]
Source link