Agthia Launches Agthia Academy to Boost UAE’s Food Industry Talent

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 7-05-2026

4 min

Agthia has launched the Agthia Academy to boost food manufacturing skills.

Developed with Bühler, it targets excellence in milling, baking and production.

Training spans Abu Dhabi and Switzerland, blending “global best practices” with factory discipline.

Local universities will link study to industry, easing the shift into careers.

The move supports food security and the UAE’s industrial growth ambitions.

Agthia Group has introduced what it calls a first-of-its-kind capability-building platform in the UAE’s food and beverage sector, aiming to equip Emirati entrepreneurs and specialists with hands-on expertise in food manufacturing. The initiative, known as the Agthia Academy and developed in partnership with Swiss technology company Bühler, is designed to raise the bar in milling, baking and production excellence.

The launch took place alongside Agthia’s participation in Make it in the Emirates 2026, tying the programme neatly to the country’s push for industrial growth. It’s an industry-led approach to skills development, with a clear focus: turn global best practices into day-to-day habits on the factory floor. In simple words, it’s about helping local talent move from theory to real operational discipline, improving quality, efficiency and consistency across the board.

Salmeen Alameri, Managing Director and CEO of Agthia Group, described the Academy as a practical pathway to strengthen the UAE’s food sector through its people. He pointed to the importance of linking learning with measurable outcomes, saying the platform is meant to support long-term food security ambitions and build a more resilient, competitive food economy.

From Bühler’s side, Heiko Feuring, President for the Middle East, Africa and India, highlighted the balance between global knowledge and hands-on training. According to him, the Academy will combine exposure to advanced technologies with modern production practices, giving participants access to international standards while keeping one foot firmly in real-world application.

And that’s where things get interesting. The programme will run across Agthia’s facilities in Abu Dhabi as well as Bühler’s global training centres in Switzerland. Participants won’t just sit in classrooms; they’ll move between structured learning, technical workshops and international exposure. It’s not a bit of a faff box-ticking exercise, at least on paper, but a full-circle training model that ties education directly to operational performance.

The Academy is also deepening collaboration with local academia. Partnerships have been formed with United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University and the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy, Les Roches. The goal is to enhance existing programmes with applied training methodologies and closer links to industry, helping students transition into careers aligned with global food sector standards. In a region where bridging the gap between university and industry can sometimes feel like pushing water uphill, this sounds pretty spot on.

Agthia, headquartered in Abu Dhabi and listed on ADX, has grown since its establishment in 2004 into a diversified food and beverage player across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan. Its portfolio stretches across water and food, snacking, protein and frozen products, and agri-business. With more than 12,000 employees and products reaching over 60 markets, it has scale, and that matters when rolling out a programme like this.

Bühler, for its part, is no small partner. The company’s processing technologies touch billions of people every day through food production and mobility components. Its Dubai office acts as a regional hub covering 78 countries across the Middle East, Africa and India, offering after-sales support and technical expertise.

I’ve seen over the years, especially through conversations around Arageek, how hungry young founders and operators in the region are for practical, industry-backed learning. Many have the ambition, but lack structured access to global manufacturing know-how. I reckon initiatives like this can help close that gap, if executed properly. On the flip side, programmes are only as strong as their follow-through, and sustained commitment will be key.

Still, the emphasis on operational excellence and food security feels timely. The UAE has made no secret of its ambition to become a hub for advanced food manufacturing and sustainable production. By channelling investment into human capital, Agthia is clearly aligning itself with that national agenda. Whether the Academy becomes a long-term game-changer or just another well-intentioned platform will depend on results, but for now, it’s a move that definitly signals where the sector is heading.

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