Coca-Cola says it has formally opened its first factory in the Gaza Strip, in a move that could create hundreds of jobs in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave.
The bottling facility was partially open for several months but begins full operations after a ceremony.
The $20-million investment is the company’s first plant in Gaza and will create around 120 jobs immediately, a statement says, with an eventual expansion to 270.
Zahi Khouri (Courtesy: Coca-Cola publicity)
“The opening of our first Gaza plant is an important milestone,” says Zahi Khouri, the founder and chairman of National Beverage Company (NBC) responsible for Coca-Cola in the Palestinian territories.
“Our new Gaza plant shows our ongoing commitment to investing and supporting progress in communities around the world,” says Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent in a statement.
— AFP
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