Situated near Al-Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, the world’s biggest vertical farm has been built as part of a joint venture with Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One. This is an extremely important milestone for the Emirates Group and for the UAE as they heavily encourage sustainability with new technology with the objective to continue to boost Dubai’s position as a global innovation hub. The new vertical farm facility will cover over 12,000 sqm but have a production output equivalent to 900 acres of farmland. At full production, the facility will harvest three tons of high-quality vegetation and will use 99% less water than regular outdoor crop fields. Due to the prime location of the facility, delivery from the farm to the point of consumption will be faster than ever, which will maintain the high nutritional value of the fresh products and reduce carbon emissions during the transportation process drastically.

As one of the world’s largest airline catering operations, Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) is always looking for new innovations to support Dubai’s quest to reduce the environmental impact that comes with food preparation and delivery.  The search for new ways to improve productivity and service quality is constantly ongoing through various creative ideas. Introducing cutting-edge technology, EKFC have created their own supply chain of high quality and locally-sourced fresh vegetables, while significantly reducing their carbonl footprint.  Duphill are extremely honoured to have supported this groundbreaking project that is highly beneficial for the future of the city and environment at large.

Our motivated team applied Sherwin Williams FasTop SL23 to 26,000m2 of the facility to support the hygiene standards of this prestigious project. FasTop SL23, applied at only 3mm thick, is an antimicrobial polyurethane cement self-levelling resin floor system which provides a heavy duty finish, highly resistant against chemical substances, hot water and abrasion. The system is perfect for any food and beverage production areas and has been HACCP Certified and Campden BRI approved due to its extreme anti-microbial qualities and food safe benefits. Due to its seamless application, FasTop SL23 is extremely easy to clean, reducing the chance of bacteria spreading, whilst meeting the hygiene requirements of the facility. The product is also able to withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius and as high as 80 degrees Celsius at just 3mm thick.

Our team are pleased to have made a contribution to the construction process of this innovative project and we hope this continues the momentum of environmental friendliness within the food processing industry. With each member of the team displaying their synergy throughout all of our projects, we were able to deliver to the project deadlines and work in tandem with the clients specific needs and requests during the process. During the applications, some days were proven to be more difficult than others but with our teams’ motivation and pride, we were able to conquer any challenges that came in our way.