Dr Zahid Rizvi

DUBAI, UAE, 25 June 2019: Aspire Consulting will oversee the technical design and supervise the industrial refrigeration systems of a food factory project in Iraq, said Dr Zahid Rizvi, CEO and General Manager, Aspire Consulting. The agreement was made at the end of March, he said, explaining that the scope includes providing cold storage and logistics services at the site, which is located at the main Baghdad Fruits and Vegetables Market.

Dr Rizvi said the client’s main objective is to provide an upgraded, improved and enhanced facility for the storage of food, particularly perishable products, which is much needed in the country. The new facility also aims to increase the shelf life of perishable food items and reduce food waste. He added that the site includes three buildings for storage and logistics, with a site footprint of approximately 41,370 square metres and a building volume of approximately 372,300 cubic metres. “This is expected to be the largest facility of this type in Iraq at present,” he said.

Dr Rizvi said that while there are challenges associated with undertaking projects in emerging markets in the Middle East owing to lack of knowhow and expertise as well as limitation of services, it is in these areas that consultants can positively contribute to a certain degree on the development of the area and country. “This country has suffered many challenges and difficulties in the past two decades and needs a major re-build,” he said. “Many consultants may not want to be engaged in projects in Iraq, but I decided to heed the challenge in the hope to make some contribution to this area.”