Arab Sugar Giant Eyes Kazakhstan Investment, Faces Challenge

One of the world’s largest sugar producers, Al Khaleej Sugar from the United Arab Emirates, is considering building a sugar plant in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, Orda.kz reports.

According to the regional Akimat, investors have already selected a potential construction site near Qonayev, citing its convenient logistics. However, the project faces a significant challenge: securing a reliable water supply for sugar beet cultivation. To address this, Al Khaleej Sugar plans to bring in expert hydrologists to find a solution.

It is critical for us to ensure a stable water supply for the project. We will involve the best specialists in this field,said Jamal Al Ghurair, the company's CEO. 

The project's energy needs have already been considered. The company is exploring the possibility of building wind power plants to support the new facility.

Al Khaleej Sugar operates the world’s largest independent sugar refinery and controls around 3% of the global refined sugar market.

Kazakhstan has been experiencing two consecutive years of declining domestic sugar production. In 2023, output decreased by 31.1%, and in 2024, by an additional 17.6%. Meanwhile, the country’s reliance on imports has grown sharply, with foreign sugar now accounting for 72.4% of the domestic market.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov