UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — The Bühler Technology Group will build a new flour milling complex in Jazan, Saudi Arabia for flour producer Grain Silos & Flour Mills Organization (GSFMO).

The plant will be constructed over the next three years in the southernmost port of Saudi Arabia and will have a wheat processing capacity of 600 tonnes per 24 hours. Since 1978, 50% of all flour mills in Saudi Arabia have been supplied by Bühler.

“We are very pleased to continue our strategic partnership with GSFMO in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Once again, we have convinced a customer of the quality of our plants, our technology and process know-how, and the local services we can provide,” said Stefan Scheiber, Bühler chief executive officer, Grains & Food.

Bühler has collaborated with the state-owned flour producer GSFMO on several projects. Bühler has built as many as 15 flour mills at seven sites in Saudi Arabia. The largest flour mill supplied by Bühler to Saudi Arabia has recently gone into operation. With its capacity of twice 600 tonnes per 24 hours, the plant located in the vicinity of Mecca will supply food to the pilgrims visiting the city.

On April 6, Saudi Minister of Agriculture HE Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli signed the contract for the Jazan project with Bühler, worth over CHF 50 million.

Bühler is providing the manufacture and supply of all the mechanical and other technical equipment to provision of extensive services during and after start-up of the plant. With Bühler’s two local sites in Riyadh and Jeddah, GSFMO can at all times rely on local support. With a local civil engineering company, Bühler will also construct the building for the plant.

In Saudi Arabia, wheat imports and flour production and distribution are subsidized by the government. GSFMO is the country’s sole flour producer and works for the Ministry of Agriculture. Flour consumption amounts to about 2 million tonnes a year.