Wathba Modern Slaughterhouse Complex opens this month

Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Director of Public Health, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, said, ‘Wathba Slaughterhouse is the first of its kind in the region in terms of equipment and modernity. The AED 160 million worth facility includes modern shopping mall comprising 20 outlets, two markets for sheep and camel sale with 48 livestock barns. Both markets were designed as per the global standards out of the Municipality’s keenness to provide the best health stipulations and the highest standards of animal welfare, besides providing comfortable shopping experience to livestock market visitors, and accordingly both markets have been fully-air-conditioned.’

‘Wathba Slaughterhouse Complex gives value-added to the overall excellent array of municipal services owing to its modern and advanced fixtures, be it in terms of installations & infrastructure therein or health stipulations that govern the slaughtering and skinning procedures. In addition, the facility is also intended to maintain sustainable environment and achieve the Municipality’s mission of providing best-in-class municipal services,’ added Al Rumaithi.

He noted Wathba Slaughterhouse has been decorated with the Best Slaughterhouse Award in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region 2011 in terms of equipment, modern installations and livestock selling barns which meet the highest standards of animal welfare. Thus it has become the 2^nd slaughterhouse in Abu Dhabi to clinch a global award after Abu Dhabi Automated Slaughterhouse, which received the Best Slaughterhouse Award in MENA in 2010, thanks to the highest standards of health adopted during all slaughtering phases.

Al Rumaithi said that Wathba Slaughterhouse adds up to the series of Municipality’s slaughterhouses which includes Abu Dhabi Automated Slaughterhouse, Abu Dhabi Public Slaughterhouse, Shahama Slaughterhouses and Bani Yas Slaughterhouses, which still offer their services in full swing to the public and companies.

‘As part of the Public Health Division’s plan aimed at converting all manual abattoirs into modern automated slaughterhouses, work is up and running to establish Shahama Modern Slaughterhouse, serving Shahama and its neighboring areas, as it lives up to the latest international health and environmental standards. The Slaughterhouses Section is currently exploring the possibility of using alternative and clean energy to operate as many of its facilities as possible. It is expected to finalize the building, construction and preparation works and put the facility under investment and operation in the second half of 2014,’ continued Al Rumaithi.

The Slaughterhouses Section is in the process of expanding and increasing the number of livestock selling barns at Bani Yas Slaughterhouse site due to the increasing demand to rent livestock barns.

Al Rumaithi reminded the public of the importance of frequenting such advanced service facilities which live up to the modern global specifications & health standards and provide holistic services in an ideal environment. He cautioned against the risks of slaughtering livestock indoors, within farms or in public places due to the health risks that could be detrimental to consumers.

‘The health and veterinary capabilities together with the ongoing modern inspection on slaughtering and meat processing in Abu Dhabi slaughterhouses are capable of meeting the communal health safety, upgrading the level of public health standards and protecting community members from health risks resulting from the unsystematic slaughtering of livestock in places other than designated sites,’ concluded Al Rumaithi in a final remark.