As Swisslog builds on its strengths in logistics in the food and beverage sector, this contract win is a further milestone in the automation specialist's timeline. Mai Dubai's commercial operations began in March 2014 and the company has been growing exponentially ever since. It is a trusted household brand and a serious player in the bottled water industry. Mai Dubai chose Swisslog as its partner on this project due to their mutual commitment to future growth.

Outgoing products from the plant will be shipped in a wide range of bottle sizes to stores, businesses and private homes. In 2015, Mai Dubai was the only bottled water company to be given the highest rating in food safety by the Dubai Municipality. The company is the official drinking water supplier for Emirates Airline and has already exported its products to more than 13 countries.

The automation project will see Swisslog Middle East deliver a new automated raw and packing material warehouse, extend its production capability as well as build a high bay warehouse to store finished goods. With a height of 25 meters and a storage capacity of 17 560 pallet locations, the finished goods warehouse will provide sufficient storage space for Mai Dubai's high volumes, while the raw material/packing material warehouse has a height of 14 meters and 5 592 pallet locations. The Swisslog Vectura pallet stacker cranes, connected with a conveyor system, will provide highly efficient storage and retrieval. A monorail system with 44 Swisslog trolleys and a transportation length of 1 000 meters will link all areas together, including the existing production lines.