JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA — The board of directors of First Milling Company (First Mills) has approved a plan to build a new flour milling unit (Mill C) at its Al Qassim plant at a cost of SAR 123 million ($32.76 million).

Mill C will add a wheat milling capacity of 600 tonnes per day, a 66% increase, bringing the plant’s total capacity to 1,500 tpd, the company said in its Dec. 24 announcement. Uzwil, Switzerland-based Bühler has been contracted to execute the project.

Construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2025, following regulatory approvals. Completion of the mill is slated for the second quarter of 2026 and will be followed by a 60-day pilot phase before commercial production begins.

“This expansion reflects the company’s strategic initiatives to enhance production capacity and reinforce its market leadership,” First Mills said. “The additional capacity will enable the company to meet increasing demand, expand into new geographical regions, attract new customers, and deliver greater value to shareholders.”

First Mills also announced the completion of the Mill A upgrade and modernization at its largest plant in Jeddah in partnership with Bühler. This expansion increased Mill A’s production capacity from 300 tpd to 550 tpd, raising the Jeddah plant’s overall capacity to 3,050 tpd.

A previously planned upgrade for the Jeddah plant’s Mill B was replaced by the Mill C project at the Al Qassim plant.