“We have witnessed several stages of growth and made investments in increasing production capabilities to include granular fertilizers, this allowed us to strengthen our footprint in the UAE and internationally where we export to over 28 countries”
Faroul Tuleimat, The General Manager, Union Chemicals
Union Chemicals, one of the leading fertiliser companies across the globe, continues to invest in R&D locally to establish international partnerships in order to ensure the advancement of their operations in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and analytics for the agriculture sector. During his exclusive conversation with The Zone, Farouk Tuleimat, General Manager, Union Chemicals, explained how the company is functioning in today’s world.
Would you like to throw some light on your company’s wide range of services offerings?
Union Chemicals Co. LLC. was established in 1989 as the first fertiliser company in the GCC and MENA region to produce water-soluble fertilisers in partnership with Finnish company Kemira-GrowHow. Since our establishment, our mission has been to enable and support regional food security by producing the highest quality fertilisers based on international standards.
We have witnessed several stages of growth and invested heavily in increasing our production capabilities to include granular fertilisers. This allowed us to strengthen our footprint not only in the UAE, but also internationally, as we now export our products to over 28 countries across the globe. Today, we cater to a large number of organisations operating in the agriculture industry, and serve some of the largest agricultural projects in the Middle East and Africa.
We continue to invest in R&D locally and have established international partnerships with academies in Germany in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and analytics for the agriculture sector. We are proud to serve some of the most innovative and environment-friendly agriculture projects (high-tech greenhouses/vertical farms) in the region. As one of the vital sectors in the country, our focus during the pandemic was to ensure continued and undisrupted supply chains to all our partners. We increased our production and reserves to ensure strategic agricultural projects continue to be served, and we are proud to have been able to ensure that no essential products were missing or delayed, that could have led to negative consequences on crops, farmers, and agricultural production in the country. We are committed and focused on continuing to support food security in the UAE and its sustainable food production by providing high-quality agricultural inputs and services.
Can you provide some details about the company’s petrochemical products and industry related services?
Depending on the needs of our clients, macro, secondary, and micro nutrients, are produced in various forms such as water-soluble, granular, and liquid. Our wide range of products include organic and inorganic fertilisers, which are utilised in various farming methods such as open field, green house, and vertical farming. Application methods include foliar, fertigation, soil, and slow release. Additionally, based on over 33 years of experience in the region, we have custom made formulas that are tailored to the unique requirements of our clients and the climate in the region; for example, a palm tree focused formula. Products manufactured in our factories are in line with high quality international standards. In addition to our diverse range of products, our services include consultations, targeted assessments, and custom formulations based on crop requirements. Our commitment to quality has been one of the key factors for our growth and well-established presence in the market.
Would you like to provide some details about the company’s advanced solutions?
From a product perspective, we are capable of customising fertilizers to our customers’ needs with the support of our technical engineering team. Our automated solutions enable a variety of nutrients to be blended into homogeneous end products manufactured specifically to the growing requirements of our customers. Our services include technical support to farmers to ensure optimal productivity and yields in addition to a variety of advanced logistical services that ensure an excellent experience for our customers.
What are the industries that you cater to? How do you manage to cater to such diverse sectors while ensuring high quality services?
We focus on offering our services and solutions to a wide variety of agricultural enterprises (open fields, green houses, vertical farms and hydroponic farms). The key to our success is our deep understanding of our customers’ needs and requirements, and our unwavering commitment to excellence and quality. We adhere to international best practices and provide technical consultations to our clients to enable better yields and improved farm profitability.
Would you like to provide some insights into your growth figures and key projects?
Our key objective right now is to continue increasing our investments in R&D to introduce new products relevant to our markets across the region. We have been operating in Jebel Ali for over 35 years now and have been a key supplier to the agriculture sector, with exports to over 28 countries. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of food security in our region and we are excited about the next phase of growth with increased investment in the food security agenda. Our strategy is in line with aspirations and directions of the UAE food security strategy 2051 that encourages domestic production and we are proud to be producing fertilisers domestically.
Our top performing services in the region are fertiliser production, distribution, consultation, and technical support for farming
How has your existence in Jafza enabled you to expand globally?
Without the capabilities of the world-class logistics and trade center in Jafza and Jebel Ali, our global reach would not have been possible. On the other hand, we enjoy full access to some of the best business services, whether it is advanced logistics in land and sea transport services, or integrated smart services to deal with the global supply chains through Dubai Trade, enabling us to operate easily and smoothly.