According to Trade Arabia, this major transformation is the first step towards the company’s bigger goal of moving to renewable and clean energy sources, in line with one of the six pillars of UAE Vision 2021 – creating a sustainable environment and infrastructure, the company said.

The announcement was made in the presence of Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa); Abdalla Sultan Alowais, Chairman, Al Rawdah; Abdulla Al Qubaisi, Vice Chairman, Al Rawdah; Dr Rashid Dafalla, CEO, Al Rawdah; and representatives from Dubai Municipality, Dewa and Al Rawdah.

Making the announcement at a special event organised at the company’s Dubai Farm, Alowais highlighted that the company started the installation of solar panels at the Dubai Farm, which is located on the Dubai-Al Ain Road, in 2016. In the initial phase, solar power will provide 50 per cent of the energy required to run the food processing unit, which accounts for 16 per cent of the energy requirement of the entire farm. Phase one involved an investment of Dh4 million.

The ISO and HACCP certified company aims to increase its renewable energy capabilities to meet 60 per cent of the entire farm’s energy requirement by 2020, he said.

Talking about the transformation, Mr Alowais, said: "We are proud to be the first poultry farm in the UAE to move to solar energy. Minimising our environmental footprint has always been a top priority for the company. Being UAE’s homegrown company, our vision has been aligned with that of our wise leadership. The initiative to turn to solar energy is in line with UAE’s vision of moving towards a sustainable future by adopting renewable and clean energy sources. To us, this is just the beginning to a transformative journey into the future."

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: "I congratulate Emirates Modern Poultry on this important achievement, which supports our shared vision to protect the environment and reduce the carbon footprint. It also supports our close cooperation with the private sector to increase the share of clean energy as part of the Shams Dubai initiative. Dewa launched Shams Dubai to support the Smart Dubai initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world."

Al Rawdah’s initiative is aimed at reducing the company’s environmental footprint and reduce their dependency on traditional energy sources. Apart from the bigger goal of reducing their carbon footprint, the solar panel installation at the farm will also save the company a significant percentage on their running cost.

"With the 3,840 solar panels fully operational, we will be able to generate 1 MW of electrical power, which will result in significant savings on our running costs. This investment will have remarkable returns for both, the company and the environment. We are also in the process of installing solar panels at our Liwa Farm, which will be operational soon. With this transition, Al Rawdah aims to inspire other companies across industries to adopt renewable energy sources for a better future," said Dr Rashid Dafalla.